How to overcome altitude sickness - My experience in Peru

One of the things that most surprised me on our trip to Peru was altitude sickness, I already told you about it in the post My first impressions of Peru. When I was preparing the trip, I read a lot about the country, tourism, gastronomy, and also about this effect on the body as it is very high, but I did not pay much attention to it, I thought that this was not going to happen to me and that people are a little flowery, but no! It happened to me, and although it was short in time it was a strange and unpleasant sensation. As you already know, on our trip to Peru we visited the Colca Valley area, from Arequipa and to arrive two days later in Puno. The visit to the Colca valley as I already explained in the posts From Arequipa to Chivay - Colca Canyon, Peru and From Chivay to Puno - Colca Canyon and Mirador de la Cruz del Cóndor we did in two days, sleeping that night in Chivay (Casa Andina Colca).

The first day we went from a height of 2,328 to 3,635, but during the day we reached the highest point in the area, at almost 5,000 meters and on the second day we went from a height of 3,635 meters to 3,815 meters, that is, we were very high!  

What is altitude sickness? 

These are physiological reactions caused by the poor adaptation of our body to the lack of oxygen, when we quickly ascend to altitudes above 2,400 meters above sea level (masl). In some people the symptoms do not even manifest. In others, they take a few days to appear, and there are those who feel them a few hours after ascending. Altitude sickness is also called acute mountain sickness (MAM), soroche, yeyo, or paramo disease.  

What are the symptoms of altitude sickness? 

Some of the symptoms are headache, dizziness, fatigue, physical exhaustion and agitation. There is also the "zombie sensation", characterized by a lack of concentration, hunger, and energy. Sleep disorders, digestive disorders, nausea or vomiting may also occur. The most severe cases cause pulmonary edema and / or cerebral edema. In my case, the first day was a feeling of exhaustion, it was like slow motion and everything was costing me a lot of effort, and the second day, it was a pretty unbearable headache, the good thing is that I had no obligation to make efforts for what I did not get nervous and let the symptoms pass. One of the women who went on our excursion had a worse time and the first afternoon was spent at the hotel with vomiting and nausea.

What should we do to avoid or reduce altitude sickness? 

1. Acclimatization The most important thing is to adapt to that new height that our body is not used to. Before climbing beyond 2,500 meters high, find out how much it is advisable to climb daily and what is the period you must stay at that height to adapt.

2. Control the needs of your body At altitude, the celeb acts slower, so it is important that you drink, eat, wrap up and rest before your body asks you to. You can set drinking and eating schedules and force yourself to follow them.

3. move slow You must walk calmly and make any movement in a relaxed way.

4. Don't drink alcohol or smoke. Alcohol dehydrates the body and as we have said before, staying hydrated is one of the ways to avoid altitude sickness, so it is better not to drink alcohol. On the other hand, at certain heights you will have difficulty breathing, so it is better to avoid smoking, if the body is already having trouble in the normal way, imagine yourself smoking.

5. Wrap Yourself Up Remember that you are very high and as in the case of Peru the sun burned but did not heat, so you did not notice it and then you were burned, my lips burned ... a very strange feeling. Also, once it gets dark the temperature can drop a lot!

6. Use sunscreen, a cap or hat, and sunglasses As I said above, the sun's rays are stronger at higher altitudes, so protect yourself well.

7. Wherever you go do what you see In Peru, the locals will offer you coca leaves or, failing that, derived products (caramels, infusions, ...), to avoid altitude sickness. If they offer it to you, they who are used to it, is that it will be a good solution against altitude sickness. Coca has been used for thousands of years among indigenous people and its properties to treat altitude sickness are very good. We opt for the infusions, they offer them to you anywhere, in a bag as if it were chamomile or directly the leaves in hot water, and for the coca candies that you can buy in any food or souvenir store. The other option is to directly chew the sheet. You should chew them and place them on the side of your mouth. You do not have to swallow them, just leave them there while they secrete their juice, as they told me it is not the most pleasant flavor in the world and it also stains the teeth, so for me the best option is the first.

8. Pills for soroche They can be bought without a prescription in most countries and should be taken before starting to gain height, continuing with one pill every 12 hours. They help blood supply and improve respiratory capacity. You can also take an anti-inflammatory or aspirin to calm the headache that height can cause you, in the latter case it is not very good, since aspirin eliminates the effects but not altitude sickness and maybe by not treating it, because you do not see its effects, the consequences may be worse. In our case, we did not take these pills, as I said at the beginning I thought that altitude sickness was not going to happen to me, but what I did take was an ibuprofen that alleviated the horrible headache on the second day. In my case, as from the second day we started to lose height I didn't take any more pills and I didn't feel that headache anymore.

9. Travel accompanied and with someone who knows the area If you venture into the mountains and do not have much experience, it is recommended that you be accompanied. So, in case of an emergency or you experience the symptoms of altitude sickness, you will have someone to lean on. We did not have this problem, we went with a guide who helped us in the adaptation and reassured us a lot with his advice.

10. Adapt your diet Eat plenty of carbohydrates that are easily digestible in small doses, such as fruit or potatoes, and, as I said in another tip, it is important to stay hydrated.

11. And finally, if you have any chronic disease, consult your doctor Also check how height will affect the medications you take regularly. And here are the tips to overcome altitude sickness and how I managed it on my travel to Peru, but remember that the main advice is to act with your head and not do crazy things.

Visit Peru and know the tourist places of Peru

Peru, a country where you can get to know a lot of tourist attractions. Very beautiful places that you can visit when you arrive in Peru, here is a video where you can get to know the main tourist attractions in Peru. Know Cusco Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Manu, Tambopata, The Nazca Lines, La huacachina and a large number of tourist destinations.

“To someone who has not run a rapid before & questions the need to do so at all, the lure of this charging volume of water pouring toward your very own vulnerable, fragile body is difficult to explain . . . it gives an edge to living, a baptism that blesses with a reminder of mortality . . . once is enough for many, & forever not enough for some.” THE GREAT URUBAMBA RIVER/RAFTING CLASS III- IV The Great Urubamba River in Peru is a partially navigable tributary ,headwater of the Amazon River. It rises in the Andes to the southeast of Cusco, near the border of the Puno region, in a place called “La Raya Pass”, which at 4338 meters; it lies between the snowcapped Chimboya that rises to 5489 meters and the Mosaya snow peak, at 5400 meters. Here, at its origin, it is called the sacred Vilcanota River. Another main source of water for this sacred river is the snowcapped mountain Ausangate that rises to 6384 meters. As it flows in the Sacred Valley between Pisac and Ollantaytambo the river is called the Willcamayu or “Sacred River of the Incas”. It flows north-northeast for about 724 kilometers before joining the great Apurimac River to form the Ucayali River. Together they join the Marañon River and the Napo River to form the Great Amazon River near Iquitos in the north part of Perú. #cuscorafting #vilcanotariver #riverrafting #raftingperú #urubambariver #raftingcusco peruecoadventurestrips www.cuscomachupicchu.com

The Tambopata River Expedition 11days,10 nights

The Tambopata National Reserve-TNR is part of a 3.7million acre Multi-Ecosystem Conservation Reserve in southeastern Perú, created in 1990 in partnership with local grassroots and international conservation groups by Perú’s government. This reserve protects the biodiversity of the watersheds of the Tavara and Candamo Rivers and most of the Tambopata River watershed. The declaration and design of the TNR include an underlying philosophy of sustainable development and conservation of forest resources. Part of this includes environmentally friendly Wildlife tours to help generate valuable profits for the reserve The TNR protects habitats ranging from the Andean highlands around the rivers’ headwaters through some of the last remaining intact cloud forests to the lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin. Over 1,300 bird species (including 32 parrot species – 10% of the world’s total), 200 mammal species, 90 frog species, 1,200 butterfly species and 10,000 species of higher plants are protected within this reserve. Enjoy one of the most spectaculars Amazon Rivers with high biodiversity including a visit to the Macaw Lick to sight an enormous array of macaws, parrots and parakeets. #tambopata #riverraftingtambopata #raftingtambopata #birdstambopata #tambopatawildlife #adventuretours #naturaladventures #rainforestadventuresperu #raftingrainforest #amazontrips #raftingamazonrivers #birdwatching #birdwatchingrivertrips #amazonriverrafting #amazonexpeditions #rainforestexpeditions

MANU NATIONAL PARK CULTURAL ZONE: 4D3N

 #cusco #trekking #hiking #machupicchu #sacredvalley #mountainbike #historicaltours #culturaltours #choquequirao #Salkantaytrek #vilcabamba #espiritupampa #larestrek #inkatrail #incatrail

This trip constitutes an exceptional approach to observing the diversity of ecosystems present in the extremely vertical stratification of the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes: one can explore sections of highland, the transitional fringes descending into the vegetated zones, followed by the wide range multiplicity of the cloud forest and follow the seemingly constant environmental progression through the high and low Jungles in the area of Manu National Park. Enjoy gentle and enlightening adventure in the Easters slopes of the Andes and its natural and cultural features.

Includes:  We Provide and Include: Licensed, Bilingual, history, naturalist and Class V Rafting and Tour Guides- Radio and phone- Rafting and optional Biking Expedition Equipment, Safety Procedures and Orientation,Knee and elbow protection, paddles, helmets, life jackets, windbreaker jackets, Bus and  and Transfers- First Aid kit- Optional Expedition grade tents and air matrasses and sleeping bags only in the dry season- All Itinerary Meals, including vegetarian & some snacks- Dining tent, Cook & Services- Ecological, portable toilets- Manú Entrance and Site Fees, Macaw ,Parrots and Parakeet Lick- Camping in the Park /Transfers in Cusco & Manu

Note:  For adjusting to tour altitude, we suggest one day tours like the Sacred Valley, River Rafting and the City Tour of Cusco. As Guides we offer 100% Gauranteed Information, for your sensibilities – about the best specific hotel rooms and services around Peru, like extra windows and other amenities.