This weekend I was on a llama pack trip. We live at 4000' and were up to 9500'. I didn't have sickness but I was sure sucking air. A couple guys, who live downhill at about 2500', were showing mild sickness symptoms. They aren't the same thing. Sickness in it's mildest form is dizziness, headache, maybe nausea, and muscle aches. I had none of those but any rapid exertion had me really gasping for air. I would get over it in a minute or so.
Here's a list of the stages of sickness. If you're anything more than acute, you'd better be getting your tail downhill ASAP. Even dropping down 1000' can make a huge difference in many cases. We were only 800' above the trailhead and I could feel a difference in just that much.
Types
There are three kinds of altitude sickness. :
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is the mildest form and it’s very common. The symptoms can feel like a hangover – dizziness, headache, muscle aches, nausea.
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) is a buildup of fluid in the lungs that can be very dangerous and even life threatening.
High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) is the most severe form of altitude sickness and happens when there’s fluid in the brain. It’s life threatening and you need to seek medical attention right away.
Here's a list of symptoms that elk hunters are most likely to have:
Symptoms
You might have:
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue and loss of energy
Shortness of breath
Problems with sleep
Loss of appetite
Symptoms usually come on within 12 to 24 hours of reaching a higher elevation and then get better within a day or two as your body adjusts to the change in altitude.
