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Liver Stone Problems ?, High Blood
Pressure ?, Anti_cancer Medicine?, Cholesterol, Need more Energy?
Stress, urinary
problems? Hormonal Alternative treatments
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HOW
TO AVOID FEELING BAD IN CUZCO
Special to ABCNEWS.com
As I learned the
hard way, gaining altitude too fast can send you reelingeven kill
you.
Even nonfatal manifestations
of altitude sickness are horrible: common symptoms include breathing
problems, mind-numbing head pounding, frequent urination, dehydration,
light headedness and poor judgment.
( In my case, one
of the graver signs was a longing for a Burger King Value Meal as I
was staggering through the Peruvian Andes at something like 17,000 feet).
And yet, like so many of the more dangerous things human beings can
do, there is no permit required for simply flying in to a high place.
The Ecuadorian capital
city of Quito, at 9,000 feet, can have a casual tourist huffing and
lightheaded upon arrival. If youre planning to get really highthe
mountains of Nepal or much of Machu Pichu, CUZCO, there is no substitute
for time. Any mountain climbing guide will tell you to acclimate for
dayseven weeksat a time at periodic elevations if you plan
on gaining obscene amounts of ground on your trip to heaven.
When the headaches
stop, when you can run 20 steps without seeing spots, youre ready
for the next plateau.
Modern medicine
prescribes altitude medicines such as acetazolamide, dexamethasone and
nifedipineall of which require consultation with a doctor. Ive
actually brought some medication along on a trip or two. The problem
is, when I really needed it, the label scared me off. It read, take
two tablets and descend. I was in no position to descend, as it
was after dark in about 5 million acres of Andean wilderness, and I
didnt know what the effect would be if I took the meds but didnt
descend. Head explosion? Rooting for the Cowboys? These werent
risks I was willing to take.
I found out later
that the medicine without the descent is better than no medicine at
all, but thats beside the point. Next time Ill stick with
time-honored acclimation. Any other tips for avoiding altitude
sickness?
Doctors are now
prescribing Diamox to be taken for a couple of days before going to
altitude. It seems to work for me. I used to get mild altitude sickness
(headache and nausea lasting about 24 hrs) each time I went to Vail,
CO (which is at something like 7,000-8000 ft.). The last couple of times
I've taken Diamox and have had no symptoms. Also, tell people to drink
plenty of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine for the first day or
so.
A friend of my spent 12 days in LaPaz, Bolivia at 10,000'+. I did take
5 tablets of acetazolamide over 2 days, but I think what also helped
is being in good cardiovascular shape, drinking lots of water, and avoiding
strenuous physical activity most of the time I was there. I never got
sick or had headaches, just some shortness of breath and tingling in
my fingertips.
Drink
lots of water. Eat small meals. Avoid alchohol. Drink mate de coca (coca
tea) and/or chew coca leaves (if available).
Heather Cross
A very healthy way to fight altitude sickness is to drink four times
a day during two consecutive days an infusion of coca leaves (MATE COCA).
This beverage can be easily prepared using small tea bags that are sold
in either Peruvian supermarkets.
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