How to Acclimatize to Altitude

Adjusting to a higher altitude can take some time. You may spend the better part of your vacation feeling sick or have trouble adjusting to your new home if you aren't prepared to acclimatize. Denver Living warns people who are interested in the Mile High City to take certain precautions when traveling to higher altitudes.

Instructions

• 1

  Prepare for your trip to higher altitudes. Family Doctor.org recommends talking to your doctor before traveling to any locations with an altitude of 8,000 feet or higher. A medical professional can warn you about the dangers of high-altitude illness, including the possibility of fluid building up in the brain and/or lungs.

• 2

  Travel as slowly as possible. Your body needs time to adjust to the change in oxygen levels associated with higher altitude locations. Also, if you normally live at a lower altitude, it may take you longer to adjust. Doctors recommend against going more than 1,000 feet per day once you are at locations over 8,000 feet. If you are flying to your destination, you may have to make the trip in one shot, but if you are driving, you may want to stop occasionally.

• 3

  Sleep at lower altitudes whenever possible. Your body needs to recover from the change in elevation, so sleep at a lower altitude the nights before and after your trip.

• 4

  Watch for symptoms of altitude illness. You may feel lightheaded, weak, nauseated or fatigued or get headaches if you change altitudes too quickly. In serious cases, you may have difficulty breathing that doesn't go away, even when resting.

• 5

  Get to lower elevations if you suffer severe reactions to the change. Going down 1,000 feet or more can ease the symptoms of altitude sickness. Also, medicines such as acetazolamide (Diamox) or nifedipine (Adalat) may prevent you from getting sick.