What should you know about chronic altitude sickness?

The body may respond to thin air by changing breathing and producing more red blood cells. Over time, these adjustments can become excessive or fail to provide enough oxygen. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, reduced exercise tolerance, bluish lips, poor sleep, or feeling unusually tired. A headache and nausea can occur with altitude-related illness, but either symptom can have many other causes.

A clinician considers your altitude, length of exposure, medical history, oxygen level, examination findings, and sometimes blood tests. Chronic symptoms should not be assumed to be altitude sickness, especially if they began after returning to a lower altitude.

Arrange a medical assessment if symptoms continue while you are living or working at altitude. A travel-health clinician can review planned ascent, existing heart or lung problems, medicines, sleep quality, and whether gradual acclimatisation is suitable.

Avoid rapid ascent when possible, allow time for your body to adjust, stay hydrated, and avoid alcohol or sedatives that may worsen breathing during sleep unless prescribed. Do not start oxygen, medicines, or descent plans without individual advice. A Travel Health Consultation can help before a high-altitude trip.

Seek urgent care for severe or worsening headache, confusion, fainting, trouble walking, chest pain, breathlessness at rest, blue lips, or coughing with frothy sputum. Descend to a safer altitude if emergency clinicians advise it, and do not travel alone when seriously unwell.

Ask which symptoms fit altitude illness, whether another condition or medicine could explain them, whether oxygen measurement or blood tests are needed, and how to plan ascent, sleep, activity, and descent safely.