Headache at high altitude: what to know

As you travel higher, the air provides less available oxygen with each breath. The body needs time to adjust, and headache may be an early feature of acute mountain sickness, often accompanied by tiredness, dizziness, nausea, or poor sleep. Fast ascent, strenuous activity, alcohol, sun exposure, and inadequate fluids can add to the strain. Dehydration or Heat Exhaustion can mimic or intensify altitude symptoms. A cold, COVID-19, or sinus trouble can cause headache too, so congestion, fever, cough, or a sore throat may point to another illness.

Stop going higher when a new altitude headache develops. Rest, limit exertion, keep warm, and drink normally without forcing excessive fluid. Avoid alcohol and sleeping tablets unless a clinician has advised them. Tell a travel companion how you feel and follow local medical guidance about suitable pain relief or altitude medicine. If symptoms do not improve while resting, moving to a lower altitude is the key action; arrange assistance rather than descending alone if you feel unsteady.

Get emergency help and descend promptly for confusion, unusual behaviour, difficulty walking, breathlessness at rest, blue lips, chest tightness, coughing frothy fluid, fainting, or severe worsening headache. Do not wait for symptoms to become extreme. Seek medical advice for persistent headache, repeated vomiting, or symptoms that continue after returning lower. People with heart, lung, blood, or pregnancy-related concerns should discuss altitude travel before departure.

Is this altitude suitable for my health and medicines? What symptoms should make me stop, descend, or seek evacuation?