High altitude headache treatment: what to do

High altitude headache treatment starts with stopping ascent, resting, drinking sensibly, and moving lower if symptoms worsen or do not settle. Avoid strenuous activity while your body adjusts, and use only pain medicine that is safe for you and taken as directed on its label.

At high altitude, the air pressure is lower, so your body receives less oxygen with each breath. A headache can appear during or after ascent, especially when the climb is rapid. It may occur with tiredness, dizziness, reduced appetite, or nausea. Dehydration, sun exposure, poor sleep, a viral illness, or sinus congestion can produce similar pain, so the setting alone does not establish the cause.

Stop climbing and take a quiet day. Sip fluids regularly, eat light meals if you can, and avoid alcohol and sedating medicines. Keep warm and protect your eyes and skin from bright sun. If the headache is not improving with rest, do not continue higher; a controlled descent is often the most useful step. A travel clinician can advise before a trip about prevention and medicines, particularly if you have lung, heart, or pregnancy-related concerns.

Seek urgent medical help if the headache is severe or rapidly worsening, or if it comes with confusion, unusual sleepiness, trouble walking, fainting, repeated vomiting, chest tightness, or breathlessness at rest. Move lower with assistance if possible while arranging emergency care. Fever, a stiff neck, weakness on one side, or a sudden thunderclap headache also needs prompt assessment because altitude may not be the explanation.

Ask whether your planned route allows enough time for acclimatisation, which pain relievers fit your health history, and what symptoms should make you descend. Mention previous altitude symptoms, asthma or heart disease, current medicines, and any planned exertion.