Many people travel to Tanzania in hopes of summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest freestanding mountain in the world with its five volcanic cones reaching above 5000 meters (16,500 feet). With 90% of the mountain being above 1500 meters (5000 feet), high altitude trekking can pose some serious health risks, particularly Altitude Sickness which can be fatal if left untreated. Here are some tips to avoid altitude sickness while hiking Mount Kilimanjaro and how to treat it if you do get it.
Symptoms of Altitude Sickness
In order to understand altitude sickness, it’s important to know what symptoms to look for. The most common symptoms of altitude sickness include:
- headache
- fatigue
- insomnia
- loss of appetite
- shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- nausea and vomiting
- dizziness and lightheadedness,
- ncreased urination
- rapid heart rate (tachycardia).
All of these symptoms have a lot in common with severe acute mountain sickness: HACE or high-altitude cerebral edema which can lead to death as well as AMS or high-altitude pulmonary edema which is highly dangerous if left untreated and can cause extreme respiratory distress that could result in death.
Prevention tips while climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro
3 Tips for climbing kilimanjaro
If you’re planning on climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, you might want to think about bringing some of these tips along with you:
- 1. Learn about altitude sickness ; If you’re used to being around sea level, climbing up a mountain that’s 19,340 feet above sea level can be pretty dangerous. That’s why it’s important that you prepare by learning as much as possible about altitude sickness and its symptoms. This will help your doctor know what treatment (if any) he needs to administer for your climb.
- 2. Work on your cadence : Maintain a similar cadence as you climb
- 3. Choose the Best Route for Your Capabilities
