This might also happen after engaging in intense activities like mountain climbing. When you feel like you don’t have enough oxygen in such circumstances, you may be suffering from altitude sickness. However, in unusual circumstances, the opposite can occur, which is known as “reverse altitude sickness.”Reverse altitude sickness typically occurs when a person suddenly descends to a lower altitude after being at a high altitude for a long time. Like altitude sickness, traveling to a lower altitude before your body acclimates can cause physical discomfort.
Symptoms of Reverse Altitude sickness:
You’ll probably feel sick and dizzy. You may vomit and experience a headache. The severity of this sickness affects the symptoms.
Mild, short-term reverse altitude sickness symptoms commonly appear 12 to 24 hours after arriving at a low altitude. They will fade within a day or two as your body adjusts. Among these signs are:
Moderate reverse altitude sickness symptoms are more severe. They are listed below:
Severe reverse altitude sickness is considered an emergency. The symptoms are comparable to those of moderate AMS, but they are more severe and intense. If you begin to experience these symptoms, you must quickly seek medical care.
How to Acclimate More Effectively
Various methods can help you adapt better and avoid altitude sickness.
The exact cause of reverse altitude sickness varies from person to person, as do the treatments. If one exercise helps one person with reverse altitude sickness, it may not help another. You can improve your acclimation by doing the following:
Drink a lot of water:
When adjusting to altitude changes, your body loses water and sodium, resulting in dehydration. Exercising causes you to lose water faster, so drink as much as you can. Water gives your blood cells the extra oxygen they need to acclimatize to low altitude fluctuations.
Moderate your physical activity:
Excessive effort and exhaustion are also important contributors. Reduce your daily physical activity, especially when trekking, if you suffer from altitude sickness to better acclimate to higher elevations. Moderate physical activity reduces the load on your body when performing altitude changes and helps prevent altitude sickness.
Get a good night’s rest:
A good night’s sleep is the most natural way to adjust. When you sleep, your body undergoes several changes. When you are resting, your body adjusts as much as it can. You won’t acclimate as much as you should if you don’t give your body adequate time to adapt to altitude changes. So, get a decent night’s sleep and adapt to avoid future reverse altitude problems.
Limit your alcohol consumption.
Descend slowly and gradually
Consume a high-calorie, low-salt diet.
