General & First Aid
Altitude Sickness
Illness caused by ascending too rapidly to high elevation, depriving the body of oxygen — ranging from headache and nausea to life-threatening fluid in the lungs or brain.
Also known as: Mountain Sickness, Acute Mountain Sickness, AMS, Altitude-Induced Illness, edema (definition: swelling caused by fluid buildup in tissues), nausea (definition: feeling of sickness or urge to vomit)
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Rapid ascent to high elevation — insufficient time for body to adapt; Reduced oxygen: at 10,000 feet, only half the oxygen of sea level; Dehydration — very common at altitude.
First thing to try: DRINK PLENTY OF WATER before your ascent and continue drinking as you climb — this is extremely important
See a doctor if: Immediately for any severe symptoms (stumbling, confusion, shortness of breath at rest, gurgling sounds).
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Rapid ascent to high elevation — insufficient time for body to adapt
- Reduced oxygen: at 10,000 feet, only half the oxygen of sea level
- Dehydration — very common at altitude
- Physical exertion at altitude before acclimatization
Change what you can
- DRINK PLENTY OF WATER before your ascent and continue drinking as you climb — this is extremely important
- Ascend slowly — no more than a few thousand feet per day to allow body adaptation
- SEVERE SYMPTOMS: descend immediately — no treatment is as effective as descent
- Ginger (capsules or teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →) — best single herbA plant, or part of one, used for flavor, food, or gentle health support. More → for altitude-related nausea; also thins blood for better oxygen delivery
- Peppermint teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → — soothes and calms the stomach; place a drop of oil on the tongue for quick relief
- Garlic — contains 9 compounds that thin the blood, improving oxygen delivery at altitude
- Clove oil (rich in eugenol) thins the blood; allspice and marjoram also contain eugenol
- Do not eat heavy, spicy, sugary, dried, or fatty foods while at altitude
- Take whole-grain crackers; olives help reduce nausea by decreasing salivation
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
This gradual, hydration-focused approach is the safest and most foundational way to prevent altitude sickness before it starts.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Ascending gradually allows the body to increase red blood cell production and breathing rate to compensate for lower oxygen, while good hydration counters the fluid loss that altitude and dry air cause.
- Begin drinking extra water the day before your ascent and continue throughout the climb.
- Plan to ascend no more than a few thousand feet in sleeping elevation per day above 8,000 feet.
- Avoid alcohol and heavy exertion during your first 24 hours at a new altitude.
- Rest and acclimatize for a day if you notice early symptoms like headache or fatigue before continuing to climb.
Ongoing throughout the trip · Continuously while at altitude
Caution: Severe symptoms such as confusion, stumbling, or gurgling breath require immediate descent — this protocol is prevention, not emergency treatment. People with existing heart or lung conditions should consult a doctor before high-altitude travel.
When to get help: Descend immediately and seek emergency medical help for confusion, difficulty walking in a straight line, shortness of breath at rest, or a cough that produces pink or frothy sputum.
Source: Prescription for Nutritional Healing
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
This supportive habit pairs well with hydration and gradual ascent to reduce mild symptoms.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Heavy, fatty, or sugary food demands more digestive energy and oxygen, so a lighter diet frees up the body's resources to focus on adjusting to lower oxygen levels.
- Choose whole-grain crackers, fruit, and light broths over heavy, fatty, or fried foods.
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals rather than large ones.
- Rest rather than exercising vigorously for the first 24-48 hours at a new altitude.
- Reassess your plans if symptoms are not clearly improving with rest.
First 1-3 days at new altitude · With each meal
Caution: Do not use rest and diet changes as a substitute for descending if symptoms are moderate to severe or worsening. Children, older adults, and those with heart or lung conditions face higher risk and should be watched closely.
When to get help: Descend immediately and get medical help for stumbling, confusion, resting shortness of breath, or coughing up pink, frothy fluid.
Source: Prescription for Nutritional Healing
Comments & experiences ▾
Use this for mild nausea alongside hydration and gradual ascent — it is comfort care, not a treatment for the underlying altitude illness.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Ginger and peppermint have long been used to calm the digestive system and may ease the nausea that often accompanies mild altitude sickness, though they do not address the underlying oxygen shortage.
- Steep 1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger or one ginger tea bag in a cup of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Sip slowly as needed for nausea, up to 3-4 cups per day.
- Alternate with peppermint tea, or add a single drop of food-grade peppermint oil to the tongue for quick relief.
- Pair with small amounts of bland food like crackers rather than heavy or spicy meals.
As needed throughout the day · 3-4 times daily while symptomatic
Caution: Ginger can thin the blood slightly, so use caution if you are already on blood-thinning medication. This does not treat the underlying cause of altitude sickness — if nausea is accompanied by confusion or severe headache, descend.
When to get help: Descend and seek emergency care immediately if nausea is joined by severe headache, confusion, loss of coordination, or breathing difficulty.
Source: The Green Pharmacy
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- Immediately for any severe symptoms (stumbling, confusion, shortness of breath at rest, gurgling sounds).
- Descend first, seek help second.
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your altitude sickness — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
At 10,000 feet elevation, the atmosphere contains only half the oxygen of sea level. Ascending too quickly prevents the body from adapting, causing altitude sickness. It ranges from mild (headache, nausea) to severe (pulmonary edema, cerebral edema). The severe form is a medical emergency requiring immediate descent.
Altitude sickness develops when someone climbs to high elevation too quickly for the body to adjust to the thinner air and lower oxygen. Mild illness brings headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and poor sleep, but in its severe forms it can cause dangerous fluid buildup in the lungs or brain, which is life-threatening.
The golden rule is to ascend gradually, and if symptoms appear, to stop climbing — and if they worsen, to descend, which is the most reliable cure. Resting, hydrating, and avoiding alcohol and overexertion help mild cases settle as the body acclimatizes. Crucially, severe signs — breathlessness at rest, a persistent cough, confusion, loss of coordination, or severe headache — are emergencies requiring immediate descent and medical care. Knowing these warning signs is the key safeguard for anyone traveling to high altitude.
Common signs
- Sickish feeling, heavy headache, and malaise as you ascend
- Fatigue, fainting, and extreme thirst
- Nausea and vomiting
- SEVERE (descend immediately):
- Lack of coordination or stumbling gait
- Bad headache unrelieved by pain medication
- Impaired judgment and confusion
- Shortness of breath at rest
- Coughing or gurgling sounds when breathing
- Coughing of white or pink foamy sputum (pulmonary edema)
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
Drink plenty of water and ascend slowly — staying hydrated and giving your body time to adjust are the keys to preventing altitude sickness.1000
Rest and gentle care help mild symptoms — but worsening headache, confusion, or breathlessness means descend and seek help immediately.940
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Large amounts of water (most important single measure)
- Ginger capsules or tea
- Peppermint tea
- Garlic
- Whole-grain crackers, olives
Go easy on
- Heavy, fatty, spicy, or sugary foods
- Alcohol — impairs acclimatization
- Dried foods (dehydrating)
PREVENTION: Ascending slowly (a few thousand feet per day) is the most effective prevention. Stay well-hydrated before and during ascent.
⚖️ Good to know
- Severe altitude sickness with gurgling breathing or coughing pink foam = MEDICAL EMERGENCY; descend immediately
- Do not push through moderate symptoms hoping they will resolve — descend if not clearly improving
- Children, elderly, and those with heart or lung conditions are at higher risk
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Altitude sickness is treated by descending and resting; severe forms are emergencies.
Commonly offered
- Stop ascending; rest and hydrate–
- Descend if symptoms are moderate or worsening–
- Acetazolamide to prevent/treat; oxygen where available–
- Pain relief for headache–
Worth knowing
- Confusion, trouble walking, or breathlessness at rest (HACE/HAPE) is an emergency — descend immediately.
- Ascend gradually and don't push through worsening symptoms.
- Alcohol and sleeping pills worsen it.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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