The most common altitude-related disorder is acute mountain sickness, or AMS. The hallmark diagnostic feature of AMS is headache. AMS occurs in persons who have recently arrived at altitude greater than 8,000 feet suffering dull, throbbing headache, worse when bending down or straining to reach, and more intense at night and during the morning. Other AMS symptoms may include vomiting, nausea, fatigue, vertigo, or insomnia.

When this sickness turns into harsh sickness then most travelers have trouble in balancing, feel difficult to walk uphill or climbing stairs. It is essential to identify a worsening case of altitude sickness and seek medical help immediately. Worsening symptoms of altitude sickness are difficulty in thinking and reacting, confusing state, pale complexion, cough, congestion and also excessively tiredness or sleepiness.

The most common reason for getting AMS is directly related to how quickly you ascend, so if you plan to go high, your best guarantee is to go slow. If that's not possible, at least know the symptoms and what to do, and you should be able to feel better quickly and avoid the severe, life-threatening forms. Drink lots of liquids, exercise moderately, eat small meals high in carbohydrates and low in fat and take a few herbs.

The first thing is to check the altitude of the region to which you will be travelling and ask your tour company for expert advice. Make sure the tour operator you choose is honest and responsible with regard to altitude. Your itinerary should not try to include too many drastic changes in altitude in a short time and should always leave a couple of days for acclimatization before starting trekking at over 3000m. Competent travel companies will try to plan your journey to gradually rise in altitude where possible; for example in Peru the optimum route would be Lima, Nazca, Arequipa, Cusco, Puno. This may not be possible due to time restrictions but your travel advisor will do their best.

Some of the first signs of Acute Mountain Sickness, or AMS, are headache, lightheartedness, weakness, difficulty sleeping and nausea. In some cases swelling of the hands or feet will occur. Generally people who are affected by AMS feel the symptoms during the first 3 days of their stay, and often feel better by the 4th day as their bodies acclimate to their surroundings.More severe symptoms include difficulty breathing, even while resting, coughing, confusion and the inability to walk a straight line.

Throughout this guide, you will be introduced to the symptoms of altitude sickness and how to cope with it when visiting the spiritually rich area of Tibet. If you are a traveler and are planning to visit Tibet or the area specific to the Himalayas, it is important to understand that this area is the highest area of the entire world. It is quite likely that you will experience some degree of sickness associated with this fact.

Reduced atmospheric pressure at higher elevations can cause your water molecules to virtually leap out of the body through respiration and sweating. Hydrate yourself with at least 6-7 liters of water daily. Whether you are thirsty or not, you need it.It's always a good idea to be in good physical shape before you exert yourself on the mountain with skiing or hiking. Not everyone experiences altitude sickness, but sometimes even a healthy person can feel out of sorts.

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