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Disclaimer:
This site is provided for informational
purposes only. The information here is not intended to diagnose
or treat any condition, and should not replace the care and attention
of qualified medical personnel. Use the information on these pages
at your own risk, and, as with any information pertaining to health,
nutrition, mental health, or fitness, consult your physician before making any
changes that might affect your overall health.
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Dehydration
Many
people confuse the symptoms of dehydration with altitude sickness,
but at minimally to moderately high altitudes, dehydration
is responsible for more illness than oxygen insufficiency.
 At 6000 feet above
sea level, you exhale and perspire twice as much moisture
as you do at sea level. Over the course of a day, that is
a lot of water, and can make a difference of a quart or more
a day. At higher altitudes, it gets even more pronounced.
Higher altitude
means lower air pressure. This results in more rapid evaporation
of moisture from skin surface, and from your lungs. Most high
altitude areas are also very low in humidity, which means
evaporation is further accelerated. The combination of those
two factors means that the higher up you are, the more water
you need to keep your body functioning.
Toting extra water
is especially important in the following conditions:
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If you are
unaccustomed to higher altitudes.
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In hot weather.
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If you are
in a desert area - most high altitude climates are dryer,
but some are extremely dry.
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If you are
engaged in strenuous activity.
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If you are
very busy and likely to be distracted from drinking when you
are thirsty.
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If you have
health problems which require that you drink higher than normal
amounts of water.
It is advisable
to carry water with you wherever you go, and to make a point
of drinking frequently. You may be as much as a quart low
on fluids before you feel thirsty, and this effect can be
magnified at high altitudes. For some reason, many people
do not feel as thirsty in higher altitudes as they should,
so it is important to take the extra care to drink additional
fluids.
Stick to water!
Coffee, tea, soda, sugary drinks, and even juice can leech
additional fluids from your body. Water is the best hydration
fluid there is!
If you are traveling
into a new area, you may wish to bring along bottled water.
Some areas at higher altitudes may not have safe drinking
water in streams and creeks, and some city water systems or
wells may have high mineral content which can cause digestive
or circulatory problems for some individuals.
Watch for signs
of dehydration:
Dehydration can
hit suddenly, or come on slowly when you are not paying attention.
Symptoms of headache, fatigue, or dizziness may appear first,
and may be mistaken for altitude sickness. Sit down, and sip
water - don't guzzle it - if you feel funky.
If you are hiking,
bring twice as much water as you think you would need for
a lower altitude hike. This is no exaggeration, even at 6000
feet (not terribly high), a hike can demand a huge amount
of water.
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High
Altitude Library
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Editorial Comments throughout this site written by Laura Wheeler (with occasional sarcastic remarks by her son, David). Laura is a 10 year resident of Medicine Bow, Wyoming, where the altitude is greater than the population. Medicine Bow is at 6200+ ft above sea level, and boasts a total of 297 residents from the last census. Laura is an experienced technical, health and family writer.
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