Natural treatments for altitude sickness
Altitude sickness, caused by reduced oxygen levels at high elevations, can lead to symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea. While conventional treatments, like acetazolamide, are commonly recommended, some people seek natural remedies to alleviate their symptoms. Proposed natural treatments include antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, Ginkgo biloba, and glutamine, although research on their effectiveness is limited and mixed. High-carbohydrate diets may help by stimulating breathing, but studies offer contradictory results. Other suggestions include magnesium and Rhodiola rosea, though evidence for their efficacy is lacking. Additionally, foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and beet juice may provide some relief by addressing inflammation and improving circulation. While no definitive natural treatment has emerged, a focus on hydration and gradual acclimatization is emphasized for prevention. Understanding these various approaches can help individuals make informed choices about managing altitude sickness.
Natural treatments for altitude sickness
DEFINITION: Treatment of symptoms caused by the lower pressure and reduced amount of oxygen at high altitudes.
PRINCIPAL PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: None
OTHER PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: Antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, lipoic acid), arginine, Ginkgo biloba, glutamine, high-carbohydrate diet, magnesium, milk thistle, Rhodiola rosea
Introduction
Altitude sickness, which is caused by reduced oxygen at high altitudes, includes symptoms such as headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, and, in severe cases, extreme fatigue, impaired motor control, and fluid accumulation in the brain and lungs. The greater the altitude and the more rapid the ascent, the greater the likelihood of severe symptoms.
Many deaths on Mount Everest in the Himalayan mountain range and on other high mountains can be attributed to the effects of altitude sickness on climbers. In most cases, however, altitude sickness is a benign condition afflicting people who live at relatively low elevations but travel to higher elevations (to ski or hike, for example).
The best treatment for altitude sickness is prevention. Persons planning an ascent of high mountains should take as much time as possible to acclimate to the starting elevation. Total adjustment to the reduced oxygen content of the air may take several weeks. In general, ascents should be gradual. One recommendation suggests taking two days to adjust to an 8,000-foot elevation gain, plus one day for each 1,000 to 2,000 feet beyond 8,000.
Such recommendations, however, are not practical for people who fly to a vacation destination, such as a ski resort, and must deal with the effects of reduced oxygen all at once. To prevent or treat mild cases of altitude sickness, one should drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol, caffeine, and salty foods. If severe symptoms develop, descending as rapidly as possible is the best response.
Conventional treatments for altitude sickness include acetazolamide or dexamethasone for the prevention or treatment of mild cases, and nifedipine for people prone to pulmonary edema. Ibuprofen and related drugs may help with headaches.
Proposed Natural Treatments
A double-blind trial of eighteen mountaineers climbing to one of two Mount Everest base camps (both are at about 18,000 feet) found that the use of an antioxidant vitamin supplement (providing 1,000 milligrams [mg] of vitamin C, 400 IU (international units) of vitamin E, and 600 mg of lipoic acid daily) significantly improved symptoms of altitude sickness compared with placebo. Treatment was begun three weeks before ascent and continued during the ten days of climbing. However, this was a small study, and its results cannot be taken as reliable. Another small study using similar antioxidants similarly found that the use of antioxidants might offer benefits in the first couple of days of high-altitude ascent, but these benefits decline with acclimatization.
Three small double-blind trials that enrolled about one hundred people (in total) found preliminary evidence that the herb Ginkgo biloba can help prevent altitude sickness. A large-scale double-blind study that enrolled 614 people, however, failed to find benefit. The same study found that acetazolamide provided significant advantages compared with placebo. A similarly designed, smaller study that enrolled fifty-seven people also failed to find ginkgo effective. Overall, the balance of evidence suggests that ginkgo is ineffective for this purpose.
High-carbohydrate meals are sometimes recommended for preventing altitude sickness. The reasoning is that carbohydrate ingestion increases carbon dioxide production, which in turn stimulates an increased rate of breathing. However, studies on this treatment have resulted in contradictory results. Still, when choosing a carbohydrate, experts recommend complex carbohydrates, such as oats and quinoa. However, for a quick source of fuel that may also prevent the side effects of altitude sickness, simple carbohydrates, such as fruit juice or energy bars, may also be helpful.
Magnesium, glutamine, and milk thistle, alone or in combination, have been suggested for altitude sickness, but there is no meaningful evidence that they work. The herb Rhodiola rosea has also been proposed as an altitude sickness treatment, but the evidence is more negative than positive. One study of the supplement arginine found that it increased elevation-related headaches.
Several other small studies have offered other natural treatments for altitude sickness. Eating walnuts or other foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids may relieve inflammation caused by an increase in altitude, and has been suggested as both a preventive and remedy for headaches. Beet juice is rich in nitrate, which the body converts to nitric oxide. This molecule causes blood vessels to relax, improves circulation, and allows oxygen-rich blood to flow throughout the body, relieving some symptoms of altitude sickness.
Bibliography
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