What is Altitude Sickness?

Altitude Sickness

Altitude Sickness describes a collection of symptoms that can result when you travel to an elevation much greater than you're used to. High altitude typically starts around 4900 feet or higher and most ski resorts are at elevations of 6600-11500 feet. Taos, New Mexico (where Taos Herb Company is located), is at a base elevation of 9207 feet. Altitude Sickness has two causes -- less oxygen, and a lower barometric pressure.

Higher altitude means thinner air, and thinner air means less oxygen. The further away from sea level, the lower the atmospheric pressure. Lower atmospheric pressure means that there is less air to breathe...and the less air there is to breathe, the less oxygen you get.

At the top of Mount Everest, for example, there is only 33% of the oxygen that is available at sea level, meaning you have to take three breaths to get the oxygen you would normally get with just one! You don't have to be at the top of Everest to experience altitude sickness.

What the body perceives as an oxygen-deficiency often stimulates the adrenals and increases the heart rate, and can cause one to feel out of breath, have a more rapid heartbeat, or to experience dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, weakness, lightheadedness, or a rise in blood pressure.

In addition, the body's response to a lack of oxygen often causes insomnia. This is partly because of breathing disturbances related to attempts to increase oxygen in the blood and is partly because stimulated adrenals tend to wake one up!

The lower barometric pressure also causes your body to expand. A consequence of this is that fluids may flood your tissues, causing such symptoms as swelling of the face or hands or feet, or in more severe cases even life-threatening symptoms like fluid in the lungs (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) or swelling in the brain (High Altitude Cerebral Edema).

Altitude Sickness can happen to anyone -- even to the physically fit. If you live at a higher altitude long enough, you will eventually adjust, but most visitors to higher altitudes do experience some symptoms. The adjustment period can take days, weeks, or even months or years.

When journeying to a higher altitude, it is recommended that one drink lots of water, avoid alcohol and caffeine.

Return to the previous page



Address: 710 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Suite J. Taos, NM 87571 • Map • Call 1.800.353.1991 or 575.758.1991


We manufacture hundreds of products, including Herbal Extracts & Compounds from organic, sustainably wild-crafted and superior quality herbs to help you explore natural healing options. Our YERBA Hair Care is known across the nation for promoting healthy hair without buildup. Yucca and globemallow have been used for centuries in the Southwest for shiny, healthy hair. Our products are never tested on animals. Our ceremonial Sacred Herbs, Smudge Sticks and Incense Resins are of the highest quality. Many are made exclusively for Taos Herb Company by our Native American friends.

Taos Herb company is certified by Pharmaceutical Consulting Services as compliant with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) meeting strict FDA manufacturing standards.

FDA regulations don’t allow for any claims to made for herbs and we are not allowed to make specific claims about how herbs my help you heal. But herbs and herbal medicine are the source of most modern drugs. So, if you (as we are) disappointed in the lack of information that is permitted to be said about these products, please go to the library or search the web (be careful though, there is a lot of inaccurate information out there) and you will discover that plants were the first medicine used by human beings and they are as potent and effective now as they were before they were bad-rapped as old wives tales (those old wives were pretty smart), hippy, Indian (American or East Indian) or other degrading judgments of other culture's beliefs about healing.

You can and will learn how to care for yourself with natural products that work with your body and not overpower it. Having said that: This statement has not been evaluated by FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, if you are sick or think you might be sick, see your doctor.


Text and images are ©2010 by the Taos Herb Company. Please be respectful. Thank you.
©2011 Taos Herb Company