![]() ![]() Listen to your body and rest when neededĬall 911 or seek emergency medical attention as soon as possible if you’re experiencing any severe symptoms like coughing, confusion, loss or coordination and decreased level of consciousness.Reduce alcohol, caffeine and salty foods.Give your body time to acclimate to the new altitude.Check with your physician before going to a higher altitude. ![]() We also have a 24/7/365 Emergency Department if you feel that your symptoms have gone from minor to severe.Įstes Park Health offers these suggestions to help residents and visitors get the most out of being in Estes Park: Please note that Estes Park Health does have same day, walk-in appointments (97) if you start experiencing altitude sickness symptoms and want to see a physician. Visitors with existing medical conditions should check with their primary care physician before ascending to altitude. The remedy is going down to a lower altitude to let the body recover. These are the signs of minor Altitude Sickness. Day three, a trip up Trail Ridge Road to the Visitors Center (12,183 ft) and by the end of day, they may feel dizzy, be nauseous, short of breath, have loss of appetite and a headache. Then decide on the Bear Lake hike (9,449 ft) going all the way to Emerald Lake (10,110 ft) on day two. Many visitors drive straight from the airport (5,280 ft) to Estes Park (7,522 ft). For a body to acclimate it generally takes one to three days at an altitude. The major cause of altitude sickness is going too high, too fast. Many visitors do not take this change into consideration, they don’t allow their body to acclimate and ease into activity and can find themselves in unhealthy situations removed from medical help. ![]() Altitude can also increase your metabolism while suppressing your appetite, meaning you’ll have to eat more than you feel like to maintain a neutral energy balance. ![]() Within the first few hours of altitude exposure, water loss also increases, which can result in dehydration. Despite this response, there’s still less oxygen throughout your circulatory system, meaning less oxygen reaches your muscles. Within seconds of exposure to altitude, ventilation is increased, meaning we start trying to breathe more, as the body responds to less oxygen in each breath, and attempts to increase oxygen uptake. In scientific studies, this is often referred to as “hypoxia”. This effectively means there are fewer oxygen molecules in the same volume of air as we normally inhale at lower altitudes. Many forget that while their mind is set on getting on the trail, the body is working very hard to acclimate to the new environment it’s been exposed to.Īt high altitudes, oxygen molecules are further apart because there is less pressure to “push” them together. People come to Estes Park wanting to hike, walk around the town and enjoy everything this mountain community has to offer. Most of those states are not anywhere near the elevation of Estes Park at 7,522 feet. So, Estes Park Health wants to remind you that Altitude Sickness is real and can potentially be very dangerous.ĭuring a quick trip around the town of Estes Park, you will notice that there are license plates from almost every state in the country. We love welcoming our visitors to the most beautiful place in the world, and we want everyone to enjoy their trip and stay safe. ![]()
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