Acute Mountain Sickness in Spiti Valley – A Whole Guide

Spiti Valley is truly a spectacular spot for Peace, Adventure, and Serenity. Though it’s not hyped and commercialized like Leh-Ladakh, yet that’s actually a bonus point for this heaven on earth! Paradise at the height of 12,500 ft with the weakest of network zones but strongest of bonds. Located in the lap of the mystical Himalayas and that too at a height you and your body are really not used to, Spiti offers you the deadly risk of the most common and a very serious problem— AMS  (Acute Mountain Sickness). In the blog, we will explain everything you want to know about the Acute mountain sickness in Spiti Valley.

What is Altitude Sickness?

In layman’s language, Altitude Sickness is physical distress from difficulty experienced by someone while adjusting to lower oxygen pressure at high altitude. Altitude sickness doesn’t usually doesn’t happen until 2500 ft. and as Spiti Valley is at a height of 12,500 ft., so it’s a common problem suffered by a lot of people going up there. It’s not like altitude sickness hits off to everyone going up there. For people living in places already at a high altitude, getting to Spiti won’t be much of a problem. It’s the sudden increase in altitude that starts this sickness👀.So, for anyone staying in plain areas, this is a common problem.

We could divide this altitude sickness into 3 different parts i.e., Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) and High-Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE).

AMS is the most common type of altitude sickness, caused by reduced air pressure and lower oxygen levels.

HAPE is a slightly more serious condition of altitude sickness as it includes shortness of breath, and continuous coughing and may affect your lungs. HACE is an even more serious condition of altitude sickness as it affects even walking through simple paths, breathing even during rest, excessive dizziness and even fainting of the person.HAPE and HACE are considered to get fatal if not given proper treatment on time.It depends upon how quickly and efficiently your body can handle the change in your surrounding environment.