How To Prevent Altitude Sickness When Climbing Kilimanjaro !!!
When you're climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, giving your body time to acclimatize is one of the best ways to avoid Kilimanjaro altitude sickness. The national park charges fees for every day on the mountain, so many tour operators offer shorter itineraries to keep the price down.
The only real benefit of a shorter itinerary is the lower price, and it can cost you the money and time you put into planning your trip. Even hikers on longer itineraries get mild altitude sickness, so there's no doubt a shorter one can make things worse. If you have a long-term illness, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor about the risk of AMS before you climb Kilimanjaro.
At 5,895m, Mount Kilimanjaro is known as the "roof of Africa" and is the highest freestanding mountain in the world. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro doesn't need technical skills, but altitude sickness is the main reason people don't reach the top.
The mountain has five ecological zones, each with its own climate, and that makes it more challenging. There are eight Kilimanjaro routes to Uhuru Peak, the summit, and each has a different acclimatization profile.
In this Kilimanjaro climb guide we go through some facts, precautions, treatments and prevention tips to think about before you hike Mt. Kilimanjaro.
What Causes Altitude Sickness?
Kilimanjaro altitude sickness, or Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), usually happens when your body can't get used to taking in less oxygen at high altitude. At sea level, the air is 21% oxygen.
As you climb higher, the air pressure drops, while the share of oxygen in the air stays the same. With lower pressure, the air gets thinner and the oxygen molecules are more spread out.
So each breath brings in less oxygen. At 3600m, you get around 40% fewer oxygen molecules per breath. Your body makes more blood cells to carry oxygen, but it can't fully make up for the lower oxygen level.
Altitude sickness can affect anyone, whatever their age, sex or fitness. It's a natural reaction, so the risk can't be removed completely.
Factors That Affect the Incidence and Severity of Kilimanjaro Altitude Sickness
At 3000m on Kilimanjaro, more than 75% of hikers get mild acute mountain sickness. Several things affect altitude sickness when you're climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, including how fast you climb, how your body reacts, how well you acclimatize and more.
Rate of Ascent:
It has been seen that 58% of people who got acute mountain sickness got it simply because they climbed too fast. When you go up quickly, you breathe faster to get more oxygen. Taking in less oxygen from the thin air then leads to severe Kilimanjaro altitude sickness.
Altitude Attained
Most climbers start to feel the altitude somewhere between 2500m and 3000m. Climbing above 2800m within 2 days can bring on acute mountain sickness. So it's better to take more than 2 days to reach 2800m, to lower the chance of altitude sickness.
Length of Exposure
Your choice of Kilimanjaro route plays a big part, because it sets how long you spend getting to the summit. It usually takes 6 to 9 days on any route. The more days you have, the more time your body has to acclimatize.
Level of Exertion
When you're climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, your level of exertion goes up and down with your activity: heart rate, breathing rate, sweating and muscle tiredness. The harder you work, the more oxygen you need.
Hydration and Diet
What you drink and eat also matters a lot for altitude illness. When you hike, you lose electrolytes through sweat, and your cells and muscles need electrolytes to work well. So keep drinking. Eating good, nutritious food can also help you resist the symptoms of high altitude.
To avoid exhaustion, calcium and vitamin D can help, as they support bone density and help reduce muscle cramps on the trek.
Inherent Physiological Susceptibility
Some bodies are more likely to get altitude illness than others. Long-term conditions like high blood pressure or asthma can affect you at high altitude. So before your hike, talk to your doctor about the precautions you should take to avoid altitude sickness.
Use of Oxygen Systems or Drugs
Oxygen is only used in an emergency. Using oxygen for mild altitude sickness can have a negative effect on your breathing system. Kilimanjaro altitude sickness medication can help prevent altitude sickness. Take Diamox as your doctor tells you and swallow it whole. For pain and fever, ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin can be used.
Types of Altitude Sickness on Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro altitude sickness is a common problem, both when climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for beginners and for experienced hikers. It comes in different forms, depending on how badly it affects each person.
Altoxia
Altoxia is similar to mild altitude sickness. It happens when your body doesn't adapt quickly enough to the lower oxygen level in the air up high. You might feel it on the way to the summit or earlier in the trek.
The symptoms of Altoxia are headaches, light-headedness, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting and mild swelling of the face, ankles and fingers. They usually go away within 48 hours.
The symptoms can be eased with the ALTOX Personal Oxygen System or by taking Diamox, and the person needs to go down to a lower altitude straight away.
If the symptoms of Altoxia don't go away or get worse, it can turn into Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).
HAPE: High Altitude Pulmonary Edema
In High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, fluid leaks from the blood vessels into the lungs. This happens because of high blood pressure in the narrowed blood vessels of the lungs. Symptoms include a fast pulse, blue skin or lips, a crackling sound in the chest and coughing up pink sputum.
Going down straight away and using Nifedipine can help. In everyday language, it's also called "water in the lungs".
HACE: High Altitude Cerebral Edema
In High Altitude Cerebral Edema, fluid leaks from the blood vessels in the brain. The walls of these vessels (the cerebral endothelium) let more fluid through than normal, and blood flow to the brain speeds up. It's known as "swelling of the brain" and comes with severe acute mountain sickness. Symptoms include confusion, headache, hallucinations, lethargy and nausea.
Depending on how severe the symptoms are, going down straight away, using Dexamethasone or Prednisolone and a portable hyperbaric chamber can reduce the risk. Acetazolamide can also help: it causes a mild metabolic acidosis, which makes you breathe more air each minute.
Symptoms of Kilimanjaro Altitude Sickness
Headache
Nausea
Dizziness or lethargy
Vomiting
Tiredness
Breathlessness
Faster heartbeat
Feeling unwell
Poor sleep or insomnia
No wish to eat or drink
How Do I Treat Altitude Sickness?
To prevent Kilimanjaro altitude sickness, there are some things to avoid and some steps to take.
Avoid smoking and other harmful habits, which can bring brain fog, low energy and aches and pains.
Do some Kilimanjaro altitude training, either in a training program or on your own.
Eat light but nutritious meals, so you have plenty of energy for the climb.
Avoid alcohol, which can cause headaches and muscle pain.
Use Ibuprofen or Paracetamol for headaches.
Drink plenty of water. It helps your blood circulation, and your blood is what carries oxygen around your body.
Tips on Climbing Kilimanjaro and Avoiding Altitude Sickness
"How to avoid altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro" is at the top of every list of Kilimanjaro FAQs. You can't rule out altitude sickness completely, but there are some simple things you can do to lower your chances.
Keep Drinking!
When you hike, you breathe harder and lose water through sweat. Drinking is also important because sweat takes electrolytes out of your body. Electrolytes are sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate, and your cells and muscles need them to work well. We recommend drinking 4 to 5 liters a day, which also helps your blood circulation.
Eat Healthy, Hearty Meals!
Loss of appetite is a symptom of altitude sickness, so eat well before your hike. To keep your energy up, eat orange, dark green and red fruit and vegetables, which are rich in vitamins A & C.
Carbohydrates matter because they digest slowly and give you more energy. Good sources are whole wheat pasta, whole grain rice, brown bread, cereal, corn, barley and oats. For protein, zinc, iron and magnesium, lean meat, fish, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and tofu are best. If you'd rather skip meat, eggs are easy to digest.
Keep Warm!
It's freezing up high, so dress in layers. The insulation layer and the outer layer are the most important, because they hold your body heat in. The right gear, like a good sleeping bag, protects you from sub-zero temperatures.
Keep Your Day Pack Light
Only put what you need in your daypack, like your camera, power bank, solar power bank, paper documents and toiletries. A lighter pack keeps your shoulders relaxed and comfortable.
Final Thought
Don't worry too much! Altitude sickness is a real risk, but you can lower it a lot with good planning and a route with a better acclimatization profile.
At Kilisa Tours & Safaris, our guides have decades of experience dealing with Kilimanjaro altitude sickness.
We're a local tour operator, and the safety of our guests while hiking is what we focus on most. For a safe climb with a good chance at the summit, visit us at kilisatours.com.
