How To Avoid Altitude Sickness Dehydration - Zaca

How To Avoid Altitude Sickness Dehydration

How To Avoid Altitude Sickness Dehydration

We get a ton of travelers to our state of Colorado that suffer from altitude sickness dehydration. Hydration is vital at high altitude conditions. Here we'll cover exactly how to avoid altitude sickness dehydration.

Altitude Sickness Dehydration

One of the most common causes of altitude sickness is dehydration. As your body works harder at high altitudes with lower oxygen, it loses water through respiration and sweating. You're breathing the dry air found at higher elevations too, and this combination can cause dehydration if you don't replace lost fluids.

Serious dehydration can cause the brain and other organs to swell, which makes them more susceptible to injury from low oxygen levels in the blood. More common, dehydration increases the risk for developing many symptoms of altitude sickness (acute mountain sickness).

Altitude sickness may be mild, moderate or severe. Symptoms of mild altitude sickness include headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, difficulty sleeping, trouble breathing, cold hands and feet, loss of appetite and dry mouth.

How To Avoid Altitude Sickness Dehydration

If you're planning on hiking, skiing or just visiting high altitudes, knowing how to avoid altitude sickness dehydration could save your trip. Here's three steps to avoid altitude sickness dehydration:

1. Drink Plenty Of Water

Might be a no-brainer, but make sure to drink plenty of water before and during your trip. The air at high altitudes is very dry, so you need to drink more water than you would at lower elevations.

Water helps prevent dehydration by keeping your kidneys flushed out as they process toxins from your body during exercise. It also helps prevent heat exhaustion because it carries away excess heat from your body's core where it's needed most during activity.

Drink at least a half a gallon (8 cups) of water per day or half you body weight in ounces of water, and more if you're exercising or sweating heavily.

2. Avoid Alcohol and Tobacco Products

If you're planning on traveling to higher altitudes then it's best not to use alcohol or tobacco products until your body adjusts to the lack of oxygen at high altitudes.

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes you to lose body fluids. Alcohol also makes you feel warmer than you actually are, so you may not realize how much fluid you're losing through urination or sweat. Tobacco products should also be avoided as they restrict blood circulation and oxygen supply to the body along with dehydrating effects.

3. Take Supplements For Hydration

Most may not realize that drinking water alone is not the most efficient way to hydrate. You can boost your hydration by taking a supplements to increase hydration. Minerals such as magnesium, potassium, sodium, and calcium, and amino acids such as glutamine assist your body to hydration better and faster.

Hydration supplements brands such as Zaca help enhance electrolytes and water absorption. Take supplements for hydration or altitude sickness tablets to strengthen your body's fluids in high altitude conditions.

The combination of these three steps will help you maximize your hydration and minimize the risk of altitude sickness.

 

Altitude Sickness Dehydration Symptoms

While altitude sickness symptoms main culprit is lack of oxygen, altitude sickness dehydration symptoms are similar and often intertwined. That being said, dehydration is one of the major causes of altitude sickness. 

The human body needs water to function properly because it is an important part of every cell and helps to regulate body temperature. When you're dehydrated, your body's tissues don't get enough moisture, and they become less elastic. This causes them to contract (shrink) and swell, which can make it harder for blood vessels in your lungs and brain to function properly.

Altitude sickness dehydration symptoms may include:

  • Dry mouth
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Fatigue or exhaustion
  • Dry skin
  • Weakness
  • Headache
  • Thirst
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Rapid pulse (heart rate)


Can Dehydration Cause Altitude Sickness

Yes. Dehydration is a common cause of altitude sickness. Dehydration can cause altitude sickness because it reduces the body's ability to regulate its temperature. This can lead to hypothermia, which can in turn lead to other symptoms of altitude sickness, such as nausea and headaches.

Dehydration causes altitude sickness partially by reducing your body's ability to regulate temperature. When you become dehydrated, your blood becomes thicker and harder for your heart to pump through your body. This means that you need more energy from your heart in order to move blood around. When you're climbing or skiing at high altitudes, this extra demand for energy leaves less for other important processes in your body, including regulating temperature.

The reduced blood flow caused by dehydration also causes a reduction in blood oxygen levels and an increase in carbon dioxide levels. These changes make it more difficult for your lungs to function properly, leading to shortness of breath and making it harder for you to breathe at high altitude (this is why many people experience difficulty breathing at high altitudes). 

Does Hydration Help Altitude Sickness

Yes. The best way to prevent altitude sickness is to hydrate and drink plenty of fluids. It's important to stay well hydrated during your trip, especially if you're traveling to high altitudes or are planning a strenuous hike or climb. Many visitors in our state wonder how to avoid altitude sickness in Colorado, and one of our top answers is that hydration helps altitude sickness.

So why does water help with altitude sickness? The human body needs water to function properly — it helps regulate temperature and keeps the blood lubricated. It's also important for digestion and absorption of nutrients from food. Water also helps remove waste products from the body through urine and sweat.

At high altitudes, the air contains fewer oxygen molecules per breath than at lower levels. The body adapts by increasing the amount of blood pumped by the heart each minute (cardiac output). This extra blood flow delivers more oxygen to muscles and other tissues that need it for energy production, but it also makes you thirstier. In addition, higher altitudes cause fluid loss through urination and sweating. Without enough fluids in your body, you'll feel tired and weak because your cells won't be getting as much oxygen as they need.

Taking supplements for hydration such as Zaca can help enhance your hydration, electrolyte intake, and water absorption. There's also herbs for altitude adjustment that can help too.


Top-Rated Supplement For Hydration

Supplement For Hydration
Zaca hydration chewables are an easy, healthy way to stay hydrated at higher altitudes, while traveling and while training. You can chew them just before traveling, during activity or during long workouts. Using a special formulation of pure ingredients such as Glutamine, it can increase electrolyte intake, water absorption, and enhance performance. As a portable and convenient way to rehydrate on the go in high altitudes, Zaca is a top seller throughout the Rocky Mountains. Try Zaca's supplement for hydration today and feel better faster during your high altitude trip.

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