{"id":8930,"date":"2023-11-19T20:19:44","date_gmt":"2023-11-19T13:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=8930"},"modified":"2023-11-19T20:19:44","modified_gmt":"2023-11-19T13:19:44","slug":"what-to-know-about-elevation-and-dehydration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=8930","title":{"rendered":"What To Know About Elevation and Dehydration"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">H<\/span>ave plans to get elevated this holiday season? No, I\u2019m not talking about recreational partaking, but rather spending time in recreational <em>areas<\/em> at high altitudes. In case you\u2019re headed to mountains, parks, or other locales at significantly high elevations\u2014typically 8,000 feet or more above sea level\u2014there are a few things you should know before you go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hydrated-when-traveling\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/hydrated-when-traveling\/\">protect your health<\/a>.<\/div>\n<p>Ahead, see what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/high-altitude-and-dehydration-symptoms\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/high-altitude-and-dehydration-symptoms\/\">adverse symptoms can arise at high altitudes<\/a>; and more importantly, how you can stop them from putting a damper on your travel plans.<\/p>\n<h2>4 things to know before you travel to high elevations<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Altitude sickness is fairly common<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cTraveling to mountains with significant altitudes can make people susceptible to altitude sickness [due to] lower air pressure and air oxygen levels,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.memorialhermann.org\/doctors\/cardiovascular-disease-specialists\/dr-daniel-hermann-md-1023279387\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.memorialhermann.org\/doctors\/cardiovascular-disease-specialists\/dr-daniel-hermann-md-1023279387\">Daniel Hermann, MD<\/a>, an interventional cardiologist at Memorial Hermann in Houston, Texas. If you reside somewhere relatively close to sea level, your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uptodate.com\/contents\/high-altitude-illness-including-mountain-sickness-beyond-the-basics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.uptodate.com\/contents\/high-altitude-illness-including-mountain-sickness-beyond-the-basics\/\">likelihood of experiencing acute mountain sickness<\/a> (AMS) will largely depend on the altitude of your travel spot. AMS affects approximately 25 percent of people sleeping above 8,000 feet, and many as 40 to 50 percent of those sleeping above 10,000. (However, some people struggle with AMS at elevations starting at 6,500 feet above sea level.)<\/p>\n<h3>2. Going too high too fast can trigger symptoms<\/h3>\n<p>If possible, try to slowly and steadily increase your altitude as you plan your adventures. \u201cOur bodies can acclimate over a period of days or weeks to these elevations by adjusting our biochemistry. But if we quickly move to those elevations, you can develop medical problems, most commonly altitude sickness,\u201d Dr. Hermann shares. By gradually getting used to high elevations\u2014perhaps by settling at a base camp for a few days before venturing up to higher points and peaks\u2014you can reduce your chances of feeling sick or out of sorts.<\/p>\n<p>According to Dr. Hermann, the most common symptoms of altitude sickness include nausea, vomiting, and headache, which are \u201cgenerally mild and usually resolve within a couple of days.\u201d However, if you experience more severe symptoms\u2014including chest tightness, intense difficulty breathing, and balance or coordination issues, he advises seeking immediate medical attention.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Your gut health can take a hit<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s common to experience <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/digestion-regular-while-traveling\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/digestion-regular-while-traveling\/\">digestive irregularities<\/a> like bloating, constipation, and diarrhea while traveling. On top of that, traveling to high altitudes can also trigger intestinal barrier dysfunction. Per a <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.physiology.org\/doi\/full\/10.1152\/ajpregu.00270.2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/journals.physiology.org\/doi\/full\/10.1152\/ajpregu.00270.2021\">2022 review<\/a> in the <em>American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology<\/em>, acute exposure to high altitudes may lead to increased intestinal permeability and inflammation in the gut and elsewhere in the body. To add insult to injury, acetazolamide\u2014a medication often prescribed to prevent and treat altitude sickness\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7204833\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7204833\/\">can cause GI distress<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/elevation-dehydration\/\" current-title=\"Your Gut and Hydration Levels Take a Major Hit at High Elevations\u2014Here\u2019s What You Can Do To Get Ahead of It\" current-image=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Stocksy_txpb4707f52tqp300_Small_1731520_418x278_true_70.webp\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-05-19\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/elevation-dehydration\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/elevation-dehydration\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/elevation-dehydration\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>However, it\u2019s not all doom and gloom. The authors list certain dietary supplements that can help keep your intestinal barrier and greater gut health in fighting shape. Better yet, you might already take some of them daily. These include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/glutamine\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/glutamine\/\">Glutamine<\/a>, which strengthens tight junctions and suppresses proinflammatory pathways<\/li>\n<li>Bovine colostrum, which can stave off stress-induced intestinal injury<\/li>\n<li>Curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric), which may fortify the intestinal barrier by reducing oxidative stress<\/li>\n<li>Probiotics, certain types of which (including <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25780093\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25780093\/\">Bifidobacterium species<\/a>) can enhance intestinal epithelial barrier function<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>4. You\u2019re more susceptible to dehydration<\/h3>\n<p>Lower air pressure, less oxygen, and more labored breathing at high elevations can all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/high-altitude-and-dehydration-symptoms\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/high-altitude-and-dehydration-symptoms\/\">contribute to dehydration<\/a> and water loss. \u201cDehydration is a well-described trigger for altitude sickness,\u201d Dr. Hermann adds, \u201cso staying well hydrated is a great way to avoid or mitigate this trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some of the best ways to stay hydrated while traveling\u2014especially if you\u2019re engaging in physical activities such as hikes and water sports, or even simply lounging at high altitudes\u2014include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Boosting your water intake before and during your trip<\/li>\n<li>Snacking on water-rich fruits and veggies (including watermelon, cucumbers, lettuce, and berries)<\/li>\n<li>Adding electrolyte packets to your water<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While it\u2019s helpful to add these into your souped up travel hydration routine, it\u2019s just as important to know what you should limit or avoid. \u201cAlcohol and caffeine are known to promote dehydration,\u201d Dr. Hermann reminds us. \u201cFor this reason, [they] should be used sparingly while at high altitudes.\u201d If you can\u2019t quit either (it\u2019s <em>vacation<\/em>, after all), at least aim to increase water intake more than usual and\/or sip on H2O in between servings of coffee and cocktails.<\/p>\n<div class=\"block-thin post-citations mt-[40px] mb-[30px]\" data-module-init=\"main-2020\/post-citations\" data-module-immediate=\"true\">\n<hr class=\"!border-seafoam-dark mb-[24px]\"\/>\n<div class=\"post-citations-content flex flex-col gap-[24px]\">\n<p>Well+Good articles reference scientific, reliable, recent, robust studies to back up the information we share. You can trust us along your wellness journey.<\/p>\n<div>\n<ol class=\"!ml-[18px] !mt-0\">\n<li>\n              Zachary J. McKenna,\u00a0Felipe Gorini Pereira,\u00a0Trevor L. Gillum,\u00a0Fabiano T. Amorim,\u00a0Michael R. Deyhle, and\u00a0Christine M. Mermier. \u201cHigh-altitude exposures and intestinal barrier dysfunction.\u201d <em>American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology<\/em>\u00a02022\u00a0322:3,\u00a0R192-R203            <\/li>\n<li>\n              Hsieh, Chen-Yu et al. \u201cStrengthening of the intestinal epithelial tight junction by Bifidobacterium bifidum.\u201d\u00a0<i>Physiological reports<\/i>\u00a0vol. 3,3 (2015): e12327. doi:10.14814\/phy2.12327            <\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr class=\"!border-seafoam-dark mt-[24px]\"\/>\n  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have plans to get elevated this holiday season? No, I\u2019m not talking about recreational partaking, but rather spending time in recreational areas at high altitudes. In case you\u2019re headed to mountains, parks, or other locales at significantly high elevations\u2014typically 8,000 feet or more above sea level\u2014there are a few things you should know before you &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8930\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}