Guest Author - Rebecca Lee Graf
If you travel a lot, there is a big chance that you might visit a place that resides in high altitudes. At first, you might assume that this means a little trouble breathing only, but there is a good chance that it could be more than that. Altitude sickness is usually the culprit in making you feel pretty bad.
It doesn’t matter if you are in good health or not. Anyone can get altitude sickness. After reaching extreme heights, you might think that you have the flu or food poisoning with the following symptoms occurring:
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Aches and pains
Inability to comprehend and an unsteady walk are symptoms of a severe case of altitude sickness. If that is the case, you need to seek medical attention immediately. Otherwise, altitude sickness is not that severe and usually disappears in a couple of days.
There are several things that you can do to prevent feeling so poorly and also to help lessen the severity of it.
• Increase the altitude levels gradually. This gives your body time to adjust.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Take medication or herbs several days before making the journey.
Herbs
Ginger
Many can attest to the ginger’s help in relieving nausea. Whether taken in pill or tea form, it can work to lessen the feeling of wanting to vomit and help ease at least the one symptom of altitude sickness. Begin taking ginger a couple of days before journey and continue to use during and after as many stomach issues can persist.
Ginseng
Studies have shown that ginseng is good for better breathing. What happens with altitude sickness? It can be difficult to breathe. Some ginseng might be the ticket to keeping enough oxygen in your blood and breathe better. This includes Siberian ginseng which has also been used by many people to help control altitude sickness. Begin taking a couple of days before journey to get it in your system and prepare your blood.
Reishi
This herb is not as well-known as the others listed here, but Asian doctors have noted that many that take reishi did not have bad symptoms of the sickness.
Ginkgo
This might be the most popular herb for treating altitude sickness. It prepares the blood as well as the muscular and nervous system to work on less oxygen. Studies have been done that support this as well as the many testimonies travelers have given of its effectiveness.
If you are planning on going on a trip that will involve high altitudes, you might want to consider some physical preparation for it. Discuss the matter with your doctor. He will probably suggest some prescription drugs which do work but can have serious side effects. Talk to him about using an herbal treatment. There are some herbs that you might not be able to take due to your medical condition. You need to be aware of this.
As always, treat herbs with care as they are nature’s medicine. They can have adverse side effects and no emergency medical condition should be ignored or solely treated with herbs. Seek emergency help if needed.
