If you traveling somewhere with a high altitude (like Cusco, Peru!), there is a chance that you may experience altitude sickness. Altitude sickness can affect anyone – whether you are in shape or not. I traveled in a group to Peru, and here is what altitude sickness felt like for us and what we did to help it.
What does Altitude Sickness Feel Like?
I’ll give you a little backstory. We were on a public bus going to Cusco (not recommended, by the way – either fly to Cusco or go with a reputable tour company). BUT, instead of going around the mountains (like what the safer tour companies do!), we went straight through them! This meant that we reached altitude very quickly, and boy did we feel it.
All of a sudden, I felt very weak. My vision was all dark, and I felt dizzy and nauseous (thankfully I had taken a Gravol before boarding the bus!!). I checked my heart rate and it had dropped. My oxygen levels which are normally at 99%, were now at 85%.
It felt awful. I just closed my eyes, breathed in deeply and tried to calm down. Luckily I was sitting down when we reached altitude, and it only lasted about 5-10 minutes.
My experience was pretty similar to what other people felt too. A few people had vomited (again, I’m glad I took a Gravol!!), some people only felt weak, and someone else in our group didn’t feel anything!!! She had no idea we had reached altitude until she noticed everyone around her was suddenly having a miserable time.
How to Prevent Altitude Sickness
Don’t let my detailed explanation scare you from ever visiting somewhere high in altitude though!! For most of us, it only lasted about 5-10 minutes. Also, there is a huge difference between altitude sickness, and how the high altitude affects you.
Ascend Gradually
Don’t do what we did and just shoot right up from sea level to 4300m. Part of the reason we took the bus to Cusco from Lima is so that we could ascend gradually. Unfortunately, we were moved from a tour bus that goes around the mountains to a public bus which goes straight up them – this made us go up a lot faster than anticipated.
Take Diamox/Acetazolamide.
Make an appointment with your doctor or local travel clinic and ask for a prescription of Diamox to help with altitude sickness.
One of the side affects is tingly fingers and toes – if this happens to you it’s normal!! I first thought it was because I was losing circulation because of the lack of oxygen, but don’t worry you’re not – it’s just the Diamox working!
Chew on Coco Leaves
I looveeee Coco leaves, they really helped! They can be purchased everywhere in Peru. Our guide on our hike to Machu Picchu told us a tip for how to chew them: fold it in half, and put it on the side of your mouth against your cheek and just let it sit there. Chew on it occasionally. It will make your cheek numb, but it really does help.
Don’t bring coco leaves home with you!!! They are illegal to carry across the border since they are used to make cocaine. Don’t worry, they don’t actually have cocaine in them or it’s affects while they are in their leaf form, so chew away!!
Get in shape
Now remember – Altitude sickness can happen to anyone no matter what your fitness level is. But how easily you are able to walk around with less oxygen definitely helps if you are in shape and your lungs are strong from all of that cardio.
For example, I am not the most in shape – Sure, I like to go on hikes and leisurely strolls along the beach, but when it comes to running I can last for maybe 5 minutes. The fit people in my group who run all the time because it’s fun (for them) were able to walk around no problem. I had to take a lot of breaks because I got out of breathe really easily. Walking up a flight of stairs felt like I had been running!
Tips for your Trip
My biggest tip for preventing altitude sickness is to plan your trip around the altitude!
- Take it easy on your first day. Since the reason for most people visiting Peru is Machu Picchu, the closest airport is Cusco, so you most likely end up here. Cusco is at a high altitude, so on your first day just take it easy! Wander around if you feel like it, and rest if you need to. This will help you adjust.
- Give yourself 2-3 days to adjust before hiking Machu Picchu. A lot of the tour groups will recommend this as well. Machu Picchu is at a lower altitude than Cusco, so if you can adjust to Cusco’s level you will be able to handle Machu Picchu a lot easier! You can either spend this time in Cusco, explore the Sacred Valley, go to Ollantaytambo – or all of the above!
- Plan the higher altitude and more strenuous activities for later in your trip. This will give you plenty of time to adjust! We had planned to hike the alternative Rainbow Mountain – and since this was the highest in altitude we saved this hike for our last day. Was I out of breathe? Yes. But did I get sick from the altitude? No!
I hope that these tips help with your trip! Have you ever experienced a high altitude? What did it feel like for you? Let me know in the comments below!
Good idea to talk about it!
I suffer from chronic altitude sickness so this post is ideal! Thank you for writing it in detail 🙏