August 11, 2023

Altitude illness shouldn’t be a situation anybody ought to mess with, making it very important to know when in danger. It’s additionally necessary to understand how altitude illness could be prevented and handled, and the way Garmin merchandise are uniquely positioned to trace one’s acclimation to elevated elevation.

Whether or not you’re planning to hike a 14,000’ mountain, taking part in a high-intensity exercise at a excessive elevation or just spending time in a high-elevation metropolis, there’s a strong probability that altitude illness might make an look.

What Is Altitude Illness?

Often known as acute mountain illness, high-altitude cerebral edema or high-altitude pulmonary edema, altitude illness is a situation that impacts people once they ascend to excessive altitudes too shortly.Acute mountain illness usually exhibits up 6-12 hours after arrival at altitudes above 8,000’ and happens in roughly 40-50% of people that stay at a low altitude, based on an UpToDate well being analysis examine on high-altitude sickness.

There are a number of signs associated to altitude illness, together with headache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, shortness of breath, lack of urge for food and extra. To attenuate altitude illness, a person can take a number of precautions earlier than ascending to excessive altitudes:

• Gradual ascent — Ascend slowly to permit your physique time to acclimate to the change in altitude and keep away from speedy ascents.
• Hydration — Drink loads of fluids to remain correctly hydrated to keep away from dehydration, which may expedite altitude illness.
• Drugs — Nonprescription ache relievers might help in prevention, but it surely’s advisable to seek the advice of with a medical skilled.

Learn extra on how you can stop altitude illness right here.

In treating altitude illness, it’s necessary to relaxation and permit the physique to regulate to the altitude, proceed to hydrate and devour simply digestible meals.

How Garmin Merchandise Can Enhance Your Acclimation to Altitude

People in search of a leg up in understanding their physique can flip to Garmin gadgets to assist monitor their altitude acclimation. With the altitude acclimation widget, Garmin smartwatches and biking computer systems customers might help illustrate particular insights into their physique’s response with a snapshot of varied data to altering altitudes, together with:

• Present elevation — This gives a share to estimate how acclimated you’re to your present elevation and wherein path you’re trending from the day before today, exhibiting how your physique is acclimating to the altitude. You’ll additionally obtain steering on how your acclimation standing can affect your efficiency.
• Common Pulse Ox¹ — Weekly averages for Pulse Ox, which measures how a lot oxygen (in comparison with most capability) is in your bloodstream because it travels round your physique.
• Respiration fee — This characteristic describes how typically you inhale and exhale in a minute.
• Resting coronary heart fee — This characteristic shows your estimated each day coronary heart fee utilizing the bottom 30-minute common in a 24-hour interval.

However How Does Altitude Acclimation Truly Work?

When the suitable location accesses have been granted inside the Garmin Join™ app, your suitable Garmin smartwatch or biking pc will report your present altitude acclimation by displaying the elevation that your physique is acclimated to, based mostly on present coaching.

Moreover, the gadget will present acclimation notifications and corrections to your VO2 max estimate and coaching standing when the altitude is above 800 meters or 2,625’. The altitude acclimation characteristic may even examine in in a single day — if in sleep mode and related to Wi-Fi® — to make sure accuracy and that it’s updated.

It’s price noting that these with increased exercise ranges might have decrease resting coronary heart charges. And, because the linked article notes, that’s OK.

Beating the Warmth with the Warmth Acclimation Function

Warmth acclimation will also be tracked. Throughout the look, a share quantity will present a glimpse of your temperature studying based mostly on climate information and GPS actions. The quantity signifies how a lot warmth a person could also be taking in and gives a sign of how you can get better and adapt to increased ranges of warmth.

To be energetic, customers have to be at a excessive sufficient elevation degree to show altitude acclimation data. When accessing the widget, people can see extra details about how they’re acclimating, together with weekly averages for Pulse Ox, respiration fee and resting coronary heart fee. Discover extra data on acclimation options right here.

Wish to know in case your Garmin gadget is suitable with altitude acclimation options? Click on right here.

With the correct data and preparation, plus a little bit assist from Garmin merchandise and options, the danger of falling ailing with altitude illness could be minimized enormously.

¹This isn’t a medical gadget and isn’t meant to be used within the prognosis or monitoring of any medical situation; see Garmin.com/ataccuracy. Pulse Ox not obtainable in all international locations. Pulse Ox will solely show if All-Day Pulse Ox is enabled in your watch. Enabling all-day Pulse Ox will use extra battery energy.