The challenge for your body at altitude is the shortage of oxygen. The higher you climb, the thinner the air becomes. Each lungful of air gives you less oxygen, so your body has to work harder to maintain the supply.
The demand on your muscles depends on your activity level, but your brain needs a suprising amount of oxygen. Despite being only 2% of your body weight, the brain needs around 15% of your oxygen intake. If your brain is deprived of oxygen, your judgement is impaired, movement control suffers and speech becomes slurred.
ALTI-VIT has been created to assist your body’s response to altitude.
AMS – Acute Mountain Sickness
Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS) is the effect of high altitude on humans caused by acute exposure to altitude. It commonly occurs above 2,400 metres (approx 8000 feet)
Mild AMS – Symptoms include headache, fatigue, stomach illness, dizziness, nausea, pins and needles, swelling of hands and feet, sleep disturbance.
Moderate AMS – Severe headaches that are not relieved by medication, nausea and vomiting, increasing weakness and fatigue, shortness of breath, decreased co-ordination (ataxia)
Severe AMS – Shortness of breath at rest, inability to walk, decreasing mental status, fluid build up in the lungs.
There are two life threatening conditions associated with severe altitude sickness; High Altitude Cerebral Oedama (HACE) – swelling of the brain and High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPE) – fluid in the lungs. Prevention is better than treatment. The best course of action is to descend.
At altitude everything is harder as your body is under more
stress. At times of stress giving yourself a helping hand
with a vitamin supplement is of benefit.
