Altitude sickness results from climbing to a high altitude too quickly.
Your body needs time to adapt to the low air pressure and decrease in the amount of oxygen you're able to breathe in. This process is known as acclimatisation.
It usually takes between one and three days for the body to get used to a change in altitude. If you do not spend enough time acclimatising to a given altitude before ascending to a higher one, you are at risk of developing the more severe symptoms of altitude sickness.
Altitude sickness is potentially very serious and can be life threatening. It is your body’s response to a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles and brain. It makes your heart and lungs work harder, causing your pulse and breathing rates to increase. In response, red blood cells are made in greater numbers in order to carry more oxygen around your body.
The body’s efforts to cope with the decreased amount of oxygen causes changes to your blood acidity level, lung pressure, and fluid and salt balance.
