Altitude sickness

Altitude sickness can happen when you’re at a high altitude. It usually gets better in a few days with rest, but it can sometimes be life-threatening and need treatment.

Check if you’re at risk of altitude sickness

You can get altitude sickness if you’re in a place that is at a high altitude (usually more than 2,500 metres above sea level).

You’re more likely to get it if you travel or climb to a high altitude quickly.

You can get it in places like:

Mount Everest in Nepal
Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
some places in the Alps
La Paz in Bolivia

You cannot get altitude sickness in the UK.

Check your travel risk

You can check if there’s a risk of altitude sickness in a country or place you’re travelling to on the TravelHealthPro website

Call 999 or go to A&E now if you or someone has any of these:

Signs of a heart attack (chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest)
Signs of a stroke (face dropping on one side, cannot hold both arms up, difficulty speaking)
Sudden confusion or delirium (unsure of own name or age)
Suicide attempt (by taking something or self-harming)
Severe difficulty breathing (not being able to get words out, choking or gasping)
A serious accident, or severe injuries burns or scalds
Heavy bleeding (spraying, pouring or enough to make a puddle)
Severe injuries (after a serious accident or assault)
A seizure or fit (shaking, jerking, or unconscious & can’t be woken up)
Sudden, rapid swelling (of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue)

How to reduce your risk of altitude sickness

There are some things you can do to help reduce your risk of getting altitude sickness.

try not to travel from an altitude that’s less than 1,200 metres to an altitude that’s more than 3,500 metres in 1 day
try not to fly directly to a place with a high altitude – if this is not possible, rest for 1 day before going any higher
try not to sleep more than 500 metres higher than you slept the night before (if you’re at an altitude of 3,000 metres or more)
do not drink alcohol while travelling or climbing