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 will 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 likelihood that altitude illness may make an look.
What Is Altitude Illness?
Also called acute mountain illness, high-altitude cerebral edema or high-altitude pulmonary edema, altitude illness is a situation that impacts people after they ascend to excessive altitudes too rapidly.Acute mountain illness sometimes exhibits up 6-12 hours after arrival at altitudes above 8,000’ and happens in roughly 40-50% of people that dwell 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 fast 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, however it’s beneficial to seek the advice of with a medical skilled.
Learn extra on tips on how to forestall 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 eat simply digestible meals.
How Garmin Merchandise Can Enhance Your Acclimation to Altitude
People searching for a leg up in understanding their physique can flip to Garmin units 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 offers a proportion to estimate how acclimated you’re to your present elevation and by which course you’re trending from the day past, 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 price — This function describes how usually you inhale and exhale in a minute.
- Resting coronary heart price — This function shows your estimated day by day coronary heart price utilizing the bottom 30-minute common in a 24-hour interval.
However How Does Altitude Acclimation Really Work?
When the suitable location accesses have been granted inside the Garmin Join™ app, your appropriate Garmin smartwatch or biking laptop will report your present altitude acclimation by displaying the elevation that your physique is acclimated to, based mostly on present coaching.
Moreover, the system 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 function may even test 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 could have decrease resting coronary heart charges. And, because the linked article notes, that’s OK.
Beating the Warmth with the Warmth Acclimation Characteristic
Warmth acclimation will also be tracked. Throughout the look, a proportion quantity will present a glimpse of your temperature studying based mostly on climate knowledge and GPS actions. The quantity signifies how a lot warmth a person could also be taking in and offers a sign of tips on how to get better and adapt to increased ranges of warmth.
To be energetic, customers should 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 price and resting coronary heart price. Discover extra data on acclimation options right here.
Need to know in case your Garmin system is appropriate with altitude acclimation options? Click on right here.
With the correct data and preparation, plus somewhat assist from Garmin merchandise and options, the chance of falling unwell with altitude illness will be minimized enormously.
1This isn’t a medical system and isn’t meant to be used within the prognosis or monitoring of any medical situation; see Garmin.com/ataccuracy. Pulse Ox not out there 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.
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