So What’s the Problem?

Persistent increased breathing results in the reduction of carbon dioxide in the blood. Since carbon dioxide build up is the key signal to the brain that it is time to breathe. If levels are low, the drive to breathe is inhibited. If you are awake it isn't much trouble to consciously breathe. At night an odd breathing pattern develops due to an alternating balancing act between two respiratory triggers. This periodic breathing consists of cycles of normal breathing which gradually slows, followed by 10-15 seconds of breath holding breath-holding, and a brief recovery period of accelerated breathing. This is not considered altitude sickness. However, while it usually improves with acclimatization, it rarely resolves till descent from altitude. Periodic breathing can be the cause of anxiety in a person who wakes up during the breath holding phase, or in someone who awakens during the accelerated breathing phase, believing that they are suffering from an extreme form of high altitude sickness.

Gotta’ Go Again!

Many changes occur in the body’s fluid balancing systems during acclimatization. As blood concentration is reset, a factor known as altitude diuresis causes the kidneys to excrete more fluid. As a result, frequent urination is normal. If this is not happening, you are either dehydrated, or else, you are not acclimating well. I’ve seen many sea level students at Colorado’s Copper Mountain refuse to drink water, for fear of “having to go” in the middle of class. Rest assured, your instructor would rather have you stop at one of the mountain’s many rest rooms, than have you carried down the hill in the ski patroller’s sled due to high altitude sickness.