The biggest challenge to visiting Tibet is altitude sickness. So, you must figure out the main questions regarding the high altitude sickness in Tibet. What is High altitude sickness? How should we deal with altitude sickness? How to avoid high altitude sickness?Â
High Altitude Sickness in Tibet is one of the most common disease tourist faces once they reach Tibet. High Altitude sickness, also medically referred to as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). It is a possible uncomfortable pathological reaction in high altitude regions where the air pressure is low, and oxygen is thin.
You can acclimatise the high altitude sickness in a gradual process. The possible reactions differ by physical conditions. Usually, the symptoms of AMS are moderate.
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Commonly, most people will suffer from High Altitude Sickness at different levels. However, please note that High Altitude Sickness can heal itself by eventually acclimatising your body to the altitude, air pressure, and temperatures.
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Before Arriving in Tibet
• Keep physically and mentally healthy. Keep relaxing in mind.
• Take a physical examination and consult your doctor for advice on preparing AMS medication.
• Prevent from having a cold and respiratory disease before taking your flight/train to Tibet.
• Try to have a great night’s sleep the night before taking your flight/train to Tibet.
Read the Tips before you come to Tibet.
On Your Tibet Tour:
• Avoid strenuous activities, such as running, jumping, or climbing up to high mountains during the first 2~3 arrival days
• During your arrival and trip to Lhasa, you should walk at a slow pace, take deep breaths. Then, leave plenty of time to acclimatise.
• You’d better not take a bath on the first day of arrival to prevent from catching a cold.
• Drinking more water is helpful, but drinking alcohol is not recommended.
• Eat more food with rich carbohydrates.
• Don’t take depressant drugs.
• Fewer smoke cigarettes.
• Don’t use an oxygen bottle immediately if your symptoms are not worse, which is helpful to acclimatise faster.
• When you need to ascend to higher altitudes, you must make an ascent gradually. If you begin to feel High Altitude Sickness, stop climbing any higher or retreat to a lower altitude.
• If your AMS reactions are severe, go to the hospital as soon as possible.
• Some hotels in Lhasa also have an Oxygen supply. You can also let your tour guide take you to the local hospital for treatment
You’d better have a complete medical examination of your health and take your doctor’s advice seriously. If your health may risk high altitude regions, you are not suitable to visit Tibet. Commonly following situations do not allow you to go to Tibet:
• Heavy cold
• Severe anaemia
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Breathing diseases, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, tracheitis, and bronchitis
* Got a bad cold? Think Twice About Going To Tibet
When you are catching a cold, it is hazardous to travel in high-altitude places because colds can broadly break down our body’s defence system against the harsh environment, such as high altitude, low temperatures, etc.
Therefore, it is easy to cause high altitude-related sicknesses, the worst of which is pulmonary oedema which may threaten our life. Thus, if you have a cold, you’d better recover from it before boarding your flight to Tibet.
If you catch a cold after arriving in Tibet, you’d better stay in lower-altitude cities where there are better hospitals, such as Lhasa and Nyingchi. You can spend several days on recovery and acclimatisation.
Usually, you don’t have to worry too much about it because your body will gradually acclimate to the plateau and heal itself with the help of the proper treatment. However, you must bring some of your medicines for emergency use, such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin.
Just don’t push your body too hard. Instead, leave your body for enough days for recovery and acclimatisation while in Tibet.
If you plan to travel to Tibet in winter, click here for more details.
Lhasa-3,658 m (12,001 ft), Tsetang-3,500 m (11,483 ft), Nyingchi-3,000 m (9,842.5 ft)
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Gyantse-4,040 m (13,254.6 ft), Shigatse-3,836 m (12,585 ft), Everest Base Camp on Tibet side-5,200 m (17,060 ft), Namtso Lake-4,718 m (15,479 ft)
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Mount Kailash trek (Drolma-la Pass – 5,630m (18,471 ft)
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There are common symptoms of high altitude sickness like nausea, vomiting, restlessness, chest distress, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdominal distension, numbness in limbs, headache or dizziness and difficulty breathing.
If not treated well, the mild high altitude sickness may cause severe altitude sickness and even threaten your life. So you have to be well prepared for your Tibet trip.
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When we travel to high-altitude places, we may suffer High Altitude Sickness. What elevations may cause high altitude sickness?
Usually, an elevation of more than 3000 meters (8000ft) may let you suffer from AMS. And Tibet’s average elevation is about 4000 meters. So high altitude sickness in Tibet is a tough challenge you must conquer during your trip to Tibet.
Then how to define the “high altitude”? The definitions vary. Following is a widely-agreed definition of “high altitude” when it is related to High Altitude Sickness:
If you have severe high altitude sickness, you have to turn to your tour guide as soon as possible to take you to hospitals. Here are some recommended hospitals in Lhasa city.
TAR People’s Hospital (Xizang Zizhiqu Renmin Yiyuan) – the largest hospital in Lhasa with integrated facilities and experienced doctors.
Address: No.18, Linkor North Road, Lhasa
Telephone: (0891)6371322
Lhasa People’s Hospital (Lhasa Renmin Yiyuan)
Address: No.1, Beijing East Road, Lhasa
Telephone: (0891)6323302
