Tips and Common Knowledge to Know When Traveling in Plateau Area

For patients with altitude disease, the most effective first-aid treatment is to supply oxygen and move to low area. Once some with shock, they should be treated first and other complication should be also noticed. The patients should be moved to calm zone and stay in bed at once. Meanwhile, they should keep warm, protect from upper respiratory tract infection and avoid drinking too much water.

If the patients feel more painful, they should take analgesic or move to the low region. Generally, the patients with altitude stress become recovery after moving to the low regions. Nevertheless, the serious patients should see a doctor.

Here are some common questions travelers might face when traveling in the plateau areas and the matching answers.
1.    What should we do if we feel out of breath when sleeping on the plateau area at night?
Due to lack of oxygen in plateau area, commonly person’s breath will become hard and couldn’t sleep at night. Thus the travelers are recommended to put head on a higher pillow or just sit to sleep.

2.    It is good for people to absorb oxygen as soon as arriving at the plateau area?
First, people are recommended not to absorb oxygen as soon as they arrive at the plateau because that might influence people’s suitability for the altitude climate.

3.    Is it feasible to wear contact lens?
Yes. But the lens should be clean. If come to a windy and sandy area, you are suggested no to wear them. Actually, contact lenses are not influenced by the altitude.

4.    Is having a fever or becoming hard of hearing right for those who have just arrived at the plateau area?
Yes. Normally, the blood pressure of a person is higher in plateau than in the plain area, so it is normal that a person’s temperature in plateau is 0.5 – 1℃ higher than in plain. Apart from having a fever, if you still have other uncomfortable symptoms, you should go to the local hospital to see a doctor. If the fever is caused by cold, you should leave the plateau to accept treatment. Additionally, becoming hard of hearing is normal in plateau area for it is caused by lack of oxygen.

5.    Is drinking wine feasible?
Travelers, more so people above 40 years old, are recommended not to drink wine in plateau area because wine will increase the load of heart and vassal, aggravate the altitude stress as well as cause heart cerebrovascular.