Quandary: Treating altitude sickness | SummitDaily.com

Quandary: Treating altitude sickness



Dear Quandary,

What causes altitude sickness and what can I do about it?

Altitude sickness, or mountain sickness, as it’s sometimes called, is what happens when you go up in elevation too quickly causing your body to prioritize what needs the air most. Common symptoms include headache, loss of appetite and trouble sleeping. Quandary sometimes experiences these symptoms, too; he just doesn’t complain about them. Altitude sickness often occurs when people who are not used to being in the High Country travel quickly from a lower elevation to 8,000 feet or higher. While you might think the two hours spent on Interstate 70 getting here were long enough, your body might disagree.

You often hear folks say there’s less oxygen to breathe at high elevations, which is mostly true — fact is, there’s less of all of the components that make up the air. The percentage of oxygen, however, in high-altitude air is the same as that in sea-level air — about 21 percent.


Mild altitude sickness is common, and experts can’t say who will get it because a person’s level of physical fitness and gender don’t determine who’s affected and who isn’t.




Dear Quandary,

Can I take marijuana I buy legally in Colorado out of the state after my vacation?



One constant is that out-of-state residents with a valid ID, who are over 21, are allowed to purchase marijuana for recreational use within the state, but are not allowed to transport any home. So when trying to come up with the perfect present to take home to Grandma, think Palisade peaches or Rocky Ford cantaloupe, don’t think dooby.

For additional information about Colorado’s marijuana regulations visit Colorado.gov.

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