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Acute Mountain Sickness also known as Altitude Sickness, is the effect of altitude on those who ascend too rapidly to elevations above 3,600 m. Early symptoms include headache, loss of appetite, lethargy, and sleeplessness. Do not ignore these warnings as these are serious symptoms of AMS which can cause even death within a few hours. Being young, strong and fit does not help. Medicine is no substitute for descent. If a doctor is available, he may give medicine and oxygen.

The patient must go down, however, even after treatment. If you are traveling in Khumbu region and Manang, you can contact Khunde, Pheriche & Manang respectively for altitude sickness information. Hospitals are there with good doctors. To avoid altitude sickness you should walk slowly. If you feel exhausted, you have moved too fast or too high. Take time to acclimatize to each gaining altitude and give yourself rest days. If you start to feel unwell, retreat to a lower altitude immediately. It may save your life. The only cure for AMS is to descend immediately to a lower elevation.

We recommend you to be checked by your Physician before trekking and those who are suffering from heart disease, respiratory diseases such as Asthma, emphysema are not advisable to attempt to high altitude treks and any strenuous activity. So, one should be physically fit for trekking.