![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Staying hydrated and avoiding alcohol for the first few days will prevent your body from further dehydration. Alcohol also slows down your breathing which is not ideal in low oxygen level environments.Īccording to The Wilderness Medical Society, your body loses water through respiration at high altitudes twice as fast as it does at sea level so the body dehydrates more quickly. However, drinking at higher elevations can make you feel more drunk since the symptoms of altitude sickness closely mimic those of intoxication (dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea etc). It is commonly believed that drinking alcohol at higher altitudes makes you drunk quicker, but studies show there is no evidence of altitude actually affecting blood alcohol content. We had some tea at our hotel and noticed that it made us feel a bit less sluggish, but other than that we did not see much of a difference. Many swear by it, but scientific studies are still lacking evidence. The verdict is still out on whether or not coca is very effective at combating altitude sickness symptoms. However there are some studies that show it might result in a positive drug test, so keep that in mind if you do decide have some. Ingesting the plant in natural form is not going to produce any drug related effects as the presence of the coca alkaloid is very small. Native people have incorporated coca leaves in their cultural and medicinal practices for thousands of years and it is advertised as one the most popular local remedies for Cusco altitude sickness.Ĭoca is an indigenous plant that contains numerous alkaloid components, most famously the alkaloid cocaine. If you are traveling throughout the Andes you will, without a doubt, come across coca leaves and coca tea. Cusco is located at 11,152 feet (3,399 meters) which explains why so many travelers experience symptoms.ĬOCA: THE LOCAL REMEDY FOR CUSCO ALTITUDE SICKNESS If you are not used to high altitudes, this type of change in the air’s oxygen levels can reduce the oxygen levels in your blood and brain which cause physical altitude sickness symptoms, also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) or soroche, as it is known locally.Īltitude sickness most commonly starts affecting people at around 8,000 feet / 2,438 meters. As a result, this reduces the amount of oxygen you wind up breathing in with each inhale. HOW DOES HIGH ALTITUDE IN CUSCO AND THE SACRED VALLEY MAKE YOU SICK?Īir pressure decreases at higher altitudes, making the oxygen molecules in the air further apart. Please contact your doctor or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding medical conditions and symptoms. Keep reading to discover everything there is to know about altitude sickness in Peru including how to avoid it, ways to manage symptoms and the major difference between Cusco and Machu Picchu’s elevation.ĭisclaimer: I am not a health professional and the information in this post is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. laying flat on my back gasping for air at a smoothie shop in Cusco. Unfortunately I learned my lesson the hard way. If we had the time to do any research on the area, we would’ve definitely been cautioned about the major elevation changes and learned about just how common altitude sickness can be in Cusco and The Sacred Valley. We had zero clue as far as what to expect when we landed, and it turns out Peru’s Andean Highlands are a particularly difficult destination for winging it. ![]() and by last minute I mean we drank too much wine and booked our plane tickets at 10pm the night before. My friend Erica and I threw together our Machu Picchu adventure extremely last minute. This post has recently been updated to include up to date information. ![]()
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