Get High in La Paz: Don’t Let Altitude Sickness Spoil Your Trip to Bolivia

The city of La Paz stands at over 3500m above sea level, and El Alto airport at over 4000m; this means that these cities have reduced oxygen levels that can affect visitors from lower altitudes. Frankly, some people feel the sickness the moment they get off the plane. Many travelers don’t feel anything for several hours, and then get hit with attitude sickness symptoms. If you’re traveling to La Paz, Bolivia, you need to have a plan for dealing with altitude sickness, or soroche, as it’s locally known.

Altitude sickness can be debilitating and potentially dangerous for some people. Symptoms feel like a hangover or a mild flu, with headaches, breathlessness, nausea and fatigue putting a damper on sightseeing for many travelers. A few travelers are affected more strongly and require medical attention.

Go Slow: If you can, try to arrange your itinerary in such a way that there’s a gradual rather than sudden rise in altitude. Plan for some resting time upon your arrival, and take it easy on the first day or two, limiting yourself to some light sightseeing and not taking any tours so as to avoid over-exertion.

Take Altitude Sickness pills: if you can’t avoid a leap in altitude, consider taking Diomox, which you should begin taking a couple of days prior to traveling. The popular soroche pills offered in many local pharmacies are just caffeine and aspirin (the former allows you to take in more oxygen and fights fatigue, while the latter minimizes discomfort), so Ibuprofen is probably preferable if you’re merely looking to control some mild symptoms.

Oxygenate: Exercising in the two weeks before your trip could help your lung capacity and thus help keep you happy and active on your trip and shortening your acclimatization time. You can buy small oxygen canisters at the pharmacies and travel supplies stores. These are just pressurized air much like that which you buy to clean your keyboard, but some people find that they help, especially at night when your oxygen saturation rate is lower. Large oxygen tanks are very useful, but generally only available in clinics and hotels.

Hydrate: After a several high-altitude days, your body can produce more red blood cells, which allow you to receive more oxygen with each breath. Until then, you will breathe more, losing more water vapor in the process. This is why the most important step in avoiding altitude sickness is to drink as much water as you can on the first few days. This is also why you should avoid activities that dehydrate you, such as avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol. If you opt to drink, be aware that just one glass can leave new arrivals with a strong hangover. (Also, alcohol affects your system for at least 24 hours, so don’t drink the night before traveling, either.)

Embrace local remedies: Coca leaves have been used in the Andes for thousands of years to combat some of the symptoms of altitude sickness. They can either be chewed or steeped in hot water to make mate de coca. You can find loose coca leaves easily in the local markets, and many hostels offer free coca tea to their guests.

If you take care, you’ve likely little to worry about. However, travelers who suffer from heart disease, asthma, anemia, high blood pressure, and chronic diseases in general should exercise some precaution and speak to their doctor for additional recommendations before traveling. It’s the best way to ensure that you’ll be able to truly enjoy all that Bolivia has to offer. Be safe, and happy travels!