How do i go from sea-level to sky high? i live at sea-level and am going to be hiking in colorado. what can i do to avoid altitude sickness?

Great : Great question! i will assume for the purposes of this answer that you are healthy without significant heart or lung problems- otherwise see your doctor before the trip. Strangely enough, your level of physical conditioning has no bearing on whether or not you will get altitude sickness, so even if you are a svelte marathon runner, you may still get symptoms. In general, the altitudes in colorado (around 14000 feet) are not enough to make you severely ill, but you may still get headaches, shortness of breath and fatigue. First, acclimatize slowly, the longer it takes you to get to altitude, and the longer you can stay at altitudes near what you will be hiking at, the better. A reasonable regimen might be, stay at 7-8000 feet for 2 nights, 10000 feet for 2 nights and 12000 feet for 2 nights. Of course, that would require significant planning and put unreasonable restraints on your trip, but the longer you can be at altitude before exertion the better. Hydration is very important, so drink plenty of water. Avoid liquids that will tend to dehydrate such as caffeine and alcohol. There are prescription medications that will help with symptoms too, such as acetazolamide and decadron, (dexamethasone) but these will require a prescription.

Diamox (acetazolamide).: If you are going to colorado in a short period of time to do some hiking you might see your physician to see if you are a candidate to use diamox, (acetazolamide) a medication which can prevent you from getting mountain sickness (altitude sickness). Have a good trip.

ACETAZOLAMIDE: High Altitude Sickness commonly occurs when you are 8000 feet over the sea leveli You can take Aetazolamide Dose of 125mgm twice a day for prevention and 250mgm twice a day for treatment. Other choice according to CDC is Nifedipine Consult your Doctor