Notes for the Journey to the Plateau

2025-12-16 11:52

(1) Try to prepare oxygen and medicines for acute altitude sickness in advance—things like nifedipine (also called Adalat) and aminophylline. You should also have cold meds, antibiotics, and vitamins on hand, just in case.

(2) The plateau climate is cold with big temperature swings between day and night, so make sure to pack enough warm clothes to avoid catching a cold. Both cold weather and respiratory infections can trigger acute altitude sickness.

(3) If you develop severe altitude sickness symptoms during the trip, deal with them right away: take aminophylline immediately or put 20mg of nifedipine under your tongue. Use oxygen if things get really bad. If you have severe chest tightness, violent coughing, trouble breathing, pink frothy sputum, or if you become slow to react, confused, or even unconscious—besides the above steps, get to a nearby hospital for emergency care as soon as possible, or move to a lower altitude area quickly to get treatment and recover.

(4) Traveling to the plateau by car takes a long time, with poor accommodation along the way and lots of physical exertion. So besides all the items mentioned above, bring water or drinks, plus tasty, easy-to-digest food—this way you can replenish the water and calories your body needs in time.