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At over 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) 75% of people will have mild symptoms. The occurrence of AMS is dependent upon the elevation, the rate of ascent, and individual susceptibility. Many people will experience mild AMS during the acclimatisation process. The symptoms usually start 12 to 24 hours after arrival at altitude and begin to decrease in severity around the third day.

Anyone who goes to altitude can get AMS. It is primarily related to individual physiology and the rate of ascent; The higher you climb above sea level, the less oxygen there is in the air. The oxygen level becomes very low at altitudes above 8,000 feet. This causes problems for people who normally live at lower altitudes because their bodies aren't used to working on so little oxygen. If you stay at a high altitude for a long time, your body gets used to the low oxygen level, and you don't get sick from it.

It is difficult to determine who may be affected by altitude sickness since there are no specific factors such as age, sex, or even previous altitude experiences. Some people get it and some people don't because some people are more susceptible than others. Some people acclimatize quickly, and can ascend rapidly; others acclimatize slowly and have trouble staying well even on a slow ascent. the same person may get AMS on one trip and not another despite an identical ascent itinerary. Unfortunately, no way has been found to predict who is likely to get sick at altitude.

Most people can climb up to 2,500 metres (8,000 feet) with little or no effect. If you have been at that altitude before with no problem, you can probably return to that altitude without problems as long as you are properly acclimatised. If you haven't been to high altitude before, you should exercise caution when doing so. Also, it is essential that you communicate any symptoms of illness immediately to others on your trip.

Sleep at an altitude that is lower than the altitude you are at during the day. For example, if you trek at an elevation of 10,000 feet during the day, sleep the night before and the night after at an elevation of 8,500 feet.

Some of the first signs of high-altitude illness are headache, lightheadedness, weakness, trouble sleeping and an upset stomach. If you have these symptoms, stop going up or go back down to a lower altitude until your symptoms go away. More severe symptoms include difficulty breathing even while you're resting, coughing, confusion and the inability to walk in a straight line. If you get these symptoms, go to a lower altitude right away and get help from a doctor.

Normal activity is difficult, although the person may still be able to walk on their own. At this stage, only advanced medications or descent can reverse the problem. Descending only 300 metres (1,000 feet) will result in some improvement, and twenty four hours at the lower altitude will result in a significant improvement. The person should remain at lower altitude until all the symptoms have subsided (up to 3 days). At this point, the person has become acclimatised to that altitude and can begin ascending again.

The best test for moderate AMS is to have the person walk a straight line heel to toe. A person with ataxia would be unable to walk a straight line. This is a clear indication that an immediate descent is required. It is important to get the person to descend before the ataxia reaches the point where they cannot walk on their own.

The best treatment for the high-altitude illnesses is to go down to a lower altitude right away. But if you only have mild symptoms, you may be able to stay at that altitude and let your body get use to it. If you do this, don't exercise at all, just rest until you feel better.

If you have severe symptoms, go down 1,500 to 2,000 feet immediately to see if your symptoms are getting better. Keep going down until your symptoms go away completely.

Medicines that may be used to prevent or treat the symptoms of severe high-altitude illness include acetazolamide and nifedipine.

Don't ignore signs of high-altitude illness. People can die of this if they don't recognize the signs or if they don't believe their illness is caused by the high altitude. When you have signs of high-altitude illness, don't go higher until you feel better and your symptoms have gone away completely.