Around 1970, millions of Chinese people were relocated from altitudes of 0–2,000 feet to Lhasa, Tibet where the city altitude is 12,000 feet. This altitude was gained during a three day truck drive up the mountains from Chengdu, China in Sichuan Province. Adjacent to Tibet is China’s Qinghai Province, which has many towns at high altitude. Chinese people from the lower altitude provinces were also relocated here, to live at 10,000–15,000 feet.
Mountain sickness was a common reaction as people first reached their destinations in Tibet and Qinghai Province. The symptoms, sometimes severe, required rest in order to prevent additional symptoms and would often cause people to miss days of work. The problem was so disruptive that Chinese researchers investigated preventive treatments for the condition. Herbal remedies were commonly used but no reports detailing the precise ingredients were found.
Today, people are traveling into the mountains more and more. You might have been one of the millions of people who read
Into Thin Air about a traffic jam at the top of Mount Everest! Many people are visiting high altitude destinations for vacation and exploration, such as Tibet, Nepal, and Machu Pichu. In fact, experienced mountain climbers, as well as those who have little prior high-altitude experience, have been known to suffer from mountain sickness at altitudes of 9,000 feet and higher.
Source: Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon
