Shortness of breath @7000 ft.

[Chris142]

My wife rented a cabin in the mountains.. it's @7000 ft.

Boy do I feel terrible! There's stairs we have to climb and I can't catch my breath. Didn't sleep well as I felt like I was suffocating.

I have never smoked anything. Don't t breath in unusual fumes etc. wonder if this is how people with COPD feel?

Reading tells me that the pressure is less so less oxygen goes in my lungs than it does @3100 ft where I live.

Never had this feeling before.... Guess I'm old now.

 

[4wheeldog]

I live at 7200'. If I spend a week at sea level it takes a couple of days to get back to normal when I come home. Your symptoms seem a bit more than that. If I were you, I would get checked out by your doctor when you get home. (I am 72).

 

[wag123]

My wife rented a cabin in the mountains.. it's @7000 ft.

Boy do I feel terrible! There's stairs we have to climb and I can't catch my breath. Didn't sleep well as I felt like I was suffocating.

I have never smoked anything. Don't t breath in unusual fumes etc. wonder if this is how people with COPD feel?

Reading tells me that the pressure is less so less oxygen goes in my lungs than it does @3100 ft where I live.

Never had this feeling before.... Guess I'm old now.

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My wife and I both have COPD, my wife's is worse than mine. What you are experiencing is EXACTLY what we experience.
My wife can no-longer fly without using a portable oxygen concentrator (Inogen, etc) because of this. At typical cruising altitudes in the range 36 000–40 000 feet range, air pressure in the commercial airliner cabin is equivalent to the outside air pressure at 6000–8000 feet above sea level.
You do not have to be a smoker or former smoker to be afflicted with COPD, up to 25% of Americans with COPD have never smoked. Air pollution (smog) is a common cause of COPD as is exposure to chemical fumes and dusts in the workplace or environment.

 

[alarmguy]

I live at 7200'. If I spend a week at sea level it takes a couple of days to get back to normal when I come home. Your symptoms seem a bit more than that. If I were you, I would get checked out by your doctor when you get home. (I am 72).

I agree he should tell a doctor about it. A stress test might be called for, it very well could mean he has an issue that needs taking care of.

 

[Pew]

No scientific proof, but I noticed people that do very rough physical training like HIT or other anaerobic exercises do much better at high altitude with less acclimation needed. Probably because their heart, lungs, and mind are much more attuned to the lack of oxygen. USMC regs is a week of acclimation @5000ft (basically light duty) before cold weather/mountain training at Bridgeport (9000' where we were at.). I can go from my 800' ASL house to a 14,000' ASL hike the same day just fine though. My friend that I used to go hiking with cannot though, it takes him a full week at 5000' before he's okay to go above 9000'.

 

[spasm3]

I would see a physician. Physical deconditioning, low hemoglobin, or undiagnosed lung issues, cardiac output issues or atherosclerosis ( or combinations of above) could all cause this.

You might just aerobically be out of shape. But I would see a physician.

 

[RooflessVW]

Those small O tanks help

 

[JustTrynaHelp]

Sounds normal for a first day at higher altitude. Our home is at 8500', we tell visitors "breathe more, move slower"

The night sleep feeling of strangling is common.

 

[97prizm]

My wife rented a cabin in the mountains.. it's @7000 ft.

Boy do I feel terrible! There's stairs we have to climb and I can't catch my breath. Didn't sleep well as I felt like I was suffocating.

I have never smoked anything. Don't t breath in unusual fumes etc. wonder if this is how people with COPD feel?

Reading tells me that the pressure is less so less oxygen goes in my lungs than it does @3100 ft where I live.

Never had this feeling before.... Guess I'm old now.

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I had a Chemistry and Aviation Medical doctor as professors in college. They both always said the percentage of oxygen at higher altitudes isn't less but lower pressure due to less atmosphere above you. After a while your body will make more red blood cells to carry more oxygen. I'm at 5050 ft in altitude. Estes Park Colorado is 7200ish ft. Just don't hike all day on your first day then hit the bars afterwards. I worked at a hotel for many years and the amount of east and west coast guests that would come to Colorado and hit the mountains, hike and hit the bars always surprised me.

 

[97prizm]

Some people have sworn by getting pure oxygen for the first day but I've been told by paramedics and rescue workers that only delays symptoms.

 

[2005jettatdi]

I live at 3,600 feet. I have asthma. I have no problems at 7,200, but I keep active. When I lived in Washington state, I lived at 500'. Climbing Lassen Peak meant I felt like I could not breathe at the top. I did it again after moving down here and I was fine at the 10,500' peak. I always take an inhaler along when I hike.

Since you live at 3,100' I think those who say you should see a doctor have good advice.

 

[I<3oil]

Sounds normal for a first day at higher altitude. Our home is at 8500', we tell visitors "breathe more, move slower"

The night sleep feeling of strangling is common.

Yup

 

[ripcord]

As someone who lives at sea level, it definitely affects me for the first several days when I visit higher elevations. This was true for me even as a kid.

Getting off the plane in Albuquerque last year was kind of a shock when I had to rush across the airport to catch my ride.

 

[Number_35]

I had a Chemistry and Aviation Medical doctor as professors in college. They both always said the percentage of oxygen at higher altitudes isn't less but lower pressure due to less atmosphere above you. After a while your body will make more red blood cells to carry more oxygen. I'm at 5050 ft in altitude. Estes Park Colorado is 7200ish ft. Just don't hike all day on your first day then hit the bars afterwards. I worked at a hotel for many years and the amount of east and west coast guests that would come to Colorado and hit the mountains, hike and hit the bars always surprised me.

My wife and I spent a few days in Fort Collins in May, c. 5000' elevation. We did a lot of cycling and walking, and felt good. (Nice surprise, because we are at c. 800' here.)

The last day we rented a car and drove out to Rocky Mountain National Park (near the town of Estes Park). We hiked the Gem Lake Trail, which starts at 7800' and tops out at 8800'. It's a short trail, but very steep. We had planned on doing a longer loop, but the short out-and-back was quite enough.

Anyway, we were glad we were able to do the hike, but were humbled by the effects of the altitude.

 

[demarpaint]

This is another case where suggestions or diagnosis of a medical condition on an oil forum is a bad idea. See a doctor!!! It could be normal or indicate a problem.

 

[bullwinkle]

I would be worried if it persisted the whole time I was there, but seeing a doctor wouldn’t be a bad idea. Unless you’re like me & pleurisy causes you to go have a $15K nuclear stress test (which came back fine, all 4 coronary arteries under 20% obstructed).

 

[cptbarkey]

Those small O tanks help

This will help, if i recall the body takes 1 day to acclimate for every 1000 feet.

 

[andrew_j]

Drink a ton of water and hopefully it passes after a day or so.

 

[fdcg27]

I think I'd consult my physician on this.
That altitude is less than the cabin altitude you'd see at cruise on a typical commercial flight.

 

[RDMgr]

I live at about 34 feet above sea level at the Jersey shore. I before 1997 I worked at 10,000' in the Andes at various copper mines several times without problem. In 1997 I had a massive heart attack at 43 y.o. When I began travelling back to that region and altitude I struggled to just walk let alone work. My cardiologist approved me for 12,000' but breathing at 10,000' was so difficult, the oxygen just wasn't there. Before my return to the region, Chile created laws about working at altitude, there were some fatalities do to lack of oxygen. There are a few mines at about 14,500' with some locations approaching 15,000'. You could only go to altitude above 10,000 (?) after passing 8-hours of cardio-pulmonary testing.

Needless to say, I preferred and had no problems staying in the Terrado hotel in Antofagasta, drinking beer and watching the Pacific Ocean from my balcony.

The OP should get checked out by a cariologist.