living at altitude (Denver: closing, moving, eat)

[Sonic_Spork]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

IMO, most altitude related complaints are almost always local climate related complaints that are mistakenly attributed to altitude. In other words, if people lived in a similar climate in the mountains, or at sea level, they'd have identical complaints. It's just that a lot of areas with high altitude are in mountains, which tend to have much more dramatic weather than low lying areas, even only a short distance away. So, when people say that their health really improved after they moved to a low lying area, they usually fail to factor in that they also changed climates.

*nods head*

That's why I repeatedly mentioned the dryness. In my opinion, it's a really big deal. Most people I talk to love it, I hate it. I get pain in my sinuses, minor nosebleeds, sore throat, just because it's so dang dry. Nevermind how much lotion I'm going through and how thirsty I am all the time...

But I grew up in humid Virginia, it's the clime I was used to, and I loved it...and most recently also lived in western WA which might be one of the wettest places in the continental US...I hope one day, since I'll be here a while, I'll get used to it.

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by Lugnuts

Because there is less atmosphere to filter out the UV rays. Also, the air here is pretty clean so there are less pollutants/particulate matter to block the UV.

Now, that makes sense to me.

[TiffaNYC]

Originally Posted by ktaadin

I've never lived at a high elevation before, so I have a few questions for people who do:

-Have you ever known people to move to your town, but who couldn't handle living at the altitude (for health reasons I'm assuming, or perhaps others I might not think of)?

This is an old thread, but I was searching Google for articles/posts on people that just couldn't seem to adapt to high altitude, because I've had this problem the past year.

I'm a California native who moved to Colorado Springs to live with family, temporarily, before moving to the East coast. I've been here over a year (leaving in a month), and I'm still not acclimated to the high altitude. I can't stand it. In California I was a fitness freak--spin classes, power walks, dance, aerobics, etc.--and here in Colorado Springs, I just do NOT have the stamina that I did in California. I've been unable to work out as much, or as hard, and it's really depressing. I thought that maybe after a few months it would get easier, but to my dismay, it didn't. It's been beyond frustrating. Even walking up stairs, I get shortness of breath--and my heart is perfectly fine, I've only just turned 34. It's so incredibly annoying.

Also, my skin and hair are so destroyed by the dryness here. My hands are constantly cracking and flaking and they bleed because they are so dry (and I use lotion frequently), and the rest of my skin everywhere else is just disgustingly dry and flaky and awful!! Also, my bleached hair is worse now than even when I bleached it years ago, for several years, in California. It's a frizzy, damaged, dry, horrid mess. I can't wait to get back to moisture. Give me humidity over this dry crap any day.

Anyway, just reviving this thread because I'm wondering if anyone else has ever not been able to adjust to the altitude even after a year+, and/or loathed the climate/altitude here in Colorado, like I'm talking about?

[Christina S]

I came froma tropical country and never really had a problem adjusting to the altitude except for the first few days that i suffered from shortness of breath and being thirsty a lot. A week or so later i was good. I love the dryness since i hated perspiring as soon you turn off the shower and towel myself dry. Of course usimg lotions is a must to keep the skin from drying up.

[BarryK123]

Originally Posted by TiffaNYC

This is an old thread, but I was searching Google for articles/posts on people that just couldn't seem to adapt to high altitude, because I've had this problem the past year.

I'm a California native who moved to Colorado Springs to live with family, temporarily, before moving to the East coast. I've been here over a year (leaving in a month), and I'm still not acclimated to the high altitude. I can't stand it. In California I was a fitness freak--spin classes, power walks, dance, aerobics, etc.--and here in Colorado Springs, I just do NOT have the stamina that I did in California. I've been unable to work out as much, or as hard, and it's really depressing. I thought that maybe after a few months it would get easier, but to my dismay, it didn't. It's been beyond frustrating. Even walking up stairs, I get shortness of breath--and my heart is perfectly fine, I've only just turned 34. It's so incredibly annoying.

part of the body's process to adjust is an increase in the red blood cell count. This normally takes about a month. If you are iron-deficient or anemic for some other reason, that could be the problem.

Have you seen a physician?

[debbie at bouontiful]

No doctor will give me or has an answer but I suffer from headaches (dull ones you can live with) the minute I get to high altitude it goes away I feel healthier. Now the first few days of hiking (we spend a lot of time in Chama, NM which is 8500 feet) I do not hike hilly areas but still walk several miles but after that I can handle small hills. I've tested like Trinidad being under 7000 or Santa Fe and I do not have headaches there either. I thought it was because I am away from this ranch and its work having fun but we also go to Eureka Springs which is a lot of fun but I still have the headaches.

Drink alot of water the first few days you leave 0 to over 5000 and not any wine but a day or two later the wine is fine, at least with me. We go to the mountains for 2 weeks at a time each time which is less than it is supposively your suppose to get use to it.

[Sunderpig2]

I went from decades of living near sea level to about 6000 ft. I think my breathing has changed (shorter and shallower breaths, more often). It's been more of an adjustment to dryness than anything else. I don't notice any changes when back to near sea level, other than wishing I could stay there!

When my dad visited a few years ago he had lots of problems breathing. We were a bit higher up (maybe 8000 ft.), and it didn't go well. He's in great shape, so it wasn't an overall fitness issue.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by TiffaNYC

This is an old thread, but I was searching Google for articles/posts on people that just couldn't seem to adapt to high altitude, because I've had this problem the past year.

I'm a California native who moved to Colorado Springs to live with family, temporarily, before moving to the East coast. I've been here over a year (leaving in a month), and I'm still not acclimated to the high altitude. I can't stand it. In California I was a fitness freak--spin classes, power walks, dance, aerobics, etc.--and here in Colorado Springs, I just do NOT have the stamina that I did in California. I've been unable to work out as much, or as hard, and it's really depressing. I thought that maybe after a few months it would get easier, but to my dismay, it didn't. It's been beyond frustrating. Even walking up stairs, I get shortness of breath--and my heart is perfectly fine, I've only just turned 34. It's so incredibly annoying.

Also, my skin and hair are so destroyed by the dryness here. My hands are constantly cracking and flaking and they bleed because they are so dry (and I use lotion frequently), and the rest of my skin everywhere else is just disgustingly dry and flaky and awful!! Also, my bleached hair is worse now than even when I bleached it years ago, for several years, in California. It's a frizzy, damaged, dry, horrid mess. I can't wait to get back to moisture. Give me humidity over this dry crap any day.

Anyway, just reviving this thread because I'm wondering if anyone else has ever not been able to adjust to the altitude even after a year+, and/or loathed the climate/altitude here in Colorado, like I'm talking about?

It's so strange how different people react to the altitude. You sound like a very physical active, healthy person, yet couldn't adjust to the altitude, whereas I'm a fairly low-energy person with a mostly sedentary lifestyle, and I didn't have any problems adjusting. The first few weeks I got here, I was having some heartburn after eating, but then my body adjusted and never had any problems since. I do have some issues with dehydrating but that's just my dumb fault for not drinking enough.

The dry air is a killer though - my arm and leg skin is dry to begin with but here, it's worse. However, it's not as bad as bleeding! My hair always goes frizzy in the humidity so the dry air at least suits my hair.

It probably doesn't matter since you're leaving soon, but have you tried baby oil instead of lotion? If you're worried about that leaving too much excess oil and getting on your clothes, one tip I always give to people with dry skin is to take some baby oil in the shower with you. Before you get out of the shower, rub some oil in the driest parts of your body, then rinse with plain water. The water helps rinse away the excess so you're not getting oil all over your clothes, but it leaves enough to absorb into your skin.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by debbie at bouontiful

No doctor will give me or has an answer but I suffer from headaches (dull ones you can live with) the minute I get to high altitude it goes away I feel healthier.

Sounds like it might be sinus pressure, but I can't imagine why a doctor wouldn't have thought of that. Coming down from Pike's Peak, I got a sinus headache. I also can't go scuba diving because when once I reach a certain depth, I get such sinus pressure I have to go back up (and my nose gets too stuffy to clear my mask).

[debbie at bouontiful]

Well I haven't press the doctors that much but I don't have sinus problems and I have it all year. Actually, we've lived in different states and the only State I was fine was Utah. Maybe it is blood vessels. Anyway, I just got back from Santa Fe and ready to go again. My son in law could move to Denver and if he does I'll be up near Trinidad. If this ranch sells!!!