Dumb question: Do people ever die from altitude sickness in Denver?

[Taverner]

It is a mile high, and every time I go there I am wheezing and having all kinds of asthma attacks.

But is it deadly to some?

[MineralMan]

1. Only once.

Actually 5000 feet isn't really much of a challenge, unless you have a chronic lung condition.

[prolesunited]

3. He said he had asthma

so I guess that might be a problem. For the OP, why not talk to a doctor to recommend strategies or meds?

[damntexdem]

9. Or bronchial condition.

Asthma is a real risk.

[earthside]

2. No.

Indeed, Denver used to be a place where people came if they had TB ... it is a healing place.

And, now that we have medical marijuana in Colorado, it is possible to be even much higher than a mile high in Denver.

[damntexdem]

11. Before Denver was so smoggy.

I wouldn't think of it as a healing place anymore. On the other hand, the medical marijuana . . .

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. You acclimatize...

...so if there's a problem, it's acute, not chronic.

Athletes train at altitude, real, or artificial, for a reason -- increased oxygen-carrying capability when you return to sea level.

[pokerfan]

5. As a former climber, I'm not going to say no

People have different susceptibilities to altitude sickness; for some otherwise healthy people, acute mountain sickness (AMS) can begin to appear at around 6,500 ft above sea level, such as at many mountain ski resorts, equivalent to a pressure of 80 kPa. AMS is the most frequent type of altitude sickness encountered. Symptoms often manifest themselves six to ten hours after ascent and generally subside in one to two days, but they occasionally develop into the more serious conditions. Symptoms include headache, fatigue, stomach illness, dizziness, and sleep disturbance. Exertion aggravates the symptoms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitude_sickness#Signs_and_symptoms

[wtbymark]

6. for reference, Reno's elev. = 4300

Lake Tahoe (lake level) 6200

For people who aren't used to living at these altitudes, it can take a week or two to feel aclimated. Dizzyness, fatigue, nose bleeds and you certainly cannot drink as much alcohol as you're used to. But once you are used to it, you feel invigorated and refreshed, go back down to sea level and you feel like a bull.

[lunatica]

7. Actually a tranquilizer will help hugely for the first couple of days

After that your body will make enough red blood cells to get enough oxygen to your system so you can feel normal again.

[damntexdem]

8. Asthma can kill, so it is possible.

[Drahthaardogs]

10. No, its not that bad

I grew up in the mountains there, much higher than Denver, lived for years in Alaska at sea level. Coming home never presented a problem except it makes you a little sleepy and you get winded easier. I have had asthma for years

[Exultant Democracy]

12. Not on topic, but I've have found that if I start drinking a ton of water about two days before

I leave for a trip to Denver that I avoid most of the problems with altitude sickness. On another note I seem to recall that the weather patterns in Denver can lead to some pretty crappy air quality under the right conditions.

[Tesha]

13. Yes, the altitude is a challenge to a person who is marginally healthy.

It's one more little strain on them.

Could one point to a death absolutely caused
by the altitude? Perhaps not, but all these
small factors add up.

To give you a sense of scale, airplane pilots
are required to use oxygen when flying at or
above 10,000 feet; otherwise, there's too much
likelihood of mild hypoxia leading to pilot
errors leading to "very bad things" happening.

Tesha