Altitude sickness (soroche) in Bolivia: symptoms and how to acclimatise

Much of Bolivia sits at high altitude: La Paz is above 3,600 m, El Alto above 4,000 m, and Potosí and Uyuni are higher still. At that altitude the air holds less oxygen and altitude sickness — known locally as soroche — sets in.

Symptoms

Headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and trouble sleeping. They usually appear within the first hours of arriving at altitude and, in most cases, ease with rest.

How to acclimatise

• Rest on the first day and avoid intense physical effort.
• Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol for the first 24–48 hours.
• Eat light; coca-leaf tea helps many people.
• If symptoms are severe (confusion, vomiting, breathlessness at rest), seek medical help and descend.

Cold and the strong solar radiation at altitude make it worse: check the day's temperature and UV index before heading out.