Thin Air, Slow Recovery: What Altitude Asks of the Body

If you are the kind of person who likes to bounce back, a slow pace can be a surprise.

By Neil Solomon · 2 min read

Picture a couple named Arthur and Lena. They had a lovely first week in Bolivia. The views were wide, the people were warm, and the days felt full. Then Arthur caught a cold. At home it would have passed in a few days. Here it dragged on, and he felt tired in a way he did not expect.

One retiree from abroad, a former diplomat, described this to me in simple terms. Colds lasted about three times as long. The air was thin, and recovery was slow. I do not have more detail than that, and I do not want to add any. But the feeling behind it is clear: fatigue that does not match what the calendar says.

What I read in that

Many of us choose a place by what we see and what we spend. We look at the view, the food and the rent. We often forget to ask how our bodies will feel there in the third month, when the excitement has faded and ordinary life has begun.

Altitude is a good example. Some people feel it little. Others feel it a lot. A person may be well in the morning and worn out by evening. The story I heard is not a warning, and it is not a promise. It is one person's body in one place.

What stands out to me is the word "slow." It is not about being ill. It is about the pace of getting better. If you are the kind of person who likes to bounce back, a slow pace can be a surprise. If you are patient with yourself, it may matter less.

At home, over tea

"Still tired?" asked Lena.

"A little. I keep thinking I should be better by now."

"Maybe the mountain has its own schedule."

"Then I will have to learn it," said Arthur, and he went back to bed with a book.

How I would think about it

I would want to spend time in the place before deciding to stay. Not a weekend, but long enough to catch a cold, if that happens, and to see how I feel afterwards. I would also want to talk with my own doctor about how my health and a high place might fit. That is a personal talk, and I cannot have it for you.