Asthma and high altitudes – Wengen & Jungfraujoch
Ianob is planning a four-day stay in Wengen before heading to Interlaken and is concerned about how high altitudes might affect his asthma. He wants to know if he should spend time acclimatizing in Wengen before visiting Jungfraujoch and if there’s a doctor nearby, just in case. Ianob is looking for advice on managing his asthma during this trip.
- Consult your doctor before the trip to assess your asthma condition and get personalized advice.
- Spend a couple of days in Wengen to acclimatize before heading to higher altitudes like Jungfraujoch.
- Bring your nebulizer and a prescription for any needed medications when traveling.
- Many say that Wengen's altitude (about 1300 m) is manageable for most asthma sufferers, but individual reactions can vary.
AI-generated summary-
Hello,
As an asthma sufferer at low altitudes I would appreciate your advice on whether it is advisable to stay in high altitudes. We are booked to stay at Wengen for four days before going lower to take advantage of the train hub at Interlaken. I have read that it may be a good idea to spend a day at Wengen before going higher (we want to see Jungfraujosh) to see how I react to the thin air. I have also read that the thin air doesn’t affect many people with asthma. What do you advise please? And also, is there a doctor at Wengen and what’s her/his address please just to cover our bases.
Thank you
Ianob
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Hi lanob,
I’m not a doctor and I don’t have asthma, so I’m afraid I can’t help you. I found a doctor in Wengen. You can find his contact details here: http://www.doktor.ch/arzt/all enspach-urs-wengen-3823-arzt.html.
Hi Ianob,
Some decades ago, and perhaps still today, people with lung issues were sent to Arosa and other Swiss towns high in the Alps to recover. So this may work out very well for you, but I am not a doctor either, so you should really ask your own doctor.
Wengen is not extremely high by the way, about 1300 m. Many people do not notice any difference at that altitude.
Hi Ianob
It would probably be worthwhile consulting your doctor to quantify the severity of your asthma – people suffering long standing severe asthma may have chronic pulmonary disease as well, and probably shouldn’t go above 8,000 feet. The Jungfraujoch railway station is 11,332. If your asthma is less severe and you can control it using a nebuliser, you could possibly go that high without any problems, but it would be a good idea to spend a few days acclimatising in Wengen before going higher. Your ability to cope with the altitude in Wengen is no indication of how you will handle the higher altitude, so the more time you can spend acclimatising, the better.
I am not a doctor. I got this information from my copy of Medicine for Mountaineering which is now quite old and possibly out of date. The best advice I could give is to see your doctor and take your nebuliser and a prescription for a replacement when you travel.
Hope this helps
Alan
I should have looked at this first. This is from the Jungfraujoch website and it claims it’s safe for asthmatics because the air is cleaner and there are fewer triggers in the air.
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