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The Kidney / Bladder

As you acclimatise, your body will naturally make more urine. This is a good sign but may mean you need to pee more during the day and night.

Exercise in the dry air and heat of altitude can cause dehydration which can be made worse by traveller’s diarrhoea. Thirst, headache and tiredness are often signs of dehydration. These can be prevented by drinking several litres of safe fluid per day. Peeing at least four times a day with a good volume of clear urine shows that enough fluid is going in at the top end.

Frequent painful peeing of small volumes (cystitis) can be a sign of dehydration. If it does not settle after drinking two litres of fluid you may have a urine infection needing antibiotic treatment.

Older men naturally develop enlargement of their prostate glands which can increase frequency and urgency in passing urine at sea level. This can lead to painful retention of urine. If in doubt get checked by your doctor well before you travel.

Keep hydrated.
Keep hydrated!
Keep hydrated!

Buy a good pee bottle for night use.
Ladies consider a Shewee or similar.
Ladies may find a skirt easier for discreet peeing.

A normally fit trekker felt exhausted with a headache at the end of an easy day at increasing altitude. She was worried she was developing AMS but made a rapid recovery after drinking two litres of purified water flavoured with lemon juice.

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