Altitude got you down?  Our Oxygen Therapy is $20 for 20 minutes and includes oxygen, your choice of aromatherapy scents, a cup of hot tea and a hot neck wrap.

Altitude sickness occurs when you cannot get enough oxygen from the air at high altitudes. This causes symptoms such as a headache and not feeling like eating. It happens most often when people who are not used to high altitudes go quickly from lower altitudes to 8000 ft (2438 m) or higher. For example, you may get a headache when you drive over a high mountain pass, hike to a high altitude, or arrive at a mountain resort.

Mild altitude sickness is common. In the United States, more than 20% of people visiting the western mountains have it.1 Experts do not know who will get it and who will not. Being male or female and how physically fit you are play no role in whether you get altitude sickness.

Altitude sickness can be dangerous. It is smart to take special care if you go high-altitude hiking or camping (like in the Rockies) or have plans for a vacation or trek in high-altitude countries like Peru, Ecuador, or Nepal.

Altitude sickness is also called acute mountain sickness.

What causes altitude sickness?

Air is "thinner" at high altitudes. When you go too high too fast, your body cannot get as much oxygen as it needs. This causes the headache and other symptoms of altitude sickness. As your body gets used to the altitude, the symptoms go away.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of altitude sickness include:

• Having a headache. The headache is usually throbbing. It gets worse during the night and when you wake up.
• Not feeling like eating.
• Feeling sick to your stomach. You may vomit.
• Feeling weak and lazy. In severe cases, you do not have the energy to eat, dress yourself, or do anything.
• Waking up during the night and not sleeping well.
• Feeling dizzy.

Your symptoms may be mild to severe. They may not start until a day after you have been at a high altitude. Many people say altitude sickness feels like having a hangover.

Altitude sickness can affect your lungs and brain. When this happens, symptoms include being confused, not being able to walk straight (ataxia), feeling faint, and having blue or gray lips or fingernails. When you breathe, you may hear a sound like a paper bag being crumpled. These symptoms mean the condition is severe. It may be deadly.
 
You will leave The Spruce Lodge's oxygen room feeling great, whether you are tired, jet-lagged, hung-over or suffering from altitude sickness or related symptoms. Our oxygen therapies are particularly good for helping visitors overcome the effects of altitude and aid their acclimatization. They provide oxygen enriched air (90 to 95% oxygen) with complimentary aromatherapy scents to enhance your experience.

For best results visit The Spruce Lodge's Oxygen Room 24 to 48 hours after you arrive in town to help maintain your blood oxygen levels at a higher level and avoid significant effects of the altitude, which may spoil your vacation. You can then return for more Oxygen as you feel necessary during your stay to keep you feeling at your best.

The Spruce Lodge's oxygen therapies are suitable for all ages, are great fun and will leave you feeling fantastic.

Oxygen therapies are offered for 20 or 40 minutes, during which time you can relax and enjoy the beauty of our historic building, use our free WI-FI and enjoy a cup of hot tea by the fire.

Our complimentary aromatherapy scents are:

• Grapefruit -Lifts your spirits and brings a smile to your face
• Lavender - Promotes relaxation & feelings of peace & calm
• Almond - Controls appetite and increases metabolism
• Eucalyptus - Clears blocked sinuses and sooths minor headaches