Preventing health problems on the slope If a headache occurs at the beginning when you are at high altitude, do not go at once to the highest point but give yourself some days for adaptation. In some cases a skier may receive acute mountain sickness (AMS) because of the rapid ascend or staying at a high altitude for longer time period. This is expressed in headache, tiredness and dizziness, however it may lead to deterioration; therefore you should go down immediately to relieve the situation.

The negative effect of ultraviolet rays
In the mountain and particularly at high altitudes, the UV sun rays are stronger, as well as the risk of potential damage to your eyes and skin. The atmosphere layer is thinner as you ascend higher and higher, which means that there is a bigger radiation. Not only are your eyes exposed to the light from above, but also from below. Ultraviolet rays are reflected off the snow surface and their negative effect is four times bigger than at sea level. This can cause eye problems such as cataract and even more severe diseases, as well as sunburn to your skin. If your eyes are exposed for a prolonged time to the sun, you can feel pain and high sensibility to light; in this case they might be burnt and probably you experience snow blindness. What you should do is to go immediately to a dark place and put cool compresses to your eyes until you feel better. Provide good protection to your eyes by using a quality pair of sunglasses or goggles. Ensure that the lenses have a good UVA and UVB protection; choose the right color for the different light conditions e.g. dark or mirrored for the sunny weather and yellow for the cloudy or foggy conditions. The goggles/sun glasses should also provide you a clear vision for extra comfort. Choose some light frames that wrap your eyes around but avoid the metal frames to stop the freezing effect in cold weather.

Skiers with chronic diseases (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy)
Important rule that skiers with chronic disease should follow is to take into account their physical state and decide if they can take the risk to go for skiing in the mountain. They should always take their medications before setting off home and ski in the company of a group or partner. Thus, asthmatics should take the regular medicines and/or inhalers before going to the slope and carry them on the sheer slope. This is required because cold weather is bad for the asthma. As for the epileptics, they may ski if exercise in a balanced way and maintain certain control on themselves and the activity. It is vital that they do not ski to extremities and someone else accompanies them on the slope. If you suffer from diabetes, you can ski freely but only with companions aware of your disease and the actions they have to undertake in case of a need. The fact that you lose large amount of calories while skiing means that you should eat chocolate in the morning, at lunch and in the afternoon. There is a risk of hypoglycaemia and further complications such as hypothermia, so you must always carry sugar products and glucose with you. In emergencies a medicalert bracelet is a good solution and may save your life.

Pregnant women should consider several things before going to the ski piste. They should keep in mind that skiing might affect the foetus in case of falling, too energetic exercising or tiredness. If the woman has had abortions in the past, she should not ski. In any case, the best time for skiing is when you are in the 3-6month and you ski very carefully, avoid falling, speeding and high altitudes. After the seventh month, skiing hides potential risks and can cause premature labour.