Ocracoke High

Many Ocracoke residents have been presenting with mysterious symptoms including:

• headache
• feeling and being sick
• dizziness
• tiredness
• loss of appetite
• shortness of breath

This strange new Ocracoke-based illness confounded local health care workers at first. 

“We looked at all the possibilities,” said Dr. Erin Baker of Ocracoke. “Of course, we feared it might be a new strain of COVID, but all the patients tested negative. We tested for the patsy lab, the dum thummicks, the shake and eggers, hangover, distemper, and just plain being ‘dosed.’ All those tests came back negative. We were stumped.”

Luckily, our local health care heroes like a challenge and they put their minds to work to discover the cause of these symptoms, which often got worse at night when patients went home for the evenings.

"Here are all these patients, finally back in their homes after Dorian, having survived the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting their vaccines, yet they’re sick with something. We wondered ‘What could it be?’” Dr. Baker said. “And then – Eureka! I knew just what it was!"

Ocracoke residents, accustomed to living at sea level, are suffering from altitude sickness!

"Over 100 permits have been issued by Hyde County for elevating island houses. With so many steps up to these newly-raised castles-in-the-air, Ocracokers are experiencing dizzying heights for the first time. Some people have never lived so high above sea level before,” said Dr. Baker. “And it shows!"

Treatment regimens include: resting between flights of stairs, drinking plenty of water, avoiding strenuous exercise at high altitudes, avoiding smoking and alcohol, and eating all meals at Ocracoke restaurants closer to sea level. Mostly, we just need to give ourselves plenty of time and space to learn to live with this new post-Dorian Ocracoke landscape.

"It takes time, but you can acclimate to the stratosphere,” Dr. Baker said. “Be gentle with yourself and don’t expect too much too soon."

Dr. Baker and her health center colleagues are collecting data on this new syndrome and she hopes to publish a paper later this year on “Altitude Sickness at 20 ft. Above Sea-Level.” We at the Current hope that this academic research brings her the accolades she deserves for her dedication to Ocracoke’s health and wellness.

A somewhat-related spate of crick-in-the-neck problems is also on the rise as visitors and residents attempt to gaze high enough to see the houses on Jenga blocks. Dr. Baker recommends icepacks and ibuprofen.