Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni required oxygen treatment at her hotel in Peru after suffering breathing difficulties following a mountain excursion.
The businesswoman fell ill in Cusco after hiking Montaña de Siete Colores, also known as Rainbow Mountain, at an altitude exceeding 5,000 metres.
Ferragni published a photograph on social media showing herself lying in a hotel bed wearing an oxygen mask while recovering from the episode.
Her partner, Colombian entrepreneur José Hernández, was pictured at her side in the hotel room while she received oxygen.
Sudden illness at a Cusco restaurant
Ferragni explained that she initially felt no discomfort after completing the mountain trek and assumed her body had handled the high altitude without issue.
Her symptoms began several hours later while she was eating pizza at a restaurant in Cusco.
She stated that she experienced a sudden and intense wave of heat immediately after finishing her meal, followed by a widespread feeling of illness.
Shortly afterwards, she began having trouble breathing and felt that her body was failing to respond normally.
She described feeling as though her lungs were not opening properly and noted that her hands had stopped responding.
Hotel oxygen treatment and recovery
The severity of her distress prompted Ferragni to return to her hotel immediately and ask for assistance.
Hotel staff provided an oxygen cylinder, and she used an oxygen mask for several minutes until her symptoms subsided.
Ferragni reassured her followers that her condition improved quickly after receiving oxygen treatment.
She noted that hotels throughout the area are well prepared for such medical emergencies and carry oxygen tanks for guests.
Altitude sickness in the Peruvian Andes
Ferragni attributed the medical scare to high elevation and altitude sickness, known locally as soroche, which occurs when the body cannot quickly adapt to lower atmospheric pressure and decreased oxygen levels.
Neither Ferragni nor her partner had taken acclimatisation medication prior to the excursion.
She admitted that she had likely overexerted herself by participating in demanding physical activities at such high altitude.
Ferragni added that she was able to remain calm because several of her friends had experienced similar symptoms during excursions in the Andes, and because members of her travel group were doctors.
Rainbow Mountain, located in the Andes range near Cusco, is renowned for its colorful mineral formations but presents significant physiological challenges due to its extreme elevation. Cusco itself lies more than 3,300 metres above sea level, making altitude sickness a common risk for travelers exploring the region.
