altitude sickness
Definition
Altitude sickness is a noun. It refers to a collection of unpleasant physical symptoms caused by the lower availability of oxygen in the air at high elevations. This condition occurs when the body cannot get enough oxygen from the thin air, affecting the blood and tissues.
Usage and Examples
Altitude sickness is used to describe the illness itself. It is typically modified by adjectives or used in phrases describing its onset or severity. * Many climbers experience altitude sickness when ascending Mount Everest too quickly. * The primary symptoms of altitude sickness include headache, dizziness, and nausea. * To prevent altitude sickness, it is recommended to acclimatize slowly.
Advanced Usage
- Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS): This is the most common and mildest form of altitude sickness.
- High-Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE): This is a severe, life-threatening progression of altitude sickness involving brain swelling.
- High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE): This is another severe, life-threatening form involving fluid in the lungs.
Variants and Related Words
- Hypoxia (): The medical term for a deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues, which is the direct cause of altitude sickness.
- Acclimatization (): The process of the body adjusting to the lower oxygen levels at high altitude, which prevents altitude sickness.
Synonyms
- Mountain sickness: A direct synonym.
- Hypobaropathy: A more technical medical term for illnesses caused by low atmospheric pressure.
Related Phrases
- To suffer from altitude sickness: The common phrase describing the experience.
- She began to suffer from altitude sickness at 3,000 meters.
- To succumb to altitude sickness: A phrase indicating giving in to or being severely affected by the condition.
- Several members of the expedition succumbed to altitude sickness and had to descend.
Noun
-
effects (as nosebleed or nausea) of oxygen deficiency in the blood and tissues at high altitudes
