mountain sickness
/'mauntin'siknis/
Definition
Noun: A medical condition characterized by symptoms such as nausea, headache, dizziness, and shortness of breath, caused by exposure to the low oxygen levels at high altitudes, typically above 2,500 meters (approximately 8,000 feet).
Usage
- Mountain sickness is a common concern for hikers and climbers ascending too quickly.
- Proper acclimatization is the best way to prevent mountain sickness.
- The guide recognized the early signs of mountain sickness in one of the trekkers.
Advanced Usage
- Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS): The most common and mildest form of the condition.
- Headache is the primary symptom of Acute Mountain Sickness.
- High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE): A severe, life-threatening form involving fluid in the lungs.
- Immediate descent is critical for a person suffering from High Altitude Pulmonary Edema.
- High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE): A severe, life-threatening form involving brain swelling.
- High Altitude Cerebral Edema is a medical emergency requiring immediate evacuation.
Variants and Related Words
- Altitude sickness: A more general synonym for mountain sickness.
- Acclimatization (n): The process of the body adjusting to lower oxygen levels at high altitude.
- Hypoxia (n): A deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues, which is the underlying cause of mountain sickness.
Synonyms
- Altitude sickness
- High-altitude illness
Related Phrases
- To suffer from mountain sickness: To experience the symptoms of the condition.
- Several members of the expedition began to suffer from mountain sickness.
- To succumb to mountain sickness: To be severely affected by it.
- Despite being experienced, he succumbed to mountain sickness during the ascent.
Noun
-
nausea and shortness of breath experienced by mountain climbers above ten thousand feet
