altitude sickness

noun

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Definition of altitude sickness

: the effects (such as headache, nausea, or swelling of the brain) of oxygen deficiency in the blood and tissues developed at high altitudes having reduced atmospheric pressure — see mountain sickness

Recent Examples of altitude sickness from the Web

Another severe form of altitude sickness is high-altitude pulmonary edema, the accumulation of fluid in the lungs.

— katy scott, CNN, "The dangers of oxygen deprivation on Everest," 4 June 2018
Friends assumed the chef had altitude sickness, a misdiagnosis reinforced after the chef recovered enough to visit markets and go out to dinner.

— michael russell, OregonLive.com, "Portland restaurant community rallies behind stroke-afflicted chef," 17 May 2018
Tea made from coca leaves ground into powder is a legal, traditional drink in the Andean region and is used as a light stimulant like coffee or to counter the effects of altitude sickness.

— adriana leon, latimes.com, "Wave of anger spreads across Peru after star soccer player's coca tea leads to World Cup ban," 16 May 2018
Many South Americans in Andean countries use it for energy, to treat altitude sickness, to stay sharp.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Bolivian President Evo Morales Is Banking on the Country’s Untapped Resource: Coca Leaf," 26 Apr. 2018
So far, 19 people, some of whom will hike the mountain a week earlier to avoid altitude sickness, have signed up.

— naureen s. malik, chicagotribune.com, "If the Boston Marathon is too easy, try these crazy runs," 13 Apr. 2018
Lee's Summit resident Jim Flath said his son, James Flath, died of respiratory failure from a combination of influenza and altitude sickness March 18 during a family ski trip in Colorado.

— andy marso, kansascity, "Flu takes life of young Lenexa man. Family's kindness campaign honors his memory | The Kansas City Star," 28 Mar. 2018
It’s been used to help climbers in the Himalayas avoid altitude sickness, and documented as a treatment for pulmonary hypertension in pre-term babies.

— kate morgan, The Cut, "Viagra’s Other Life as a Female Fertility Aid," 27 Mar. 2018
Poor weather prevented the team from reaching Mackiewicz, who had snow blindness and altitude sickness, Karrar Haidri, a top official in the Pakistan Alpine Federation, said Sunday.

— zarar khan, The Seattle Times, "Rescuers in Pakistan call off efforts to save Polish climber," 28 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'altitude sickness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of altitude sickness

1901

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Medical Dictionary

altitude sickness

noun al·ti·tude sickness \ ˌal-tə-ˌt(y)üd- \

medical Definition of altitude sickness

: the effects (as nosebleed, nausea, headache, or cerebral edema) of oxygen deficiency in the blood and tissues developed at high altitudes with reduced atmospheric pressure