acute mountain sickness
nounDefinition of acute mountain sickness
: altitude sickness that is experienced usually within several hours to one day of ascending above 8000 to 10,000 feet (about 2500 to 3000 meters) and that is marked by headache, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, insomnia, dizziness, and fatigue, and may lead to serious complications including severe edema of the brain or lungs
—abbreviation AMS
Examples of acute mountain sickness in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Though the snow is cleared during those three months, the risk of avalanche is still high, not to mention the risk of acute mountain sickness due to low air pressure and low oxygen. — Olivia Putnal, Woman's Day, "10 Awe-Inspiring Roads Around the World," 19 Oct. 2010 Blindness is a symptom of acute mountain sickness, a condition that can ultimately lead to death. — Marcin Jamkowski, Outside Online, "Rescue on the Killer Mountain," 11 Apr. 2018 During their descent, Mr. Mackiewicz is said to have had acute mountain sickness, caused by the lack of oxygen in the lower air pressure that exists at higher altitudes, as well as snow blindness and frostbite. — Meher Ahmad, New York Times, "Climber Rescued on Pakistan’s ‘Killer Mountain,’ but Another Is in Peril," 28 Jan. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acute mountain sickness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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