acute mountain sickness
noun
: 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
Other medications, including ibuprofen, have shown some effectiveness in treating acute mountain sickness, although not as well as acetazolamide.
—
Brian Strickland, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2024
Altitude sickness, which most commonly refers to acute mountain sickness, presents a significant challenge to those traveling to and adventuring in high-altitude destinations.
—Brian Strickland, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2024
However, the symptoms of dehydration are quite similar to those of acute mountain sickness.
—Allie Conti, Field & Stream, 27 Sep. 2023
To begin with, there are three kinds of altitude sickness: acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema, and high-altitude pulmonary edema.
—Allie Conti, Field & Stream, 27 Sep. 2023
The acute mountain sickness diagnosis came later, when Lt. Alkonis was evaluated by a U.S. Navy neurologist after his release from jail.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 1 Mar. 2023
And in 2015, a 14-year-old called Warren Asiyo died from acute mountain sickness while on a church trip.
—Kang-Chun Cheng, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2022
Jonathan Franks, a spokesman for the family, says a Navy neurologist said that Lt. Alkonis had suffered acute mountain sickness.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 8 Jan. 2023
His symptoms — paleness and a loss of consciousness — align with those of acute mountain sickness, which can affect people at altitudes above 8,000 feet, according to information published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
—Andrew Jeong, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brian Strickland, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2024
Altitude sickness, which most commonly refers to acute mountain sickness, presents a significant challenge to those traveling to and adventuring in high-altitude destinations.
—Brian Strickland, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2024
However, the symptoms of dehydration are quite similar to those of acute mountain sickness.
—Allie Conti, Field & Stream, 27 Sep. 2023
To begin with, there are three kinds of altitude sickness: acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema, and high-altitude pulmonary edema.
—Allie Conti, Field & Stream, 27 Sep. 2023
The acute mountain sickness diagnosis came later, when Lt. Alkonis was evaluated by a U.S. Navy neurologist after his release from jail.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 1 Mar. 2023
And in 2015, a 14-year-old called Warren Asiyo died from acute mountain sickness while on a church trip.
—Kang-Chun Cheng, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2022
Jonathan Franks, a spokesman for the family, says a Navy neurologist said that Lt. Alkonis had suffered acute mountain sickness.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 8 Jan. 2023
His symptoms — paleness and a loss of consciousness — align with those of acute mountain sickness, which can affect people at altitudes above 8,000 feet, according to information published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
—Andrew Jeong, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2022
Dictionary Entries Near acute mountain sickness
Cite this Entry
“Acute mountain sickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acute%20mountain%20sickness. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
acute mountain sickness
noun
: 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
Note: Acute mountain sickness can lead to serious complications including severe edema of the brain or lungs.
… acute mountain sickness … is common in travelers who ascend rapidly to altitudes above 8,000 feet.—Erick A. Weiss, Rock & Ice Magazine
—abbreviation AMS
Erick A. Weiss, Rock & Ice MagazineLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share