altitude sickness

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. a condition affecting some persons at high altitudes, caused by insufficient oxygen in the blood and characterized by dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath.

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altitude sickness British  

noun

1. another name for mountain sickness

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Etymology

Origin of altitude sickness

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Of these, about 22,000 hectares are legal -- grown to be chewed as a stimulant, brewed into a tea thought to combat altitude sickness or used in religious rituals.

From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025

"I live about a mile away and regularly suffer from altitude sickness," said one.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2024

Their oxygen supply dwindled, producing a syndrome resembling altitude sickness, due to a miscalculation about photosynthesis.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024

An official said most were poorly equipped, suffering hypothermia or altitude sickness.

From Reuters • Sep. 9, 2023

A court found he had been negligent by falling into a “state of drowsiness” at the wheel, rejecting his assertion that he had lost consciousness while suffering from altitude sickness.

From New York Times • Feb. 21, 2023