Acrophobia (from Greek ἄκρος, meaning "summit") is an extreme or irrational fear of heights. It belongs to a category of specific phobias, called space and motion discomfort that share both similar etiology and options for treatment.
Acrophobia can be dangerous, as sufferers can experience a panic attack in a high place and become too agitated to get themselves down safely. Some acrophobics also suffer from urges to throw themselves off high places, despite not being suicidal.
"Vertigo" is often used, incorrectly, to describe the fear of heights, but it is more accurately described as a spinning sensation, which may be caused by looking down from a high place, as well as by some other stimuli. Vertigo is qualified as height vertigo when referring to dizziness triggered by heights.
Causes
Traditionally, acrophobia has been attributed, like other irrational fears, to conditioning or a traumatic experience involving heights. Recent studies have cast doubt on this explanation;[1] fear of falling, along with fear of loud noises, is one of the most commonly suggested inborn or non-associative fears. The newer non-association theory is that fear of heights is an evolved adaptation to a prehistory where falls posed a significant danger. The degree of fear varies and the term phobia is reserved for those at the extreme end of the spectrum. It has been argued by researchers that fear of heights is an instinct found in many mammals, including domestic animals and human beings. There have been experiments showing toddler babies and cats of various ages being terrified of venturing onto a glass floor with a view of a few meters of 'fall-space' below it. [2]An extreme fear however can interfere with the challenges of everyday life, such as climbing up a flight of stairs or a ladder, or standing on a chair, table, (etc.).
A possible contributing factor is dysfunction in maintaining balance. In this case the anxiety is both well founded and secondary. The human balance system integrates proprioceptive, vestibular and nearby visual cues to reckon position and motion.[3][4] As height increases visual cues recede and balance becomes poorer even in normal people. [5] However most people respond by shifting to more reliance on the proprioceptive and vestibular branches of the equilibrium system.
An acrophobic, on the other hand, continues to overrely on visual signals whether because of inadequate vestibular function or incorrect strategy. Locomotion at a high elevation requires more than normal visual processing. The visual cortex becomes overloaded resulting in confusion. Some proponents of the alternative view of acrophobia warn that it may be ill-advised to encourage acrophobics to expose themselves to height without first resolving the vestibular issues. Research is underway at several clinics.
Source: Answers.com
Many people may experience breathlessness, dizziness, excessive sweating, nausea, dry mouths, feeling sick, shaking, heart palpitations, and the inability to speak or think clearly or even a full blown anxiety attack.
Being abnormally afraid of heights. My heart rate goes up, I shake and even will cry even if I'm just on a ferris wheel. I find I get very panicky riding in elevators. In some people acrophobia is so bad they will have panic attacks even if just standing on a chair.
Acrophobia is the fear of heights.
The boy's acrophobia prevented him from climbing the ladder. :p Many software students now a days show acrophobia to learn thesaurus of words. Beleivers are always acrophobia to explain rationally how chantings or curses affect. They simply make us believe in existence of God. Rationalists always demand for proof. Acrophobia is the obstacle for youth who do not study perfectly. Acrophobia is the lame excuse for failure. Politicians encourage acrophobia in people so that they do not grow skeptic. Thus they are forced to remain loyal. Due to acrophobia the Church punished Copernicus and Darwin, the popneers of science. Acrophobia made our forefathers beleivers. But the rationalists/atheists/skeptics are after proofs; and these people never attribute the modern inventions to God.
Acrophobia is the fear of heights, it is more often and wrongly referred to as vertigo. However, vertigo is generally a physical side effect, often dizziness, to someone's Acrophobia.
The fear of heights is known as acrophobia.
I know acrophobia is a fear of heights. 'Acro' is a Greek root meaning 'summit' and 'phobia' means 'fear'.
Acrophobia is a phobia.
The word acrophobia is a noun. It is the fear of heights.
Acrophobia is a fear of heights. A good sentence for this word is, his acrophobia was so extreme that it made him quit his job.
Acrophobia is the fear of heights.
Acrophobia
That is the correct spelling of acrophobia (fear of open spaces, i.e. outdoors).
Vertigo. Acrophobia is the fear of heights. Vertigo is dizziness.
The root word for acrophobia is "acro," which means heights or high.
The boy's acrophobia prevented him from climbing the ladder. :p Many software students now a days show acrophobia to learn thesaurus of words. Beleivers are always acrophobia to explain rationally how chantings or curses affect. They simply make us believe in existence of God. Rationalists always demand for proof. Acrophobia is the obstacle for youth who do not study perfectly. Acrophobia is the lame excuse for failure. Politicians encourage acrophobia in people so that they do not grow skeptic. Thus they are forced to remain loyal. Due to acrophobia the Church punished Copernicus and Darwin, the popneers of science. Acrophobia made our forefathers beleivers. But the rationalists/atheists/skeptics are after proofs; and these people never attribute the modern inventions to God.
Acrophobia is the fear of heights, it is more often and wrongly referred to as vertigo. However, vertigo is generally a physical side effect, often dizziness, to someone's Acrophobia.
Henry suffers from acrophobia; he's abnormally afraid of being in high places.
Acrophobia is the term for people who are afraid of heights.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrophobia