Introduction
Ice climbers endure severe cold to scale vertical walls of rock and ice by gripping tools for prolonged periods with hands overhead. Seasoned ice climbers have described a phenomenon known in North America as the “screaming barfies,” consisting of hand pain, nausea, vomiting, hearing loss, vision loss, and/or dizziness. The exact cause is unknown.
Objective
Previously described in the United Kingdom, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of localized and systemic symptoms among North American climbers.
Methods
Data were collected by online and paper surveys. Online surveys were distributed via Facebook and American Alpine Club regional e-mail listservs. Paper surveys were distributed at an ice climbing gym in Michigan. Microsoft Excel was utilized for descriptive statistics.
Results
One hundred forty-six surveys were completed. Respondent age ranged from 19 to 67 years (median 35). The average ice climbing experience was 6.3 years, averaging 29 climbs per year. Eighty-one percent of respondents reported developing symptoms; 61% reported hand pain, 58% numbness, 52% tingling, 68% throbbing, 56% aching, 41% nausea, 5% vomiting, 11% dizziness, 18% irritability, and 7% muffled hearing. The average symptom severity score was 5/10. Symptoms lasted 1 to 5 minutes in 73% of subjects, with 6% reporting symptoms >10 minutes in duration. Sixty percent reported symptoms occurring during the first climb of the day. Respondents reported symptoms occurring less than once a day 48% of the time, with 19% reporting daily symptoms.
Conclusions
Based on these results, a large percentage of ice climbers develop symptoms while climbing. Symptoms typically are localized, with a lower percentage of respondents reporting constitutional symptoms, the most frequent being nausea and dizziness. Only 5% of subjects reported vomiting, suggesting that the original term, “screaming barfies,” is a misnomer. This syndrome appears highly prevalent, suggesting that further investigation is warranted to discover the etiology and subsequent prevention strategies.