Acrophobia is the fear of heights. People with acrophobia experience a fear or phobia when they are at a certain height, and they are being made aware of it.The word is derived from Ancient Greek akros - top, height, and phobia - fear. People who do not suffer from acrophobia are said to have a head for heights. Vertigo is often used to describe a fear of heights.
Most people experience a degree of natural fear when exposed to heights, known as the fear of falling. On the other hand, those who have little fear of such exposure are said to have a head for heights. A head for heights is advantageous for hiking or climbing in mountainous terrain and also in certain jobs such as steeplejacks or wind turbine mechanics.