Motion sickness 1260x542
27 Sep 2010

Motion Sickness: the ups and downs of prevention and treatment

3 mins to read
Motion sickness has the capacity to ruin a good holiday, or at the very least leave us a bit 'green around the gills.' Find out how symptoms arise and what can be done to aid happy travel. By naturopath Kathryn Terrill.


Why do we get motion sickness?

Motion sickness is caused by excessive stimulation of the 'vestibular apparatus' caused by movement. I can hear you asking: What on earth is the vestibular apparatus? It is, put simply, the parts of the ear responsible for maintaining equilibrium and balance. Yes, it seems we get motion sickness because of our ears.

Motion sickness can occur with a whole range of different forms of transportation, such as car, bus, train, plane, spacecraft, amusement park or playground rides, or forms of perceived movement, such as virtual reality games and 3D movies.

It seems it may occur due to conflicting signals between our senses, in particular our eyes and vestibular senses. Common situations where this occurs include:

  • when your eyes don't perceive that you are moving, but you are (eg. being inside a moving ship and seeing unmoving furniture and décor around you)
  • when your eyes do perceive that you are moving, but you're not (eg. a 3D movie or virtual reality game)

Symptoms

Symptoms appear to be caused by a signal that is sent from the vestibular apparatus in the ear to the vomiting centre in the brain. Symptoms can be mild or severe, with nausea and abdominal discomfort being the most common. Sometimes vomiting occurs, and symptoms may be accompanied by a strong desire for fresh air, dizziness, fatigue, lack of concentration and a headache. Interestingly, susceptibility to motion sickness between individuals varies greatly. Some people never suffer it, and others are extremely sensitive to it.

What makes it worse?

Poor ventilation is a big one. Make sure (if you can) that you have plenty of fresh air while travelling. Fumes, stale or stuffy air and strong smells could have you feeling off colour in no time. Emotional factors such as fear and anxiety can also make you feel worse, so try to be as stress-free as possible when about to travel. Hormonal factors such as pregnancy or taking the oral contraceptive pill can make you more likely to get motion sickness, or have a higher severity of symptoms.

Drug-free prevention and treatment

There are some simple ways to minimise your chances of spending your next holiday wishing you had stayed at home.

Positioning

Try to position yourself where motion is the least in the vehicle you are travelling in (eg. near the wings on a plane, near the centre of a ship near the water level)

Try not to confuse the senses

Ride in the front seat in a car, rather than the rear. The passenger seat allows your eyes to more clearly see the movement of the vehicle. Similarly, in a ship, it is usually better to look at the horizon or land, than a wall inside the boat. Reading, looking down at games or mobile phones, or sitting facing backwards are definite no-nos if you want to stay nausea free.

Lie down or sit semi lying down with head supported

If you are starting to feel ill and are not restricted by a seat belt, it often helps to get more horizontal. Combining this technique with fresh air can do wonders.

Avoid alcohol and overeating

Choose small amounts of bland foods often, as alcohol and overeating both before and during travel can increase the likelihood of getting motion sickness. Good snacks to keep nausea at bay are small, regular portions of dry crackers and carbonated mineral water or ginger beer.  If you’re only travelling for a short time, avoid eating or drinking anything.

Natural remedies for motion sickness

Ginger tablets are one of the most popular remedies for motion sickness due to their anti-nausea effects. Unlike some pharmaceutical medications for motion sickness, ginger is unlikely to have any side effects, therefore offering an excellent alternative.

There are also wristbands available that work on acupressure points to prevent nausea. These also offer a simple, side effect free alternative, and are worth looking into to see if they are right for you.

Both ginger tablets and acupressure wristbands are available in most pharmacies and health food stores.

Interesting facts about motion sickness

  • With prolonged exposure to motion, people often adapt and the symptoms reduce. Symptoms are more likely to increase again, however, if there is a short break in movement and it resumes again.
  • 'Space adaptation syndrome' is motion sickness experienced by astronauts, thought to be caused by the confusing signals of being in a zero gravity environment. Interestingly, the syndrome resolves after a few days.
  • Motion sickness is more common in women
  • Motion sickness is experienced in less than one percent of people travelling on planes, and in almost 100 percent of people travelling in rough seas on a ship (it is almost 100 percent in astronauts travelling into space, too !)

References available on request



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