Some people get motion sickness while traveling on a yacht, boat, or land vehicle. Sometimes unpleasant symptoms accompany a person throughout the trip, preventing him or her from enjoying their rest.
Motion sickness, or motion sickness, is a sensation of nausea, dizziness and vertigo caused by monotonic vibrations. This symptom complex has long been called “motion sickness.” People experience seasickness symptoms while sailing on a yacht, boat or ship, traveling in a car, bus or airplane.
Sea sickness affects 5-10% of the population over a lifetime. Mostly children from 2 to 12 years old are affected. Women suffer from motion sickness more often than men. However, in particularly unfavorable conditions, such as strong rocking, anyone may experience symptoms of motion sickness.
Causes of motion sickness
The nature of this syndrome is a dysfunction of the vestibular apparatus, which is located in the semicircular canals of the inner ear. During a sea voyage or a ride in a motor vehicle, the brain perceives conflicting information. On the one hand, the receptors in the inner ear perceive the environment in a moving vehicle as stationary, because the body does not move during the trip. At the same time the eyes register movements in space. This disproportion in the information perceived by the brain results in dizziness and nausea.
Factors contributing to the development of motion sickness:
- Hereditary inferior development of the vestibular apparatus;
- fear;
- Heat and stuffiness in the room;
- strong smell of tobacco;
- alcohol use;
- emotional overstrain;
- overexertion;
- pregnancy.
Symptoms of motion sickness
Regardless of the factors, the symptoms of motion sickness are the same. However, depending on the individual characteristics of the body, people tolerate motion sickness differently. The classic symptoms of “seasickness” are increasing dizziness, nausea, vomiting. This is often accompanied by a pale skin and mucous membranes, cold sticky sweat, anxiety, sleep disturbance and lack of appetite.
Seasickness behavior can also vary. For some people, seasickness is accompanied by apathy; for others, on the contrary, by intense agitation. As soon as the person leaves the source of motion sickness (for example, go out on land), the symptoms subside, and then disappear.
Prevention of motion sickness:
- Refrain from consuming food, alcohol, and heavily carbonated beverages before traveling. Do not eat less than two hours before travel;
- during the trip try to distract yourself from thoughts of motion sickness, do not read, the best way is to talk with a neighbor;
- it is better to sit in the stern of the ship or in the front of the vehicle, looking ahead while driving;
- it is strictly forbidden to face the opposite direction to the motion, it provokes an increase in symptoms.
Treating motion sickness
If you know that you are prone to motion sickness, it is advisable to take one of the vestibulolytic drugs an hour before the trip. These are mainly dimenhydrinate-based medications. For seasickness, it is best to go down to the cabin, lie down, close your eyes, and try to sleep.
If there are no pills at hand, sour fruits can help. Green apples or lemons are ideal. A good remedy for motion sickness is ginger root. It is recommended to take one teaspoon of crushed root in powder form one hour before departure. Peppermint gum, tea with mint and lemon will also be effective.
