Motion Sickness

If you avoid traveling in cars, buses, planes, or boats because you’re afraid of feeling sick, know that many people feel the same way. It’s estimated that motion sickness affects around 15 to 25% of people worldwide. Motion sickness can make you feel nauseous, cause vomiting, or make you dizzy when you’re on a train, boat, plane, or in a car. Luckily, these symptoms usually go away once the movement stops.

Experts believe this sickness happens when your eyes see movement differently from what your balance system feels. The balance system, called the vestibular apparatus, can get out of sync, leading to symptoms that might get worse.The good news is that there are ways to control motion sickness symptoms. People dealing with it can use prescription medications or try natural remedies to reduce their discomfort.

Types

Repetitive movements that disrupt the balance of the inner ear commonly cause motion sickness. People often feel nauseous and may vomit when traveling by car, plane, or enjoying amusement park rides. Also, watching 3D movies can induce nausea, as revealed by a 2013 study. If the symptoms occur during boat or yacht rides, it’s termed seasickness, but the underlying disorder is essentially the same. Different types of motion sickness include:

1. Car sickness
2. Airplane sickness
3. Train sickness
4. Seasickness (on both sea and river journeys)

Symptoms

The typical symptoms of motion sickness are generally not a severe health issue and don’t persist continuously. However, individuals who experience seasickness during a cruise may face dehydration due to vomiting.

Common symptoms include:

1. Nausea
2. Vomiting
3. Pallor (pale skin)
4. Perspiration
5. Excessive salivation
6. Shortness of breath
7. Dizziness
8. Sleepiness

Other common signs may include:

1. Sweating
2. General discomfort
3. Feeling unwell

Milder symptoms could manifest as:

1. Headache
2. Slight restlessness
3. Yawning

Causes of Motion Sickeness

Motion sickness arises when the brain receives conflicting signals from the eyes, inner ear, muscles, and joints regarding movement. This confusion leads the brain to struggle in determining whether the person is moving or not, resulting in the symptoms of motion sickness.

The main cause is considered to be an imbalance between visually perceived movement and movement sensed by the inner ear.

Risk Factors of Motion Sickness

Factors that can exacerbate motion sickness include:

1. Walking in amusement parks and using virtual reality devices.
2. Reading while in motion.
3. Traveling by car, boat, bus, train, or plane.

Several factors can heighten the risk of experiencing motion sickness symptoms. Some of the recognized risk factors include:

1. Engaging in tasks that demand a high level of focus.
2. Meniere’s disease, a condition affecting the inner ear.
3. Exposure to video games, HD movies, smartphones, tablets, or virtual reality devices.
4. Inner ear infections.
5. Migraines.
6. Idiopathic scoliosis.
7. Age between 2 and 12 years, as the balance center is still developing during this period.

Treatments for motion sickness

Treatment for motion sickness often involves medications to control symptoms. Here are some common drugs prescribed for motion sickness:

1. Scopolamine:
   • Available in patch form applied behind the ear 6-8 hours before travel.
   • Caution needed for individuals taking antitussives or antiallergics, and certain supplements due to potential drowsiness.
   • Not recommended for people with glaucoma, heart, liver, or kidney diseases, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or those planning surgery.
2. Promethazine:
   • Effective in relieving motion sickness symptoms.
   • Potential side effects include dizziness, drowsiness, constipation, blurred vision, dry mouth, and mood changes.
   • Caution advised for feelings of fainting, confusion, nervousness, and irritability.
3. Cyclizine:
   • Antihistamine that reduces nausea and dizziness from inner ear disorders.
   • Caution for pregnant or breastfeeding women, individuals with liver or heart failure, prostate problems, glaucoma, epilepsy, or porphyria.
   • Possible side effects include dry mouth, drowsiness, blurred vision, constipation, headache, and skin rashes.
4. Dramamine:
   • Another antihistamine commonly recommended.
   • First dose usually taken 30-60 minutes before travel under a doctor’s recommendation.
   • Adverse reactions may include drowsiness, blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth, confusion, irregular heartbeat, restlessness, tremors, and convulsions.
5. Meclizine:
   • Caution needed for individuals with liver or kidney problems, asthma, glaucoma, enlarged prostate, urinary problems, or those taking certain medications.
   • Potential side effects include drowsiness, which can be intensified when taken with sedatives, analgesics, sleeping pills, muscle relaxants, or certain medications for convulsions, depression, or anxiety.

Tips to reduce Motion sickness

In addition to medications, some tips to reduce motion sickness symptoms include

1. Salty Biscuits and Carbonated Water: Chew on salty crackers and sip on carbonated water or tonic to ease nausea.
2. Hydration:
   • Dehydration is a risk due to vomiting. Stay hydrated by drinking water or teas to calm your stomach.
3. Homeopathy:
   • Homeopathy specialists have formulated effective combinations to alleviate nausea and headaches related to motion sickness.
4. Ginger:
   • Ginger is known for various health benefits, including combating infections, reducing high cholesterol, and preventing stroke and heart disease.
   • It has been shown to be effective in preventing motion sickness.
5. Mint:
   • Mint is effective in relieving nausea.
   • Drink peppermint tea to calm the stomach and reduce nausea.
   • Alternatively, use peppermint essential oil for aromatherapy.
6. 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and Magnesium:
   • 5-HTP and magnesium have been found to substantially reduce motion sickness symptoms.
   • Caution: Not suitable for everyone as 5-HTP may interact with medications for diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, migraines, pain, and Parkinson’s disease. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid it.
7. Vitamin B6:
   • Take at least 100 milligrams of vitamin B6 twice a day a few days before the trip.
   • Increase vitamin B6 intake by consuming foods rich in this vitamin, such as pistachios and sunflower seeds.
8. Essential Oils:
   • Aromatherapy with mint or lavender essential oil is recommended alongside traditional treatments.
9. Chamomile Tea:
   • Drinking chamomile tea after symptoms appear can help relieve nausea and promote relaxation.
   • Chamomile tea can be consumed hot or cold, and a touch of honey can enhance the taste.
10. Wristbands:
    • Elastic wristbands based on acupressure principles can be worn to apply pressure and help prevent or delay motion sickness symptoms.
    • Suitable for both children and adults; follow product instructions for correct us

Motion Sickness in Children

• Motion sickness is common among children, especially between the ages of 2 and 12.
• Factors like being unable to look out of a moving car window or reading in a vehicle can lead to symptoms such as vomiting, stomach problems, fatigue, cold sweat, or loss of appetite.
• Researchers have not pinpointed why some children experience this sickness while others do not. Most infants and small children don’t face this issue.

When a child begins to feel motion sickness, here are some recommended measures:

1. Stop and Allow Movement:
   • Stop the car as soon as possible.
   • Allow the child to get out for a walk or lie on their back for a few minutes with eyes closed.
2. Contact the Pediatrician:
   • If the initial remedies don’t yield the expected results or if the child’s condition worsens, contact the pediatrician.
   • The pediatrician can provide additional tips or recommend appropriate interventions for relieving motion sickness.

Tricks to Relieve Motion Sickness:

1. Look Towards the Horizon:
   • Look out of the moving vehicle’s window towards the horizon in the direction of travel.
   • This helps restore the sense of equilibrium.
2. Keep Eyes Closed and Try to Sleep:
   • On a cruise ship or any moving vehicle, closing the eyes or attempting to sleep can be helpful.
   • This aids in restoring the balance between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system’s perception.

These simple tricks, including stopping and allowing movement, looking towards the horizon, and closing the eyes to sleep, can offer relief during episodes of motion sickness in children. Always consult with a pediatrician for personalized advice and further assistance