Motion Sickness
Motion sickness is caused by a conflict between vestibular (inner ear) and visual sensations. It can occur on a boat (seasickness), on an airplane (airsickness) or on any vehicle where your body is subjected to movement (car sickness, bus sickness, amusement ride sickness). However, actual movement of the body is not necessary to produce symptoms. Purely visual stimuli such as those from video games or panoramic movies can also cause motion sickness.
Symptoms
Symptoms of motion sickness include nausea, vomiting, yawning, fatigue, sweating, and pallor.
Prevention
If you suffer from motion sickness when travelling by vehicle, take the following preventive measures:
- On a plane, sit over of the wings
- In a car, sit in the front seat
- On a boat, sit as close to the center as you can
- Consider taking anti-nausea medication 30 to 60 minutes before departure
- Before your trip, avoid fatty foods as well as alcohol
- During the trip, have small amounts of fluid and food rather than large meals
- Avoid reading or smoking
Plain crackers and ginger-based products (e.g., cookies, soft drinks) may help control symptoms. If you start to feel nauseous, stay calm and look toward the horizon. Whenever possible, try to get fresh air or activate ventilation.