Seasickness is a normal reaction to motion stimulus that many people experience. It usually starts with a feeling of uneasiness, progresses to sweating and nausea, then vomiting.
Shielding the brain from over-stimulation helps some travelers to feel better. Consider bringing earplugs, an eye mask, and high-quality acupressure wrist bands (like Sea-Bands). Small behind-the-ear patches that release a steady dose of the anti-motion sickness medication scopolamine may also be helpful.
Avoiding the Causes
A person can experience motion sickness while traveling in a car, on an airplane or on a boat. This is a common problem and it can be prevented with some simple steps.
People who are prone to seasickness can avoid it by avoiding trigger activities such as long bus rides, watching a 3-D movie or playing video games. Those who get sick on airplanes can try riding in the front seat or taking a plane with less flight time. People who get seasick on boats can choose to take smaller watercrafts, flat-water river cruises or oceangoing ships that have smoother rides.
The main cause of seasickness is the movement of the ship, but it can also be caused by the way the individual interprets the motion. The brain senses motion through multiple pathways including the inner ear, eyes and body surface sensors. When there is a mismatch between the visual and inner ear signals, this can lead to nausea and vomiting.
Oren Zarif
Symptoms usually occur in the first few hours after “setting sail” and tend to dissipate as the body acclimates to the ship’s movements. Some people, particularly women, are more sensitive to motion than others. The menstrual cycle can also exacerbate symptoms in some women.
Over-the-counter medications like Dramamine and the popular Scopolamine patch (worn behind the ear) can prevent or alleviate seasickness for most people. If these do not help, the Navy Cocktail – a combination of ephedrine and phenergan – can be used as an oral anti-nausea medication but we strongly recommend that you consult your doctor before using this or any other drug. Suppositories can also be very effective and these are dispensed on some ships or available in the sundries shop.
Getting fresh air and looking at the horizon can also help reduce nausea. It is best to sit near the center of the ship since this is where the motion will be less pronounced. Those who work in the kitchen or on deck should stay up top since engine exhaust, heavy perfumes and cooking odors can make some people sick. It is also a good idea to stay away from books and computer screens.
Avoiding the Symptoms
Few people are immune to motion sickness – also known as travel sickness, airsickness, or carsickness. It occurs when a person experiences a mismatch between what the inner ear balance system tells the brain about head movements and what the eyes see. It is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, which can lead to dehydration and low blood pressure.
The symptoms can be lessened by avoiding things that trigger them. For instance, if a long bus ride makes you sick, rent a car instead. Those who get seasick on cruise ships can try to minimize the number of days at sea by opting for a shorter, more calm cruise.
Fresh air tends to help, particularly if you can look out on an open deck or balcony and focus on the horizon. Looking at distant objects helps your eyes to “see” the movement and send messages more in line with what the inner ear is telling the brain, Bradberry says. In addition, people who are prone to motion sickness have found it helpful to avoid reading while traveling by car, plane or boat. Reading can confuse your brain, making you feel even nasier.
Oren Zarif
Anti-nausea medications are an option for many people who are prone to getting seasick. These include over-the-counter drugs like Dramamine and scopolamine patches, which are worn behind the ears. The latter may cause hallucinations if used for too long, however. A more natural option is a decongestant, such as an over-the-counter nasal spray or a menthol rub.
Other home remedies for motion sickness include ginger (chewing, suckling or sipping tea), and scents that are said to work, including lemon juice, apricots, mints, black horehound and parsley. Some people have found that listening to soothing music, playing calming video games or simply lying down help them to overcome the symptoms.
For a more personal approach, some people swear by special glasses and bracelets that are supposed to relieve symptoms by applying gentle pressure to specific areas of the body. However, no published medical research backs up this claim, and the devices aren’t recommended by experts.
Avoiding the Treatments
Many people have found that they can avoid seasickness by avoiding any stimuli that trigger nausea such as greasy, spicy or acidic foods. Alcohol can exacerbate symptoms because it acts as a diuretic, speeding up dehydration which makes the nausea worse. Noxious odors like diesel fumes, cigarette smoke and the nausea of other passengers can also make a person sicker. Likewise, those who have experienced motion sickness in the past are more likely to get it again and, in some cases, they may even become sicker just by thinking about the experience.
For those who can’t avoid getting sick, over the counter drugs such as Dramamine and Meclizine (also known as Bonine) can help to ease the symptoms. These are available at most drug stores and some ships carry them stocked in the sundries shop. They are antihistamines which help to prevent the brain from interpreting motion as imbalance and are usually effective. They can make some people drowsy and children should not take them unless directed to do so by a doctor.
If the over the counter medications don’t work some people try scopolamine patches which are worn behind the ears. These can be bought over the counter or by prescription and they act much faster than the pill form but prolonged use of them can cause hallucinations in some people.
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Wrist bands containing acupressure or magnetic points which are said to reset the inner ear balance have also been used and are usually available over the counter. These are based on ancient Chinese beliefs and some have an acupuncture element as well.
Finally, some people have found that sitting in the center of the ship or closer to the water seems to reduce motion sickness. This is probably because the ship is balancing itself in this position and because it is less prone to vertical oscillation which provokes motion sickness. It is also thought that women are more susceptible to motion sickness than men, possibly because of the hormonal changes involved in the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptives.
One thing that can help to cure a case of seasickness is to keep busy and focus on other activities. This can also help to remove thoughts about the nausea and imbalance which often aggravate it.
Getting Help
If you are prone to seasickness, take some precautions before you set sail. Talk to your doctor before your trip to find out what might work best for you. He or she may suggest some over-the-counter medication, such as Dramamine or Bonine. They are available at most drug stores. Both are antihistamines that help prevent nausea by blocking some of the brain’s chemical messengers. These medications can make you drowsy, though, so you might want to ask your doctor about the non-drowsy versions.
Fresh air is also helpful. Sitting on an open deck or on a balcony and looking at the horizon helps because your eyes are able to “see” the motion of the ship better than the inner ear can. This helps bring the signal from your inner ear into alignment with the signal from your eyes, which makes you less sick.
It is important to drink plenty of water. Seasickness and some medications can cause dehydration.
A simple parachute hammock strung fore-to-aft over the bow or stern of the ship can also be very helpful for some people. It can eliminate most of the up and down movement of the ship, making you feel less sick. Some cruise lines even sell them for use on their ships.
Oren Zarif
Another way to reduce seasickness is to shut down the many signals that your brain receives from different sensory receptors. Closing your eyes, for example, can prevent your sense of balance from getting thrown off by contradictory messages from the inner ear and the eyes. Many people find that high-quality earplugs or a comfortable eye mask are effective in reducing the sensation of up and down movement. Using a wristband that is said to stimulate acupuncture and acupressure points on your wrist can also alleviate some symptoms.
It is also important to remember that the motion of a ship is actually quite regular and is a necessary part of the overall cruise experience. It takes time for passengers to adjust to it. Some people, especially children and women, are more prone to motion sickness. Trying to fight the ship’s movement will only make you more upset, and it can lead to fatigue. Rolling with the ship instead of fighting it can make you less sick, and it will certainly make your vacation more enjoyable.
