Motion Sickness

Motion sickness is a common problem in people traveling by car, train, airplanes and especially boats. Motion sickness can start suddenly, with a queasy feeling and cold sweats. It can then lead to nausea, dizziness and vomiting.

Your brain senses movement by getting signals from your inner ears, eyes, muscles and joints. When it gets signals that do not match, you can get motion sickness. For example, down below on a boat, your inner ear senses motion, but your eyes cannot tell you are moving.

Where you sit can make a difference. The front seat of a car, forward cars of a train, upper deck on a boat or wing seats in a plane may give you a smoother ride. Looking out into the distance - instead of trying to read or look at something in the vehicle - can also help.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Motion Sickness on Wikipedia

'''Motion sickness''', also called '''seasickness''', '''carsickness''', '''airsickness''' or '''space sickness''', depending on what one has been traveling in, is a condition in which the endolymph (the fluid found in the semicircular canals of the inner ears) becomes 'stirred up', causing confusion between the difference between apparent perceived movement (none or very little), and actual movement. It can result from lying in the berth of a rolling boat without being able to see the outside. Nausea is the most common symptom of motion sickness; in fact, ''nausea'' in Greek language means seasickness (''naus''=ship). If the motion causing nausea is not resolved, the sufferer will frequently vomit within 20 minutes. Unlike ordinary sickness, vomiting in motion sickness tends not to relieve the nausea. One particularly distressing thing about seasickness on a passenger boat is that the bathrooms tend to fill up quickly during rough seas so many seasick passengers have to vomit in public. Sudden jerky movements tend to be worse for provoking motion sickness than slower smooth ones, because they disrupt the fluid balance more. A 'corkscrewing' boat will upset more people than one that is gliding smoothly across the oncoming waves, and cars driving rapidly around winding roads or up and down a series of hills. Looking down into your lap to consult a map or attempting to read a book while a passenger in a car is another cause of motion sickness. Many 'cures' and preventatives for motion sickness have been proposed at various times. One which is both practical and effective is to simply look out of the window of the moving vehicle and to gaze into the distance towards the horizon in the direction in which you are moving. This helps to re-orient your inner sense of balance by reaffirming to your inner ear that you actually are moving. Fresh air blowing on your face can also be a relief. Other cures for motion sickness rely on ...   [ Read More ]

External Resources

O'Neal, Terry A. - The Poet Speaks - Transforming everyday life into dynamic poetry, from the author of "Motion Sickness", "The Poet Speaks In Black", and "Ev'ry Little Soul." Includes book ordering information.

Viban - Eyewear technology designed to enable reading in a moving vehicle for those who normally cannot do so due to motion sickness.

Cirrus Health Care Products - Provides travel, safety and personal healthcare products to relieve ear pain from in flight pressure, motion sickness and dental care products.

Tempest Optical Research - Artificial-horizon glasses to combat motion sickness.

Trip Ease - Information about a motion sickness product.

HowStuffWorks: Weightlessness - Photographs and animations describe space sickness, or space motion sickness, which is caused by conflicting information that your brain receives from your eyes and the vestibular organs located in your inner ear.

Meclizine - Information from DrugDigest, including dosage, usage, side effects, and related information on this medication used to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness caused by motion sickness.

Scopace - Prevent motion sickness with Scopace tablets, a prescription medicine containing scopolamine hydrobromide - rated the most effective agent to prevent motion sickness.

Transderm Scop - Motion sickness patch available by presciption. Directions for use and frequently asked questions.

Poetry by Terry O'Neal. - Featuring her new book Motion Sickness. Her poems are inspired by feelings of real life experiences.

Share your story: