Travel sickness

Definition of motion sickness

Travel sickness, also known as motion sickness, is related to movement of your own body or the environment. Regardless of the possible mode of movement – be it on land in a car, in the air in an airplane, at sea in a boat or even in space – if the sensory input the body receives does not match, it can react with nausea. It is also possible that this reaction is triggered solely by visual stimuli, for example in a 3D cinema. This is then referred to as pseudokinetosis, since no actual movement takes place.

Motion sickness symptoms

The symptoms of motion sickness usually begin insidiously with tiredness, increased yawning or reduced alertness. At this stage, you may not even realize that motion sickness is developing. The main complaint of motion sickness is dizziness. In addition, cold sweats, pallor and occasional headaches can make themselves felt. Depending on the severity, the symptoms can end with increased salivation, severe nausea and vomiting. These symptoms are often very distressing for the affected person.

How does motion sickness develop?

Motion sickness is most common among children between the ages of 6 and 12. In old age, the symptoms often decrease or do not occur at all.
It is currently assumed that motion sickness is caused by conflicts in sensory perception – the sensations of the various organs do not match expectations. There are many ways your body senses movement:

• Inner ear: The inner ear not only picks up accelerations in the horizontal and vertical axis via sensory cells, but can also perceive rotary movements.
• Eyes: Your eyes measure movements in relation to your surroundings.
• Neck muscles and spine: Through your neck, your body knows how the head is positioned in relation to the body.
• Joints and Muscles: Your body’s joints and muscles constantly send signals about their position. This is how your brain receives information about the posture of your body.

All of this information is put together in your brain to form an overall picture. Normally they fit together without contradiction. If this is not the case, the brain can react with tiredness and nausea. It is interesting that movements with a low frequency in particular lead to kinetosis, which is why you are more likely to get seasick from waves than, for example, “riding sick” on a horse.

duration of the complaints

Once the trigger is gone, the symptoms of motion sickness subside within a day at the latest. However, once the movement continues, most people get used to it relatively quickly. After a long time at sea, you may even experience discomfort when you go ashore for the first time. The body has gotten used to the swaying and reacts to the still underground.

Motion sickness diagnosis

Travel sickness usually presents with very specific symptoms. In order to rule out other ENT or neurological diseases, however, it may be necessary to have further examinations carried out by specialized doctors.

When should I go to the doctor?

If you are severely affected by motion sickness and are seeking medical help, you should speak to a doctor. There are many different medications that work against nausea, but it is important to adapt them to the individual symptoms and any medication you are taking.

What can you do about travel-related sickness?

Depending on the duration of the triggering movement, there are different ways you can tackle motion sickness. If you know that you will be exposed to the movement over a longer period of time, you can rely on the habituation effect.
In order to relieve the acute symptoms, you should try to resolve the conflicts in your sensory organs as much as possible.

Reducing movement:
To reduce irritation of your inner ear, it helps to avoid vertical movement in particular. These trigger increased motion sickness. This includes the so-called “pitching” of a ship – the ship is pushed up by waves and then falls into the following wave trough. Unfortunately, you cannot influence the movement of the ship. However, if you’re seasick, staying in the middle of the ship can help. Midship tends to move less than the bow or stern. You can use the same principle on an airplane. If you know you suffer from flight-related motion sickness, you can try reserving an over-wing seat.

Synchronization of visual stimuli:
The eyes play an important role in the perception of your movement. Sitting in the front of a car or bus gives you a view of the front and the outside. This gives you a better view of your surroundings. It is best to focus on a fixed, distant point. The horizon is usually the best choice. If you can’t do this, minimizing your head movements and shutting off the visual stimuli completely by closing your eyes can help.

Synchronizing active activities:
If you feel able to be active despite being seasick, you can try to actively resynchronize your senses by making compensatory movements or walking around. In the car, it can be helpful to take the wheel yourself.

Regardless of the sensations, there are some other things you can do to alleviate your symptoms or avoid them altogether. Ginger, for example, is anti-nausea and has long been used to treat seasickness. It is also believed that vitamin C intake may be helpful. Pleasant music and smells, as well as deep breathing have a calming effect and can provide relief in acute cases.
If you know that you are going to have a long drive, you should avoid foods such as tuna, Emmental cheese, salami, sauerkraut and red wine. They contain a lot of histamine – a substance that triggers nausea. If you are a smoker, it is better to avoid nicotine in moments of nausea.

Motion sickness therapy

The most important pillar of motion sickness therapy is behavior during the nausea episode. Appropriate measures can be taken to limit your nausea so that the further journey can be continued as comfortably as possible.

If the nausea is severe, medication may be required. Some of them have side effects that you should discuss with a doctor beforehand. Antihistamines, for example, can cause fatigue, which is why they are not suitable for drivers.

motion sickness in children

Children suffer from motion sickness more often than adults. All of the above tips can also be applied to children. For example, if your child gets sick on a car trip, instead of reading, they should look at the horizon. Medicines that help against nausea are often also available as suppositories for children.

This is how Med-Healths can help with motion sickness

By talking to a doctor, you can use Med-Healths to narrow down the causes of your nausea. If it is motion sickness, you can discuss with the doctor how to proceed and, if necessary, he can issue prescriptions for the appropriate medication.