Motion sickness or kinetosis is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement.
Dizziness, fatigue, and nausea are the most common symptoms of motion sickness. In fact, nausea in Greek means seasickness (naus means ship). If the motion causing nausea is not resolved, the sufferer will frequently vomit. Unlike ordinary sickness, vomiting in motion sickness tends not to relieve the nausea.
About 33% of people are susceptible to motion sickness even in mild circumstances such as being on a boat in calm water, although nearly 66% of people are susceptible in more severe conditions. Individuals and animals without a functional vestibular system are immune to motion sickness.
The most common hypothesis for the cause of motion sickness is that it functions as a defense mechanism against neurotoxins. The area postrema in the brain is responsible for inducing vomiting when poisons are detected, and for resolving conflicts between vision and balance. When feeling motion but not seeing it (for example, in a ship with no windows), the inner ear transmits to the brain that it senses motion, but the eyes tell the brain that everything is still. As a result of the disconcordance, the brain will come to the conclusion that one of them is hallucinating and further conclude that the hallucination is due to poison ingestion. The brain responds by inducing vomiting, to clear the supposed toxin.
I do not get Airsickness - but I do get Simulation sickness, and Sea-sickness.
A natural treatment suggestion is to simply look out of the window of the moving vehicle and to gaze toward the horizon in the direction of travel. This helps to re-orient the inner sense of balance by providing a visual reaffirmation of motion.
It is helpful to simply close one's eyes, or if possible, take a nap. This resolves the input conflict between the eyes and the inner ear. Napping also helps prevent psychogenic effects (i.e. the effect of sickness being magnified by thinking about it).
Fresh, cool air can also relieve motion sickness slightly, although it is likely this is related to avoiding foul odors which can worsen nausea.
Especially while in a car, if you are the passenger and the vehicle is turning a lot on the road, it is best to stay in the front seat next to the driver and open the window, so that the wind coming from the opened window can make you fall asleep.
There is also the medical way, which is usually not my way. Over-the-counter and prescription medications are readily available, such as Dramamine (dimenhydrinate), Stugeron (cinnarizine) and Bonine/Antivert (meclizine).
Scopolamine is effective and is sometimes used in the form of transdermal patches (1.5mg) or as a newer tablet form (0.4mg). The selection of a transdermal patch or scopolamine tablet is determined by a doctor after consideration of the patient's age, weight, and length of time treatment is required.
Interestingly, many pharmacological treatments which are effective for nausea and vomiting in some medical conditions may not be effective for motion sickness. For example, metoclopramide and prochlorperazine, although widely used for nausea, are ineffective for motion-sickness prevention and treatment. This is due to the physiology of the CNS vomiting centre and its inputs from the chemoreceptor trigger zone versus the inner ear. The sedating anti-histamine medications such as promethazine, work quite well for motion sickness, although they can cause significant drowsiness.
Ginger root is a highly effective anti-emetic and sucking on crystallized ginger or sipping ginger tea can help to relieve the nausea. A teaspoon of ground (powdered) ginger root has been proven to be as effective in preventing motion sickness as popular OTC chemicals, but without the drowsiness and sleepiness that is a common side reaction to dimenhydrinate or diphenhydrinate.
Soft drinks will also help to settle the stomach, and chewing gum or breath mints will help keep saliva from building up in the mouth.
If your wondering why I felt the need to go to Wikipedia and give you all that information on Motion Sickness. It is because I am a victim to it. I almost always drive, because I have a WAY less tendency to get sick. Just a short drive thru a local McD's and I may feel slightly green by the time we are on our way home.
I have perfected the art of not getting sick, I force myself to sleep, I chew gum, suck on mints or hard candy, pop is always helpful. And no barfing on the side of the road does not make me feel better. (unlike barfing with the flu, I feel better)
I have a very wonderful and long story about our honeymoon, a 40 foot tank dive, and the sheer utter fear of trying to figure out how to vomit under water with out dying. Boats, are not my thing either. I can not spend to long in a swimming pool. The swaying in the water makes me sick. Yes even in my 4 foot deep pool.
I have an issue with my iPod earphones, and flipping through photographs, either online or in my hands. I can NOT handle the mere thought of a carnival ride. BUT I love roller coasters, and they don't bother me at all. Airplanes are never a bother, so I fly with ease.
I always hated when my mom would tell me I would grow out of it. Oh and it got worse when I was pregnant! I won't grow out of it. I get sick easily, so if I tell you to park it (oh god, I HATE when someone drives around the parking lot, braking at every possible spot, for fucks sake. PARK. IT.)
Ed didn't quite believe I was going to hurl once on the way to Indiana, now I am know to be dramatic, but he learned quickly that I wasn't over dramatising the green feeling. He didn't even get the truck to a full stop before I was leaning out, hulahing my brains out.
I am scared to say that Mia just might be a motion sick queen like her mom. She doesn't seem to like a long car ride (more then an hour) with out a good upchuck of the goldfish crackers. (I have now learned for longer car rides the kids will wear house clothes there. And I will change them to nicer clothes when we arrive and all upchucking has subsided.
Add this to your useless knowledge section of your brains. I just wanted you all to know a little bit more about me. So mother I will not grow out if it, I will call shotgun or drive all the time. (I don't remember the last time I rode in a backseat) I will no longer deep sea dive, or hop onto a creepy carnival ride. But for safety's sake I may just add Ginger to my garden next year...
