Enjoying the journey is as important as reaching your destination. But journeys are not always enjoyable, in fact teleporting is on most people’s wish list. Motion sickness is one of the sabotagers of a happy journey. Motion sickness not just wrecks the journey but you reach the destination sick and exhausted.
Some common medicines which prevent motion sickness cause severe drowsiness and rob you of the pleasures of the journey.
What is motion sickness
Motion sickness (kinetosis) is a state of being dizzy or nauseated because of motions in a moving vehicle. Most common are bus, airplane, car, amusement park rides and a moving boat (sea-sickness). Motion sickness is fairly common and is a minor nuisance to some, but for some it can be severe and incapacitating.
Signs and symptoms
Begins with a generalized feeling of discomfort, a cold clammy feeling, dizziness, nausea leading to vomiting many times and all this makes one tired.
What causes motion sickness
Motion is perceived by three sense organs… the inner ear, the eyes and the joints (termed as proprioception). Whenever the three organs do not perceive moment similarly there is a mismatch in the signals the brain receives causing motion sickness. In travel the ear perceives motion but the eyes and joints don’t leading to mismatch and confusion. More the mismatch worse the symptoms. So, a person reading a book in a bus feels more distress than the person looking out of the window.
Who is most affected??
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Age group 2 to 12 years
- Persons with a tendency to nausea and vomiting
- Fearful /anxious personalities
What precipitates motion sickness??
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Poor ventilation
- Not able to see out of the window
Prevention
- Contrary to common belief do not close your eyes or read. Look out of the window at the horizon.
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If in a car sit on the front seat or opt to drive.
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Do not lie down. Relax by resting your head on the back seat.
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Do not sit with your back to the direction of travel.
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Open a source of fresh air if possible.
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Do not sit close to other people who are prone to motion sickness. Seeing them sick or vomiting may aggravate your condition.
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Deep breathing, meditation or listening to music of your choice can help alleviate the stress.
Using food effectively to control motion sickness
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Avoid alcohol, too much coffee/tea, spicy and greasy food preparations and foods that you find difficult to digest.
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Also avoid overeating for 24 hrs before the journey.
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Do not travel on an empty stomach. Empty stomach can cause retching and vomiting of bile which causes extreme distress.
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Eat light snacks an hour before travel. Choose plain biscuits or fruit or a chapati as best options. Avoid high salt and dairy products.
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Carry fruit or biscuits to eat - a small portion every 2-3 hrs during the travel.
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Avoid any food with strong odors.
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Ginger has been proven to be a helpful aid for motion sickness. Peppermint also helps.
Happy journey……
