Travel Tip Tuesday | Motion Sickness
6 Ways to Beat Motion Sickness
Motion sickness is a holiday-makers nightmare. Its caused by a disturbance in the inner ear, the part of our body that helps maintain our sense of balance. Whether you are in a motor-coach, plane, train, car, or boat, for some of us this constant motion causes our brain to become confused. According to WebMD, when you are experiencing constant motion your eyes are seeing one thing, your muscles feel another, and your inner ears sense something else. Your brain can’t take in all those mixed signals at once which is why you end up feeling dizzy and sick. When flying in a plane for example you may feel like you are moving but your eyes tell your brain that you don’t appear to be going anywhere. The end result is motion sickness. The same thing can happen on a motor-coach, train, car, or boat.
The symptoms of motion sickness include breaking out in a cold sweat and feeling like you have to vomit, dizziness, increased saliva production, loss of appetite, and pale skin. In addition, some folks get a headache or feel extremely tired. So what can you do to beat motion sickness or at least ease its symptoms? Here are a few tried and true tips that will get you feeling better in a jiffy!
1) Focus | This is easier said than done but try to relax and focus on something. Take a deep breath, count to 100, or look at a stable object. Some people feel better when they breathe fresh air.
2) Disconnect | Forget reading and don’t look down at your phone or tablet, it just makes matters worse.
3) Where to Sit | When you are in a plane, try to get a seat by the wing, if you are on a boat, look at the horizon and book a cabin near the center of the boat, if you are on a motor-coach, try to sit up front to keep your eyes on the road, and if you are on a train, always face forward.
4) Hydrate | Avoid alcohol and drink plenty of water. If you have a tendency to get motion sickness eat lightly before setting off on a trip.
5) Natural Remedies | Some folks get relief from eating raw ginger or peppermint, which is thought to have a calming effect on the digestive system. Some people try acupressure and use sea bands to help relieve nausea. These elastic wristbands exert pressure on an acupuncture point in the wrist that is thought to help balance the digestive system. Best of all sea bands can be washed and reused.
6) Meds | If you are really bothered by motion sickness and don’t want it to ruin your trip you may want to try an over-the-counter medication like Dramamine or Benadryl. These pills last up to eight hours and should be taken prior to departure. A prescription transdermal medication called Maldemar is a patch that you wear behind your ear. It should be applied about four hours before you need it. One dose lasts about three days. Before you take any medication you should always discuss it with your doctor.
Whatever remedy that you choose to take, remember to take it before you start traveling. On the bright side, motion sickness usually goes away once you reach your destination.