Swaying on the road?

The ancient Greeks and Romans knew that a person could be rocked on the road, although in those distant times no one understood why this was happening. If you are also one of those for whom the trip turns into a real torment, we hasten to rejoice: seasickness is not a sentence. There are ways you can make your trip more enjoyable.

Why can rocking

Even scientists do not fully understand why some people can travel in any form of transport without experiencing discomfort, while others are constantly motion sick. Although it is already known for sure that such a condition occurs as a result of an imbalance in the sensory systems of the body. And according to the doctor of medicine Melissa Conrad Shteppler, the individual sensitivity to movement is responsible for the tendency to motion sickness. ^[1]. By the way, according to research conducted by Plos One in 2013, even 3D movies can cause signs of seasickness. ^[2].

To understand what causes motion sickness on the road, you first need to learn something about the structure of our body. The brain receives information about the movement of the body in several ways, including the eyes, body surface tissues, and the inner ear, which is part of the vestibular apparatus. When we deliberately move around, such as walking, the information received from these sources is easily processed by our brain. Signs of motion sickness appear when the central nervous system receives conflicting signals from sensory systems. For example, if someone is sitting in a car or train and not looking out the window, his inner ear senses movement up and down, left and right, but his eyes pick up a static picture, as if there is no movement. Or take at least a ride on a carousel. At this time, our eyes see one thing, the muscles feel another, and the inner ear receives signals in general about the third. As a result, in simple terms, the brain becomes confused and cannot put together such different signals. It is assumed that it is the conflict between such signals that is the cause of motion sickness. In other words, motion sickness is a specific reaction of the body to certain inconsistencies that arise between different sensory systems.

If we talk about the role of the inner ear, then it is part of the vestibular apparatus and takes part in maintaining a sense of balance. The vestibular apparatus allows you to determine the position of the body in space, as well as adequately respond to its changes. The inner ear consists of three semicircular canals and two oval sacs. Their task is to collect information about what is happening around a person and transmit it to the brain. The semicircular canals contain fluid, which also moves with every movement of the head, irritating the sensitive hairs on the walls of the canals. These hairs send a signal about changes in body position to the brain.

But every second our brain receives very different types of signals. Sometimes they are so confusing that the central nervous system is not able to immediately understand what is really happening to a person. This usually happens while traveling by plane, car, train or ship. Despite the fact that the musculoskeletal system remains at rest, the eyes perceive a signal that the person is still moving. As a result, the same conflict of signals received by the brain arises, and the person is swayed.

Who is at risk

Sickness can happen to anyone, but children 2 to 12 years of age, pregnant women, and people prone to migraines are more likely to be affected. ^[1]. If a child suffers from seasickness, the chances are high that he will outgrow it. Typically, travel disorders go away after age 12.

In addition, under certain circumstances, people who are not usually seasick in transport may also experience discomfort. Common triggers for seasickness include heat, strong odors, overeating, overwork, and pregnancy.

Sea sickness symptoms

Seasickness is usually manifested by nausea, vomiting, and cold sweats. But other symptoms are also possible:

• dizziness;
• pallor;
• increased production of saliva;
• loss of appetite;
• headache;
• weakness;
• shallow breathing;
• yawning;
• mild anxiety.

How to alleviate the condition

Signs of motion sickness usually disappear immediately after the elimination of the causes that caused this condition. Although there are people who feel unwell for several days after the trip. But in most cases, the symptoms of motion sickness do not appear for long. After some time, the body adapts to non-standard conditions (the movement of a car or train, the rocking of a ship, etc.) and the unpleasant symptoms disappear.

In addition, it is quite possible to train the vestibular apparatus and then there will be no problems with motion sickness at all. A good “simulator” for the vestibular apparatus is carousels and other swings. To teach the inner ear to cope with pitching is real and with the help of physical exercises. For example, you can stand on your legs wide apart and sharply turn your body to the sides with maximum amplitude, while keeping your head and eyes motionless. Increase the number of exercises gradually, without bringing yourself to nausea.

And for the untrained, there are several ways to help alleviate the condition during the trip or even prevent motion sickness.

What to do during a trip so as not to feel sick

1. Avoid large meals, caffeine and alcohol shortly before and during travel, but at the same time it is important to drink enough water. In the “black list” of a passenger prone to motion sickness – fatty, spicy, hard to digest food, as well as products with a pronounced smell. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks irritate the lining of the stomach, which also increases the risk of nausea. However, you should remember that you should not go hungry. The best solution is a light snack a few hours before the trip.
2. Take a good rest before your trip. Remember: overwork is one of the triggers for seasickness.
3. If possible, travel at night. This makes it more likely that you will be able to sleep, and the trip will be less painful for you.
4. Choose places in transport where shaking is minimal. If this is a car – then a place near the driver. On the plane, take a seat above the wing – this is the quietest area in the cabin. On a ship, movement is less noticeable in lower level cabins closer to the center of the ship. Most of all motion sickness on the deck and in the cabins on the upper level.
5. Do not sit with your back to the direction of travel.
6. If possible, get behind the wheel. Many are sure that only the one who does not get sick on the road can be a driver. Meanwhile, experts are of the opinion that, on the contrary, transport management reduces the risk of motion sickness. ^[3]. The driver uses motor skills while driving, thereby gaining the opportunity to control the situation and predict his movements. That is, taking the situation under control helps to fight seasickness. If it is not possible to drive a vehicle, take a seat as close to the driver as possible. In the front seat there is a feeling of at least partial control. The most dangerous places for people prone to motion sickness are at the end of the bus.
7. Don’t read on the road or watch videos. Instead, try to distract yourself by listening to music.
8. Stabilize your sensory signals. Seasick people may be more comfortable in a horizontal position, with their eyes focused on the horizon or a static point. Focus your eyes on a stationary object in the distance. The main thing is to look to the side in the direction of the vehicle. This helps to reorient the inner sense of balance, to get visual confirmation of the movement. But it’s better not to look into the side windows of a car: rapidly changing pictures only exacerbate motion sickness.
9. Relax and find something to focus on. For example, count from 100 to 0 and vice versa. You can also close your eyes during the countdown. A good way to avoid motion sickness is to take a nap on the road. This helps eliminate the conflict between the perception of the inner ear and the visual information received by the eyes.
10. The vestibular apparatus can sometimes be deceived. During the trip, make actions imitating walking with your feet. Thus, it will be possible to reduce the number of inconsistencies in the signals received by the brain.
11. A few deep breaths taken in the fresh air often help to overcome a mild attack of nausea. You can also apply cold to the back of the head or forehead – this will invigorate the body a little.
12. During the trip, try to breathe more fresh air (for example, open a window), do not smoke yourself and avoid smoky places.

Natural remedies for motion sickness

To eliminate the symptoms caused by motion sickness, you can use some folk remedies. One of the best is ginger root. If you consume 1-2 g of ginger half an hour before the trip, you can prevent nausea.

Another good natural remedy is mint. This plant has calming properties, helps the body in stress caused by conflict signals. To prevent motion sickness, you can rub a mint leaf between your fingers and inhale its scent, or simply chew on this fragrant herb. Alternatively, you can drink mint tea, eat a mint candy, or take chewing gum with an appropriate flavor. By the way, according to Medical news today ^[4], even the process of chewing itself can relieve signs of seasickness.

Some people find acupressure helpful. In particular, light pressure on a point just below the wrist ^[5]. Rubbing the auricles, palms and feet also helps. But the effectiveness of using a motion sickness magnet causes mixed reviews from doctors ^[3]. Many consider such methods to be charlatanism.

Medicines for seasickness

If you are always and strongly swayed, and there is a long journey ahead, then you can resort to the help of medications. ^[5]… It can be:

1. Dimenhydranate (Dramamine) chewable tablets for motion sickness. Helps to balance the state of the body. The first dose should be taken 1 hour before travel. Then take the tablets every 4-6 hours.
2. Scopolamine – a patch impregnated with this substance, also helps with motion sickness. It should be glued behind the ear 4 hours before the trip. The action of scopolamine lasts 3 days.

Also, with motion sickness, tablets containing:

1. Cyclizine (marezin, emokvil) – taken at least 30 minutes before the trip, is contraindicated in children under 6 years of age.
2. Meclizine (bonin) – effective if taken 1 hour before travel, contraindicated in children under 12 years of age.
3. Promethazine (promethagan, phenergan) – take 2 hours before the trip, the effect lasts 6-8 hours.

However, you should be aware that some of these drugs can cause side effects such as drowsiness and dry mouth.

Usually the motion sickness attack does not last long. But if the symptoms persist for a long time after a trip, it is still better to consult a doctor. Especially if the nausea is accompanied by other symptoms, including severe vomiting, hearing loss, or chest pain. This condition may be a sign of more serious disorders in the body associated with diseases of the nervous system or middle ear. ^[4].

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