Millions of us love going on holiday or even travelling regularly as part of everyday life – but if you suffer from motion sickness, it can seriously hamper your efforts to get away and can put people off travelling completely.
Motion sickness and seasickness are both fairly common ailments, although more people do tend to get sea sick rather than feel queasy during car journeys. Luckily, there are some good treatments available that may well help to ease your symptoms. First of all, though, what are some of the key causes of seasickness?
What triggers seasickness
The triggers of motion sickness differ according to the individual, but there are some common causes that you might like to look out for if you suffer from this condition while travelling. For example, if you experience sea-sickness while on boats, you might find that being below deck for too long leaves you feeling queasy and disoriented, or you might be affected by reading or looking at objects that are static, as well as being too close to the edge of the boat.
If you suffer from motion sickness in cars, then things that set off your symptoms could include sitting in the back seat, reading while on the move (even looking at maps can trigger symptoms) or being in a stuffy environment for too long. If you’re feeling sick on a plane then there might be little you can do about the turbulence that is so often the cause of motion sickness, but sitting by the wing could help.
Remedies for seasickness
So, what about dealing with the effects of sea-sickness or motion sickness? Some people find that relatively simple solutions can help them. For example, making sure there is fresh air coming into the car can be useful, as can sitting in the front sea or trying to go to sleep. Staying near the middle of boats, where it is more stable, can also be a good idea.
However, these solutions aren’t enough for everyone so you might like to also consider some other options for treating motion sickness. For instance, there are pressure bracelets available that some people find useful. There is also new technology out in the form of head worn computer devices that give the wearer a digital image of the horizon. Alternatively, there are some very good anti-seasickness tablets available that could make a big difference to how you travel, the two main types of medicated tablet are hyoscine and promethazine.
These can both be very effective, but it is worth noting that promethazine has less sedative in it than hyoscine so you might like to take this into consideration when deciding which option to go for. If you decide to take hyoscine, this will either be in the form of a patch or tablets that you should take prior to the start of the journey. Promethazine also requires you to take tablets before your journey begins so that it can be as effective as possible.
Overall, motion sickness and sea-sickness can be unpleasant and disruptive when you are travelling, but it doesn’t have to be a huge problem. There are plenty of solutions for you to try so chances are, at least one of them should have a positive effect on your symptoms. If you’re worried about motion sickness or don’t know which option would be best for you, you can always seek medical advice.
