News
Motion sickness makes travels a trial
Whoever said getting there is half the fun never had the “fun” of hanging over the side of a boat, stomach churning faster than the water below.
Whether at sea, on the road or in the air, motion sickness and travel go together like vacations and cheesy postcards. For many people, it’s just part of the journey.
Studies estimate that a third to more than half of the population’s stomachs start rocking when the boat, car or plane starts rolling.
“Some people seem to be more sensitive to motion sickness than other people,” says Dr. David Spees, who specializes in travelers’ health at the Sharp Rees-Stealy Travel Clinic in San Diego. “But, anybody is susceptible with the right pitch and right movement.”
Fortunately, there are now more treatments than ever. They range from high-tech battery-operated devices, to a variety of over-the-counter and prescription drugs and patches, to common ingredients found in your spice cabinet.
The problem is not everyone agrees on what works, and not everything works for everybody.
“Almost anything you do (to counter motion sickness) is going to make you feel better almost half the time,” Spees says, noting that the placebo response rate is about 40 percent for motion-sickness remedies.
The miserable malady results from a tangled web of messages sent to your brain. The brain relies on cues from the inner ear, the muscles and the eyes to tell it where the body is in space. When any of these systems send different messages, your brain gets confused, and you turn a ghastly shade of green.
If you’re reading in a moving car, your inner ear knows you’re moving, but your muscles think you’re sitting still, and your eyes don’t see anything moving because they’re looking at the page. On an airplane, your inner ear senses the motion but your eyes only see the cabin, which appears stationary.
“The brain can’t make sense of the disconnect between the eyes and the inner ear,” Spees says. “The motion your inner ear is feeling is not the same as what your eyes are tracking. And, this imbalance is what’s believed to make you sick.”
The effect of this signal confusion first manifests itself with a little queasiness and slight perspiration. It quickly progresses to a headache, profuse cold sweating, increased saliva production and nausea. And, we all know what comes after that.
Age and sex seem to play a part in who gets motion sickness. According to a 1998 study conducted by health products manufacturer Cirrus Technologies, babies and the elderly are more tolerant of motion. Those who suffer the most symptoms are children 12 and younger (excluding babies younger than 6 months). And, more women (44 percent) develop symptoms than men (33 percent).
Migraine sufferers are prone to motion sickness, while anxiety, lack of sleep and poor ventilation also can contribute to the illness.
Few clinical studies have been performed showing the efficacy of any motion sickness aids, but there are champions and critics of each one. Finding the one that works for you may be a matter of trial and error.
“If you try one (remedy) for motion sickness and it doesn’t work, don’t give up. Try something else. They’re not all the same, and they don’t all work the same for everyone,” says Dr. Erik Viirre, who specializes in treating inner ear disorders at the University of California San Diego.
When packing for your vacation trip, along with sunscreen and insect repellent, consider bringing one or more of the following motion-sickness remedies.
Common motion sickness drugs including Dramamine (dimenhydrinate), Bonine (meclizine), and Marezine (cyclizine) are antihistamines. They prevent the release of histamine, which dilates blood vessels and blunts the effects of motion on the inner ear, and lessens the confusing messages to the brain.