Motion Sickness – That yucky feeling

With families taking planes, trains and automobiles this March break; motion sickness is bound to affect many. According to a paper written by Dr. Fay Weisberg entitled (smartly) DON’T LET CAR SICKNESS RUIN YOUR TRAVEL PLANS; “Motion sickness is rare amongst infants less then two years of age and tends to peak amongst children between the ages of three and 12.”

It is interesting to note…for adults…that motion sickness typically bothers women more than men and increases during menstruation and pregnancy.

The cause of motion sickness is signally problem with the brain. According to Weisberg; “a discrepancy between what the balance centre in the inner ear perceives and what the eyes are seeing.” Therefore, passengers in the back seat, voyagers below deck in a boat, or flyers in a plane often feel queasy as their brains knows they are moving but the person can’t see where they are going.

How to mend that yucky feeling? Start by looking out the window. Play ‘I Spy’ rather than watch the portable dvd.

An anti-nauseate such as Gravol is a great help but must be taken 30 minutes before departure.

For the grown-up driver who cannot be drowsy there is a new form of Gravol; Gravol Ginger which does not cause that sleepy feeling. It is available at drug stores in tablet form and also in chewable lozenges (great for an on-the-go parent).