Motion sickness (motion sickness): causes and remedies

In series and movies, or directly in real life, it is common to see how many people get dizzy before a boat trip and end up vomiting overboard.

It is also not uncommon to think of someone who gets dizzy on a car trip and needs to take some kind of anti-motion sickness medicine or gum. In both cases, we are facing an annoying problem called motion sickness or motion sickness.

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What is motion sickness?

Motion sickness, kinetic dizziness, or motion sickness is a state of discomfort in the presence of movements accelerating or decelerating.

It is a very frequent phenomenon and under certain conditions it can appear in most of the population, not being something worrisome or indicative of a serious problem. However, it is usually more frequent in women than in men, as well as in the population ranging from two to twenty years of age.

Symptoms of motion sickness

Motion sickness is characterized by the presence of gastric disturbances such as nausea and vomiting

along with sweating, hyperventilation, low blood pressure, headache, and a feeling of lightheadedness and distress. Later a great fatigue usually ensues.

The discomfort typical of motion sickness usually occurs in situations in which we are moving in a vehicle. Although our body remains still inside it, it is in a constant movement that causes a contradiction between our balance and our vision. It usually appears when we travel by car or boat (it also appears on planes and trains).

curiously it does not usually appear in methods of transport such as the subway, probably due to the fact that the perception of external objects is much more limited as they are circumscribed to the tunnel in question. Motion sickness has also been observed in virtual reality environments, because what we see and our position and balance are not coordinated.

Why is it produced?

Motion sickness is produced mainly by the presence of a mismatch between the vestibular information coming from the inner ear and the visual one. While the first (which informs us of the position of the body with respect to the ground and allows us to maintain balance) detects that our body is immobile, our visual system reflects the opposite observing that the environment is moving at high speed. This is especially visible when we try to read or fix our eyes on something immobile in a vehicle whose movement is perceptible, at which point the discomfort may appear or be accentuated.

Also aspects such as the emotional state of the subject and the absence of good ventilation (Whoever suffers motion sickness or knows someone who does it is frequent that they find the need opening the windows to circulate air) may influence the presence or intensity of the symptom.

And how do we prevent it?

Motion sickness is a problem that it can be annoying when we have to travel or transport us from one place to another in some type of vehicle. Specific symptoms are difficult to treat once they have started, but can be tried to prevent them by following different strategies.

1. Position

First, the position we occupy in the vehicle actively influences symptoms. The person who drives or those who take positions that allow attention to be focused on a fixed point where we do not perceive movement usually do not suffer from the effects of motion sickness. The same happens when traveling facing the direction of travel (seeing objects moving away tide more than the opposite), and when the subject is located in the areas with less amount of movement of the vehicle.

2. Ventilation

Ventilation is, as we have said, a relevant aspect. The perception of unpleasant odors adds to the contradiction between vision and balance, generating greater gastrointestinal discomfort and movement. Therefore, one way to prevent it is to place ourselves in an area with constant ventilation. Smoking can also be harmful, so it is recommended not to do it before or during the trip.

3. Intake and consumption of alcohol

Another aspect to prevent is excessive intake. It is recommended eat and drink in small amounts if next we are going to take a trip. However, both eating too much and not eating can be harmful and cause a higher level of discomfort in the subject. Drinking alcohol also aggravates discomfort

4. Medication

Chew gum or consume antkinetic drugs such as the well-known Biodramina Before the trip, it is usually effective, although in the case of drugs, special caution must be taken since they usually cause hypnotic-sedative effects that can alter perception and reflexes, so they should not be taken if you are going to lead.

5. Rest

Sleeping while traveling can be a strategy to avoid noticing the effects of motion sickness. And even if we don't sleep it is advisable to close your eyes. Likewise, it is recommended to have rested properly before starting the trip.

6. Vehicle control

The type of movements the vehicle makes is also important. Curves and sudden changes in direction or speed they can cause a higher level of discomfort or initiate symptoms, so they could be avoided as much as possible.

7. Activities

Activities that fix our gaze on a specific element while noticing the movement of objects outside are contraindicated. For example, reading, sending text messages or watching television or videos from your mobile can cause kinetic dizziness.

8. Habituation

In some cases in which people must by their profession undergo large accelerations that can cause dizziness It is very useful to carry out tasks that allow habituation to these conditions.