What is Motion Sickness?
Motion sickness is a condition when a person’s brain can’t make sense of the signals around a certain place. Seasickness and airsickness are two common examples of motion sickness. It can also occur when traveling in cars and amusement park rides, etc.
Symptoms of Motion Sickness
When a person experiences motion sickness, they can suffer from one or more of the following symptoms:
- Dizziness
- Cold sweats
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Headache
- Pale skin
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Increased saliva
- Rapid breathing
- Inability to concentrate
Complications of Motion Sickness
Apart from the symptoms mentioned above, motion sickness does not carry a risk of any serious symptoms or complications. If vomiting doesn’t stop, it can result in dehydration.
Motion sickness can easily be treated if diagnosed early. You can contact TelMDCare in order to speak to a doctor online and check up from the comfort of your home.
7 Ways to Deal with Motion Sickness
1. Motion Sickness Glasses
There are two types of motion sickness glasses.
Motion sickness glasses are specially designed to help people with motion sickness. The frame of the glass has two tubular rings on the front and a ring on either side of the frame. The rings are filled with a bright red or blue fluid.
As the vehicle the person is in moves, the fluids move along with it. This creates a steady horizon of the view of the person wearing the glasses, thus allowing their brain to fully focus on the signal it’s receiving. When the brain is able to comprehend all the signals properly, the sensory mismatch is eliminated and it relieves the symptoms of motion sickness.
A person should immediately wear the motion sickness glasses as soon as they start experiencing the symptoms, and keep them on until 10 minutes after the symptoms go away.
Another type of motion sickness glasses uses bright LED lights instead of fluids to achieve the desired results. These glasses are powered with a battery and need to be either charged or get their batteries replaced after a while.
LED motion glasses can’t be worn by people who suffer from epilepsy, glaucoma, migraines, or are pregnant. People taking the following medications are also advised not to use these LED glasses:
- methylphenidate (Ritalin)
- clonazepam (Klonopin)
- diazepam (Valium)
- lorazepam (Ativan)
- quinolone antibiotics, likelevofloxacinciprofloxacin, or metronidazole
- sleep medications
- antipsychoticsor mood stabilizers, like bupropion,haloperidol, or lithium
2. Adjusting the Input Signal From your Eyes
In order to balance the mismatch in visual and input signals, you can do the following things which will help you in relieving motion sickness symptoms
- Sit at the front of the vehicle
- Shift your body position if possible. If you’re sitting, lay down or try to stand up
- Gaze at an object far away and fix your eyes on it to focus
- Avoid reading when traveling/moving
- Avoid watching videos when traveling/moving
- Avoid looking out of the window, and look forward only
3. Over-The-Counter Medications
There are several OTC medicines that help ease the symptoms of motion sickness. Examples are cyclizine (Nausicalm),meclizine (Antivert or Simply Motion), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), etc.
Take these medicines around half an hour, or an hour before you expect to be moving. Avoid these medicines if you’re planning to drive because a common side-effect of them is drowsiness. Do consult with a doctor for any other side effects specifically for you.
1. Scopolamine Patch
Scopolamine is only available with a doctor’s prescription. It’s normally given to you through a patch that you wear behind your ear. Reliable research has demonstrated Scopolamine patches help prevent motion sickness.
You should apply the patch 4-8 hours before you expect to travel.
It is not suggested for children under the age of ten or individuals over the age of fifty.
Scopolamine can be taken as an injection, a tablet, or a nasal spray.
2. Supplements
Researchers have discovered the use of ginger to be an excellent strategy to avoid nausea, vomiting, and stomach discomfort. Ginger root powder in ginger candy, capsules, ginger snaps, ginger ale, and ginger tea are all options.
Another alternative is to take vitamin C. Vitamin C’s usefulness against seasickness was studied and showed positive results.
3. Acupressure Bracelets
Although the research for this method shows mixed results, some people are able to relieve motion sickness symptoms by applying pressure on P6 points on their wrists.
4. Eating And Drinking
Doctors recommend eating something light as a snack and drinking a few soft drinks can help relieve the symptoms of motion sickness.
If you suffer from motion sickness, online consultation is the most feasible option for you. TelMDCare offers an online doctor service with licensed doctors. We offer consultation for multiple health problems, including motion sickness. Our virtual doctors will diagnose you or guide you on what further steps need to be taken.
Contact us, or book an appointment to speak to a doctor online now!
About the Author
Dr. John Todd is a primary care doctor who has been practicing in the field of medicine for 12 years. He recently got associated with TelMDCare and is open for online consultations. He believes online consultations are the future and can be much more effective than physical visits to the doctor.
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