What is Motion Sickness?
Motion sickness is a condition where a person experiences nausea and disorientation when they are in motion via a vehicle or other means but their body is not moving. This situation causes conflicting signals sent between the ears, eyes, and the brain. The eyes and ears will indicate the body is in motion, but nerves in muscles and joints elsewhere in the body will be telling the brain that no such motion is occurring.
As the visual and aural stimuli continue over longer periods of time the motion sickness will usually worsen. Motion sickness can be managed, but to stop moving that way is the only way to entirely relieve motion sickness.
What Causes Motion Sickness?
The misinterpretation of signals sent to the brain from different sensory systems in the body is what causes motion sickness, and the sickness occurs because the brain is reacting badly due to not being able to understand whether the body is moving or not. Motion sickness occurs most often for sufferers when they are travelling in a moving vehicle, or are on a train, ship, or other means of transport.
Motion sickness can also have triggers, and these can include playing video games or virtual reality games, going on amusement park rides, or riding as a passenger on a bike where the person is not in control of the bike. Motion sickness can be worse for women who are menstruating or pregnant, or people with Parkinson’s disease or BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo).
Motion Sickness Symptoms
Nauseas, disorientation, headaches, dizziness, and sweating are the most primary motion sickness symptoms. Other symptoms may include fatigue, irritability, excessive salivation, gulping for air while breathing, or restlessness. Complications that may develop from prolonged motion sickness are low blood pressure and dehydration.
Motion Sickness Treatment
What is recommended for motion sickness treatment will depend on the severity of the condition at the time and whether or not the stimuli (means of transport) is to continue over the long term. For milder cases it may be sufficient to get fresh air, redirect gaze so that eyes are not exposed to the same visual stimuli, lie down or be in a more prone position, drink ginger ale or ginger tea or have something sweet to eat.
For milder cases an OTC motion sickness medication like Gravol may be all that’s needed for relief. For more severe and recurring cases a doctor may prescribe an Rx medication like Antivert that is stronger for treating motion sickness.
