It’s a beautiful day, and you are enjoying your dolphin sight-seeing tour in beautiful Tampa Bay. When all of a sudden that wave of nausea hits you, and seasickness is starting to ruin this lovely moment. Motion sickness (sea sickness or car sickness) is a common disturbance of the inner ear due to a change in a person’s balance and equilibrium caused by repeated motion. It can happen to anyone, but certain people are more susceptible. It most commonly affects children from 2 to 12 years old, pregnant women, and people who are prone to migraines. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and sweating.
Preventing Seasickness
The following tips can help prevent or at least lessen the severity of seasickness:
- Watch what you eat and drink before and during travel. Avoid excessive alcohol or foods that do not agree with you or make you feel full.
- Steer clear of strong food odors that can cause nausea.
- Choose a seat where you will experience the least motion. The calmest seat on a plane is in the middle, over the wing. On a boat, seats in the lower level cabins near the center of a ship typically experience less motion than seats on a top deck or outer cabin.
- Do not sit facing backwards from your direction of travel.
- Do not read while traveling especially if you are prone to motion sickness.
- If you feel motion sickness set in, keep your gaze fixed on the horizon or on a fixed object or point.
- If traveling by car, sit in the front seat.
- If possible, open a vent or find a source of fresh air.
- Stay away from others who are suffering from motion sickness. If you hear people talk about motion sickness or watch others become sick, chances are you will start to feel sick as well.
- Keep over-the-counter medication on hand. Meclizine (Bonine, Antivert, Dramamine) can ease mild cases of motion sickness while on short trips. For those that are victim to severe cases of motion sickness, see your doctor for a prescription medication containing scopolamine (Transderm-Scop). Just remember that motion sickness medications can often cause drowsiness and other side effects. Take with caution.
Reference: cdc.gov
