Motion Sickness is also known as kinetosis, travel sickness, seasickness, car sickness, air sickness. Sopite syndrome is associated with motion sickness in which a person feels tired. Nausea in Greek means seasickness. The word “naus” means ship.
Motion Sickness is an ill feeling that can happen suddenly when a person is traveling by car, boat, train, plane, or during amusement rides. Some individuals can also feel the same when they are playing video games or when they are seeing moving objects.
It is a response of the body to motion which can be by any route like sea, car, train, or air.
The reaction of the body to motion can be different in different individuals.
Types of Motion Sickness
1- Motion sickness caused by motion that is felt but not seen- It is related to our ear. It is seen as car sickness. The reason behind this is that there is a conflict between the eyes and our body. Our eyes detect that there is motion, but our body detects stillness.
- Airsickness– It occurs as a result of air travel. The main reason for air sickness is the sharp tilt of airplanes. Besides this, the view of windows is blocked by clouds preventing a passenger at the window from seeing the moving ground or moving lower clouds.
- Seasickness– It is a feeling of nausea and vertigo seen while traveling in a boat or ship. It occurs as a result of the rocking of the ship. Motion sickness becomes worse by fog.
Rides in an amusement park can cause motion sickness. Sometimes dizziness is also felt due to spinning.
2- Motion sickness caused by motion that is seen but not felt– In these cases motion is detected by the eyes but our ears cannot detect it. It is known as “visually induced motion sickness”.
It is seen when a person is watching films and playing video games. Sometimes motion sickness is seen when a person is watching a movie which is filmed with a help of a hand-held camera.
3- Motion sickness caused when both systems detect motion but they do not correspond
Risk factors of Motion Sickness
Age- Children aged 2-12 years have severe symptoms of motion sickness.
Infants and toddlers generally do not produce prominent symptoms. Adults who are older than 50 years have no symptoms of motion sickness.
Females have more symptoms of motion sickness, especially during pregnancy, menses, or hormonal changes.
Migraine– Those people who get migraine headaches are more prone to motion sickness, especially during a migraine.
Sometimes under the influence of drugs, the symptoms of motion sickness get worse.
Symptoms of Motion Sickness
- Apathy
- Changes in respiratory rate and heart rate.
- Cold sweats
- Drowsiness
- Excessive salivation
- General discomfort.
- Headache
- Increased sensitivity to odors
- Irritability
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Pale skin
- Retching
- Sweating
- Vomiting
- Warm sensation
Various grade of symptoms are as follows-
Mild symptoms include-
- Belching
- Drowsiness
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Increase the frequency of urination
- Increased salivation
- Irritability
- Paleness of face
- Yawning
Moderate symptoms include
- Apathy
- Cold sweat
- Depression
- Disinterest in social activities
- Dizziness without vertigo
- Lack of interest in doing work
- Sense of warmth
- Vomiting
A severe case of motion sickness-
- Continuous retching
- Inability to walk
- Loss of stability
- Social isolation.
Triggers for Motion Sickness
- During the riding of the boat
- In airplane
- When sitting in the back seat of the vehicle
- When reading in the car
- In rare cases, it can also occur when a person has a problem in the inner ear like an in-ear infection
- In the older age group, it is seen in Parkinson’s disease
Cause of Motion Sickness
Motion Sickness occurs when there is an imbalance between our sensory parts of the body like the eyes and ears and the rest of our body. A very simple example is that when a person plays video games, his eyes may sense that he is moving with the game but in reality, he is not. So this imbalance causes motion sickness.
Complications– Dehydration and lack of eating can produce problems if the motion sickness is prolonged.
Tips to Prevent Motion Sickness
- Adding distractions like controlling breathing, listening to music, or use of mint or lavender.
- Always maintain a positive attitude.
- Always sit near a window.
- Attempt to sleep.
- Avoid air travel in storms and in difficult conditions.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Avoid discussing motion sickness.
- Avoid exposure to exhaust fumes.
- Avoid greasy, spicy, or acidic foods just before or during travel.
- Avoid riding if you can.
- Avoid smells that trigger nausea and dizziness like cigarette smoke.
- Avoid travel on water in storms and in large waves.
- Avoid unpleasant thoughts by listening to music.
- Choose a position that has plenty of air. In the case of summer, be sure that the car is well.
- Close eyes and hold head still.
- Don’t eat heavy meals when traveling. Go for smaller quantities of soft, plain food like mashed potatoes.
- Don’t read or look at your phone or tablet while traveling by car, plane, or boat.
- Don’t smoke before traveling.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat small amounts of food frequently.
- Flavored lozenges may also help.
- Get a good night’s rest before traveling.
- If a person feels dizzy, nauseous, or if he has a headache he must lie down.
- Look toward the motion or direction of travel.
- Sip ginger-root tea to help relieve nausea. Use a one-quarter-inch slice of ginger root boiled in a cup of water for 15 minutes.
- Sometimes lying prone, shutting eyes, sleeping, or looking at the horizon may help.
- Sometimes pressure bands help a lot. These bracelet-like products reduce nausea and vomiting by applying pressure to the wrist.
- Take motion sickness medicine an hour or two before you travel. If a person complains of seasickness, then it is suggested that he should take a front passenger seat. On a boat, sit at the midpoint of the boat. On an airplane, sit over the wing. On the train, face forward and sit near a window. All these seats are recommended as these positions have fewer bumps and a person can see the horizon.
- Wear sunglasses.
Homeopathic Remedies for Motion Sickness
1- Argentum nit- It is given when the patient feels deathly nausea along with headache. This feeling is not relieved even after vomiting. The patient has continuous vomiting of food with a smooth dry tongue. A person who needs this remedy is likely to be very anxious and feel both restless and exhausted. Nausea and vomiting can be accompanied by burning pain. The sight and smell of food, or odors of any kind, may make nausea unbearable. The person may feel a burning sensation in the throat or stomach and want frequent sips of water.
Dosage- Take one pill or five drops of the remedy every 1 to 4 hours (1 hour for intense symptoms, 4 hours for milder ones). Babies and children under 12 may be given one to two drops, though an “adult” dose is also acceptable. Once an improvement is noticed, stop dosing and repeat the remedy only if symptoms return. If there is no improvement at all by three doses, choose a different remedy or seek professional guidance.
2- Borax
It is one of the most important remedies given in cases of air sickness. It is given especially in cases where there is a sudden dip of aircraft which upsets most of the passengers. This is of great value in cases when the patient feels the first signs of uneasiness. It is given when a patient has a fear of downward motion, such as during the landing of an airplane.
Dosage-30 x, 4 pellets is given One dose 12 hours before the flight is given. After that, another dose is given 6 hours before the flight and another one is given just prior to entering the aircraft.
3- Cocculus
It is given to patients who feel that they would be all right if they get some sleep. The patients are very confused and it is very difficult for them co-relate to the situation. It is given when the patient’s feeling of nausea and vomiting is made worse by the motion of the vehicle in which he is riding. This condition is associated with a headache with a strange feeling in the head. The patient has vomiting with a feeling of vertigo when he is rising up from a lying position. Along with it is given when a patient has spasmodic pain in the stomach.
4- Tabacum- It is given when a patient has nausea with a great sense of weakness and along with this he has faintness. HE can hardly stand or sit up. It is given when a patient has symptoms like cold sweat with spells of suffocation. This condition is seen especially in the morning with faintness and cold sweat. The patient feels better by exposure to fresh air and feel worse by least motion.
Dosage- Give 3 pellets of 30 C every 15 to 30 minutes until you see improvement.
5- Arsenicum album– It is given when a patient has a thirst for cold water and cold food but when taken it is vomited immediately. It is given to a person who is very weak and exhausted after vomiting. Along with this complaint, the patient has burning pains with a red tongue and frequent pulse. It is given when a patient has sour vomiting which can at times be black. Vomiting is seen at night of the food items which he has taken in the day time.
Dosage-Give 4 pellets of 30C, 2 times a day for 5 days until you see improvement.
6- Veratrum album It is given when a patient has the feeling of nausea with the sensation of fainting with violent thirst with nausea with the sensation of fainting. The patient has vomiting with continuous nausea and great weakness. It is given when to a patient who has a pale face with a clean tongue. Vomiting is seen which is of food or acid of the stomach, bitter, foamy, and sometimes white or yellowish- green mucus. It is given for retching and relentless nausea with severe weakness.
Dosage-Give 4 pellets of 200, 2 times a day for 5 days until you see improvement.