1.What is seasickness?
If you've ever felt sick while on a boat or on an airplane, then you know what seasickness
.
Or, more simply put, you understand what the phrase motion sickness
. Although motion sickness is not considered a long-term health problem or serious illness, motion sickness can make life very uncomfortable, especially if you travel frequently.
People can get motion sickness while traveling in cars, on planes, trains, on attractions, on boats and ships. Video games, flight simulators, and even studying objects through a microscope can also cause motion sickness. What these activities have in common is that the eyes see some movement, but the body does not feel it.
According to statistics, children from 5 to 12 years old, women and older people are more likely to suffer from motion sickness. And babies under 2 years old almost never get motion sickness!
As a rule, symptoms of motion sickness in transport
there is general malaise, nausea, vomiting, headache, pallor and cold sweat.
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Motion sickness in transport
Motion sickness in transport (kinetosis, seasickness or air sickness) is a problem that causes discomfort not only for children, but also for adults.
According to statistics: 30% of the world's population suffers from motion sickness syndrome, and in extreme cases (swinging during sea cruises, etc.) - 70% of the population is susceptible to this ailment.
- The vestibular apparatus is located in the inner ear and is a complex of a labyrinth of tubes with sensitive villi that are responsible for the balance of the body. The organ that regulates the position of the body in space in a balanced state is finally formed in adolescence
- The organ of vision and the vestibular apparatus are interconnected. This allows a person to sense himself in space with great accuracy even with his eyes closed. Receptors of the vestibular apparatus allow you to perceive the position of the head and body movement in space
- Kinetosis or motion sickness occurs when moving, this syndrome is especially felt on winding and serpentine roads, at fast speeds, and pitching at sea. The discrepancy between a person’s visual perception and the work of the vestibular apparatus is transmitted to the brain in the form of an impulse about a stressful situation in the body
- The brain, our “smart” computer, reacts to a force majeure situation by sending an impact on the autonomic system: cardiovascular and digestive. A person develops a feeling of fear, heart rate increases, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, nausea, and vomiting occur.
- After the end of the trip, these phenomena, as a rule, go away without medical or medication intervention.
In most cases, motion sickness occurs:
- in the car
- on a plane (air sickness)
- at sea (sea sickness)
- in a cinema with 3D effect
- on the rides
Factors contributing to motion sickness:
- children's age (from 2 to 12 years)
- pregnancy and menstruation in women
- elderly people with pathology of the cardiovascular system
- taking certain medications: antidepressants, antibiotics.
- previous otitis media and eye diseases (astigmatism, strabismus)
- Smoking in a car and using hanging air fresheners in the cabin contribute to motion sickness.
The main symptoms of motion sickness are:
- dizziness
- headache
- heartbeat
- weakness
- pale skin
- cold sweat
- increased salivation
- nausea
- vomit
Prolonged motion sickness with severe vomiting can cause arterial hypotension, weakness, impaired clarity of consciousness, dehydration and even lead to long-term depression.
You can and should fight motion sickness. You should not refuse exciting trips just because you are afraid of unpleasant manifestations of the disease. In severe cases of kinetosis, you can consult a doctor and purchase the necessary medications for the duration of your movement. But it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it. In this case, an integrated approach to the problem of kinetosis will help.
Sports activities are a means of preventing motion sickness. It is no secret that trained people who play sports and lead an active lifestyle have a well-developed vestibular system. Therefore, active sports activities are recommended to strengthen the balance organ. Aerobics, volleyball, football, swimming, running, skating, gymnastic exercises on the horizontal bar, yoga classes not only strengthen certain muscles of the body, but also develop body position in space, strengthen the vestibular apparatus, develop coordination and stability. Strengthening the child’s vestibular system helps to reduce and even avoid motion sickness syndrome in the future.
Exercises to strengthen the balance organ are varied. A daily small set of special rotations of the head and torso will help strengthen the vestibular apparatus within 2-3 months.
- Smooth tilts of the head to the sides towards the shoulders.
- Slow rotation of the head clockwise and counterclockwise.
- Tilts and turns of the body to the right and left.
Exercises should be included in morning exercise complexes and performed 8-16 times.
Swings and carousels are an effective way to strengthen children's vestibular apparatus.
Remedies for motion sickness
Each person chooses how to avoid motion sickness individually, depending on the degree of susceptibility to this disease. All remedies for motion sickness can be divided into two groups: active and passive.
Active means include preventive methods in the form of strengthening the vestibular apparatus through sports exercises. This method is reliable and effective, but training the vestibular apparatus occurs gradually. It takes 2-3 months, or even more, to feel the results.
What to do if you have a long trip ahead or are tempted by a tempting offer of a vacation with a flight or a cruise on a ship? In this case, you can resort to passive remedies for motion sickness by using:
- motion sickness patches
- pills for motion sickness
- motion sickness bracelet
- Motion sickness patch
- The principle of operation of the motion sickness patch is the subcutaneous effect of active substances from plants in minimal dosages. The alkaloid used as herbal medicinal components is scopolamine (hyoscine) from a poisonous plant of the nightshade family: Datura.
- The amount of alkaloid is very small and does not have a toxic effect on the body. Other types of motion sickness patches add extracts of peppermint and ginger plants.
Using motion sickness patches is very convenient: remove the protective film from the patch and attach the patch behind your ears 30-40 minutes before the trip. After 3-6 hours you should change the patch for a new one. Some types of patches retain their anti-sickness effect for up to 3-4 days. Each package of patches from different brands contains detailed instructions for use.
Pills for motion sickness
Medications to alleviate and stop motion sickness can be divided into two groups:
- homeopathic medicines
- antihistamines and anticholinergics
Homeopathic medicines against motion sickness
Homeopathic medicines against motion sickness are made from natural ingredients of plant, animal or mineral origin. Medicines are produced using special technology, using ingredients in minute doses in the form of dilutions.
As a rule, homeopathic medicines have no side effects and are well tolerated by both adults and children. Currently, the pharmacy chain offers the following homeopathic medicines for motion sickness:
- Avia-sea table No. 20 LLC NPF Materia Medica Holding, Russia
- Cocculin table No. 30 Laboratory Boiron, France
- Vertigohel tablet No. 50, drops 30 ml Biologische Heilmittel Heel, Germany
People susceptible to motion sickness in vehicles are advised to take special antihistamines or antiallergic drugs recommended by a doctor for these purposes. The mechanism of operation of such medications comes down to interrupting the signal in the brain about the stressful state of the body, caused by inconsistency in the work of the vestibular apparatus, vision and deep muscle fibers during movement. For these purposes, a group of drugs of different brands with the active ingredient - dimenhydrinate - has proven itself well.
Anti-sickness bracelet for children
An anti-sickness bracelet is an excellent alternative for children and people who do not tolerate medications well. The principle of acupuncture influence on certain points of the wrist makes it possible to avoid or reduce motion sickness syndrome: dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Sets of bracelets for children are available for sale. The ease of use, accessibility and effectiveness of motion sickness bracelets allows you to use this product for different types of movement: in a car, bus, plane, sea transport.
Bracelets are put on the wrists of both hands before the road. The balls built into the working surface of the bracelets apply pressure to the points responsible for the functioning of the vestibular apparatus and prevent the occurrence of nausea and the gag reflex.
The bracelet does not contain medications, is comfortable and is perceived by the child as a toy. In rare cases, the bracelet may cause sweating and slight swelling of the wrist. In this case, you should temporarily remove the product from your hands.
How to avoid motion sickness:
- It’s good to get enough sleep before the trip and limit smoking a day or two before the trip, 3 – stop drinking any alcoholic beverages (including low-alcohol drinks) two to three days before the trip.
- In moving vehicles, you should not look out the side windows. The vision should be directed forward, and the side windows should be shaded
- Small children should be transported in special travel seats
- It is recommended to refrain from eating 6-12 hours before the trip; do not feed children heavily before a long journey
- On the eve of travel, you should not eat fatty and heavy foods, you should avoid drinking alcoholic beverages
- People susceptible to motion sickness in transport are not recommended to read while driving
- On airplanes and buses, you should choose seats closer to the wing of the airplane or the cockpit of the pilot and driver.
- In moving vehicles, it is recommended to sit in the direction of travel.
- Sucking on lollipops while traveling significantly reduces the risk of kinetosis.
- It is an established fact: at night a person tolerates traveling much easier than during the day. Therefore, try to travel in the late evening or at night.
- When traveling, try to avoid overheating and hypothermia.
- Don't think about possible motion sickness; distract yourself by, for example, listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a puzzle.
- At the first signs of motion sickness, start massaging your wrist and palms, and change your breathing to deep and rhythmic.
- Always keep cool drinking water with you, drink it, wipe your neck, face and temples with a handkerchief soaked in it.
- Frequently drink chilled liquid with lemon or mint in small sips.
Head of OMR Mayorova L.N.
2. Cause of motion sickness and seasickness
Cause of motion sickness and seasickness
refers to situations where the inner ear, eyes, and other parts of the body that detect movement send unexpected or conflicting signals to the brain. One part of the body responsible for balance (such as the inner ear, eyes, or nerves that help maintain balance) may sense that the body is moving, but other parts of the body do not feel the movement. For example, if you are in the cabin of a large moving ship, your inner ear may perceive movement in the waves, but your eyes will not see any movement. A conflict arises between feelings and, as a result, seasickness or motion sickness.
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Why does motion sickness occur?
Signals to the brain about the position of the body in space come from several systems at once. The vestibular apparatus, which is located in the middle ear, perceives acceleration, speed of movement, and the location of a person. The brain receives additional information from sensory receptors located throughout the body and the organ of vision. If there is a discrepancy between the signals, signs of motion sickness appear.
The body's reaction depends on age. In children aged 1 year, the vestibular apparatus is not yet developed, and vision is not used by the brain for orientation in space, so they do not develop motion sickness. With age, the nervous system trains and maintains a model of reaction to the action of a stimulus. Therefore, symptoms of seasickness appear less frequently.
3.Remedies for motion sickness
In the fight against motion sickness in transport, it is best to try to prevent symptoms
, because if you are already getting motion sickness, it will be more difficult to stop the process.
If after moving you start to feel motion sick, the discomfort will go away only after you stop. If it is impossible to stop moving, reduce the symptoms of motion sickness
(nausea, discomfort) by sitting or lying in the area that moves the least.
On an airplane, sit near the wings. On a boat or ship, stay on the deck and look at the horizon. Or try sitting or lying down in a cabin in the center of the ship. Here are some more remedies for motion sickness:
- Move your head as little as possible. Try to keep your head still, lean on the headrest.
- If you are sailing on a ship, try to provide access to fresh air. On deck, look at one point on the horizon.
- When you are driving, do not read or watch TV.
- Avoid alcohol and heavy foods before traveling.
- During a long flight, eat small meals. Give preference to foods that are easy to digest.
- Try to avoid strong odors and spicy foods.
- Eat some dry crackers.
- Get some fresh air if possible.
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Where motion sickness may occur
A trip on any transport can be a provoking factor. Sea travel ranks first in terms of the frequency of symptoms. The risk increases if a person is in a closed cabin while moving and cannot monitor the movement of the vessel.
In childhood, during pregnancy, motion sickness occurs in a car when driving in the back seat. The reaction occurs due to a discrepancy between the sensations received by the visual analyzer and the vestibular apparatus. Signs of seasickness are also common when traveling by plane. Symptoms appear from the moment of a change in altitude, a turn, or when entering air pockets.
Malaise is least likely to occur in railway transport. Symptoms appear when sitting at the rear of a moving train. The probability is higher when traveling on a high-speed train that moves faster than 200 km/h.
Motion sickness occurs even among astronauts who are preparing for flights and training the vestibular apparatus. But in this case, the cause of the disease is weightlessness, which disrupts the functioning of the middle ear.
4.Medicines for motion sickness
There are also medicines for motion sickness
. Some of them are sold without a prescription, others can be prescribed by a doctor. These anti-motion sickness medications will help reduce nausea and prevent vomiting. Moreover, most drugs help better if they are taken in advance, some time before the trip. The way motion sickness medications work varies. Some drugs are sedative and minimize the effect of movement. Others simply help with nausea.
Some people recommend non-medical remedies for motion sickness - capsules with powdered ginger, special bracelets for motion sickness. In fact, all these methods are safe, and you can try them out. But there is no medical evidence that all these remedies for motion sickness really help.
Symptoms of motion sickness
Signs of motion sickness develop gradually. It all starts with feeling unwell, yawning, and deep breathing. The skin becomes pale and saliva is produced profusely. A sign of irritation of the peripheral nervous system is cold, sticky sweat.
When experiencing motion sickness, the first symptoms may include:
- drowsiness;
- dizziness;
- headache;
- feeling tired.
They are followed by nausea and vomiting, and coordination of movements may be impaired. If the trip is long, seasickness leads to a decrease in blood pressure. Uncontrollable vomiting can cause severe dehydration.
Each person experiences motion sickness with a different set of symptoms. Therefore, the predominance of signs of disorders in the nervous system, digestive tract, and cardiovascular system is distinguished. But most often there is a mixed form.
Aminalon
This drug for motion sickness is available in the form of tablets and powder in sachets. Dispensed with a doctor's prescription. The active substance of the anti-sickness remedy is gamma-aminobutyric acid, which has a nootropic effect. "Aminalon" improves metabolic processes in the brain, stimulates the removal of metabolic products from tissues. These tablets are prescribed for various types of motion sickness, as well as to stimulate mental development and for various neurological problems. For motion sickness, the drug is taken twice a day, the course is 3-4 days (in advance, before the trip). Aminalon has virtually no side effects. Contraindications:
allergy to the components of the product, individual intolerance to the drug.
Aminalon
Planet organics
Vascular diseases of the brain (atherosclerosis, hypertension) and dynamic disorders of cerebral circulation, post-stroke period and brain injuries (to restore memory, speech), dementia, alcoholic polyneuritis, motion sickness symptom complex.
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