Health Conditions from A to Z

Motion Sickness

Motion sickness is a disorder usually caused by travel in a car, train, boat, and airplane, or by motion acceleration and deceleration by other means. Symptoms of motion sickness can range from mild to severe.

Mild symptoms include uneasiness, headache, and nausea. Severe symptoms include vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, inability to concentrate, excessive sweating and salivation, and severe distress. Prolonged motion sickness can produce depression, low blood pressure, dehydration, or worsen the condition of people who are already ill due to other factors.

What To Consider

Motion sickness is caused by the effects of movement on the inner ear, which helps control balance. Other contributing factors include anxiety, movement immediately after eating or eating too much, and poor ventilation.

Treatment of motion sickness is difficult compared to preventing it. People who are prone to motion sickness should position themselves where there is minimal motion, focus on a point on the horizon, and try to be in a well-ventilated area. If travel is short, they should also avoid drinking or eating during and two hours before travel starts and move as little as possible in their seats once the trip is underway.

Note
For people who are prone to motion sickness, having a bowel elimination before traveling can minimize the likelihood of an attack.

Self-Care Tips

Diet
For short trips, avoid eating and drinking at all. For longer trips, sip small amounts of fresh lemon or lime juice, green tea, or organic ginger tea.

Nutritional Supplementation
Take four ginger capsules two hours before travel begins, then one each hour during the trip itself. Other useful nutrients for preventing and minimizing motion sickness include vitamin B complex, vitamin B6, magnesium, and charcoal tablets.

Aromatherapy
A drop of peppermint oil placed on the tongue can often quickly resolve motion sickness and prevent it from happening in the first place.

Flower Essences
Rescue Remedy and Scleranthus are useful remedies. Add a few drops of each to pure filtered water and sip small amounts while traveling..

Herbs
Numerous clinical trials have shown ginger to be effective in preventing the symptoms of motion sickness. Ginger can be taken as an infusion, eaten raw, or as ginger capsules.

Homeopathy
Ipecac., Colchicum, Nux vom., Ignatia, and Belladonna are useful remedies, which can be taken separately or in combination with each other. Cocculus is also effective but must be taken alone.

Juice Therapy
Add the juice of ginger root to water or carrot juice and sip small amounts throughout your trip.

Caution

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