Motion Sickness (motion Sickness): Causes And Remedies
In series and movies, or directly in real life, it is common to see how many people get dizzy before a boat trip and end up vomiting overboard.
It is also not unusual to think of someone who gets dizzy on a car trip and needs to take some type of anti-sickness medication or gum. In both cases, we are faced with an annoying problem called motion sickness or motion sickness.
Motion sickness, motion sickness, or motion sickness is a state of discomfort in the presence of movements accelerators or decelerators.
It is a very common phenomenon that under certain conditions can appear in most of the population, and is not something worrying or indicative of a serious problem. However, it is usually more common in women than in men, as well as in the population ranging from two to twenty years of age.
Symptoms of motion sickness
Motion sickness is characterized by the presence of gastric disorders such as nausea and vomiting along with sweating, hyperventilation, low blood pressure, headache and a feeling of lightheadedness and distress. Subsequently, great fatigue usually occurs.
The discomfort typical of motion sickness usually occurs in situations in which we are moving in a vehicle. Although our body remains still within it, it is in constant movement that causes a contradiction between our balance and our vision. It generally appears when we take a trip by car or by boat (it also appears on planes and trains).
Curiously It does not usually appear in transportation methods such as the subwayprobably because the perception of external objects is much more limited as they are limited to the tunnel in question. The presence of motion sickness has also been observed in virtual reality environments, because what we see and our position and balance are not coordinated.
Why does it occur?
Motion sickness is mainly caused by the presence of a mismatch between the vestibular information coming from the inner ear and the visual information. While the first (which informs us of the position of the body with respect to the ground and allows us to maintain balance) detects that our body is immobile, our visual system reflects the opposite when observing that the environment moves at high speed. This is especially visible when we try to read or fix our eyes on something stationary in a vehicle whose movement is perceptible, at which time discomfort may appear or be accentuated.
Likewise, aspects such as the emotional state of the subject and the absence of good ventilation (Anyone who suffers from motion sickness or knows someone who does often finds themselves needing to open the windows to allow air to circulate) can influence the presence or intensity of the symptoms.
And how do we prevent it?
Motion sickness is a problem that It can be annoying when we have to travel or transport ourselves from one place to another in some type of vehicle. Specific symptoms are difficult to treat once they have started, but they can be prevented by following different strategies.
First of all, the position we occupy in the vehicle actively influences the suffering of symptoms. The person driving or those who take positions that allow us to focus attention on a fixed point where we do not perceive movement usually do not suffer from the effects of motion sickness. The same happens when traveling facing the direction of travel (seeing objects moving away is more dizzy than the opposite), and when the subject is located in the areas with the least amount of movement of the vehicle.
2. Ventilation
Ventilation is, as we have said, a relevant aspect. The perception of unpleasant odors It adds to the contradiction between vision and balance, generating greater discomfort and gastrointestinal movement. Therefore, one way to prevent it is to place ourselves in an area with constant ventilation. Smoking can also be harmful, so it is recommended not to do so before or during the trip.
3. Intake and consumption of alcohol
Another aspect to prevent is excessive intake. It is recommended eat and drink in small amounts If we are going to take a trip next. However, both eating too much and not eating can be harmful and cause a higher level of discomfort in the subject. Alcohol consumption also aggravates the discomfort
4. Medication
Chewing gum or consuming antikinetic drugs such as the well-known Biodramine Before the trip it is usually effective, although in the case of drugs, special caution must be taken since they usually cause hypnotic-sedative effects that can alter perception and reflexes, so they should not be taken if you are going to drive.
Sleeping during the trip can be a strategy to avoid noticing the effects of motion sickness. And even if we don’t sleep it is advisable to close your eyes. Likewise, it is recommended to have rested properly before starting the trip.
6. Vehicle control
The type of movements the vehicle makes is also important. Curves and sudden changes in direction or speed They can generate a higher level of discomfort or initiate symptoms, so they could be avoided if possible.
7. Activities
Activities that focus on a specific element while noticing the movement of objects outside are contraindicated. For example, reading, sending text messages or watching television or videos on your cell phone can cause kinetic dizziness.
8. Habituation
In some cases in which people must, due to their profession, undergo large accelerations that can cause dizziness It is very useful to carry out tasks that allow habituation to these conditions.
