Motion sickness occurs when one part of your balance-sensing system (your inner ear, eyes, and sensory nerves) senses that your body is moving, but the other parts don't. For example, if you are in the cabin of a moving ship, your inner ear may sense the motion of waves, but your eyes don't see any movement. While it may be impossible to prevent all cases of motion sickness, the following tips can help you prevent or lessen the severity of motion sickness:
- Be well rested before setting sail. Missing sleep and feeling exhausted make you more susceptible to factors that can cause motion sickness.
- Watch your consumption of foods, drinks, and alcohol before and during travel. Avoid excessive alcohol and foods or liquids that "do not agree with you" or make you feel unusually full. Heavy, spicy, or fat-rich foods may worsen motion sickness in some people. The best foods are light and bland, such as saltine crackers, plain bread, or pretzels. Having some food in your stomach is better than having an empty stomach, but be careful not to eat too much. Also, you might want to sip some ginger ale: Ginger is a well-known natural remedy for motion sickness. Peppermint also may have calming effects on the stomach. Many people find that eating crackers along with drinking water or soda helps.
- Avoiding strong food odors may also help prevent nausea.
- Try to choose a seat where you will experience the least motion. On a ship, the center of a ship nearest to the waterline generally has least motion.
- Do not sit facing backwards from your direction of travel.
- Sit where you can see the horizon. It can sometimes help to keep your gaze fixed on the horizon or on a fixed point.
- Do not read while traveling if you are prone to motion sickness.
- Get fresh air.
- Isolate yourself from others who may be suffering from motion sickness. Hearing others talk about motion sickness or seeing others becoming ill can sometimes make you feel ill yourself.
- The over-the-counter medication meclizine (Bonine, Antivert, Dramamine) can be a very effective preventive measure for short trips or for mild cases of motion sickness. Acupressure wristband wristbands apply pressure to a point on the wrist, generally where you wear a watch. Many people find the pressure helps them avoid nausea, one of the symptoms of motion sickness.
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