The content of the article:
- "Motion sickness" - causes and symptoms
- Medicines against kinetosis
- What to do if you get seasick in your car
- How to reduce the risk of seasickness while driving
- If the child is seasick
- Latent syndrome
All people are susceptible to motion sickness in transport, land, water or air, to a greater or lesser extent. Someone is struggling with this ailment all their lives, even suffering from trips in a city bus, and someone does not even suspect about it until they change one type of movement to another. The secondary reasons may be different, but the main one is the concern of the vestibular apparatus about the position of our body in space.
"Motion sickness" - causes and symptoms
For the first time, a person encountered motion sickness syndrome while on board a ship, hence the name. However, in our time, "seasickness" is most often found not at sea, but on highways.
Motion sickness syndrome, or in medical terminology, kinetosis is the body's response to rhythmic continuous movements that the body feels.
Responsible for this ailment is the vestibular apparatus located in the inner ear. Its functions are to analyze information coming from the outside and, based on the data obtained, to control the position of the body in space.
But when a person gets into a car or a ship, there is a conflict between sensations and reality. The position of the body indicates that the person is sitting / standing, but other sensations convince the vestibular apparatus that it is moving. Such a discrepancy provokes a malfunction of the organ, causing motion sickness symptoms.
There are 4 forms of kinetosis:
- Nervous kinetosis. The symptoms are:
- dizziness;
- headache, heaviness;
- a state of drowsiness;
- general weakness.
- Gastrointestinal form. Symptoms:
- soapy taste in the mouth;
- nausea;
- vomit;
- hypersensitivity to odors.
- Cardiovascular form. Initial stage symptoms:
- lost heart rhythm;
- high blood pressure;
- cardiopalmus.
- Mixed form. This type of motion sickness occurs most often and is a combination of two or all forms of kinetosis.
Symptoms with prolonged motion sickness:
- lowering blood pressure;
- shallow breathing;
- the pulse becomes slower.
For people with heart disease, long trips with symptoms can be dangerous.
Science has not fully studied the effect of the vestibular apparatus; only the general principles of its functioning and the main ways of dealing with the consequences of this functioning are known. Medicine has not even come to a definite conclusion whether the manifestation of kinetosis is a deviation from the norm or a natural reaction of the body.
Medicines for motion sickness
Medication as a fight against the disease is quite effective. Many of them are made on the basis of natural ingredients, for example, with the extract of the same mint. But almost all drugs have side effects - they cause lethargy and drowsiness. This allows you to lull the vigilance of the vestibular apparatus.
Medicines are suitable for one-time travel and travel, but you will not take them every day. And the rhythm of life in our time involves the daily use of, if not a personal car, then at least city minibuses. Therefore, whether you want to or not, you will have to look for other ways to deal with this ailment.
What to do if you get seasick in the car
The first thing to do is find out the reason. There can be two of them: some specific ailments or the general condition of the body.
If the symptoms of kinetosis are too intense and are clearly manifested even during short trips, then you should undergo a medical examination. Some diseases (for example, gastrointestinal) can provoke severe motion sickness even in elevators, not to mention traveling by car.
The second reason is more prosaic - general physical condition. A sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, overeating, etc. - all this leads not only to a general depression, but also to malfunctions of the vestibular apparatus.
How to get rid of motion sickness syndrome? Here are some important ways:
Healthy lifestyle
Yes, a hackneyed rule that has already set everyone on edge. However, its effectiveness did not decrease from this. If the comfort while traveling in transport is more dear to you than bad habits, you should begin to deny yourself them.
The motion sickness syndrome provokes:
- smoking and alcohol;
- fatty, sweet, heavy foods;
- passive lifestyle;
- constant presence in a stuffy room (poorly ventilated office, workshop).
Not necessarily fanatic, but 10-minute morning exercises, regular walking and replacing a few extra bottles of beer with fruit juice have not done any serious "damage" to any lifestyle.
Vestibular training
The vestibular apparatus can and should be trained. Numerous observations have confirmed that people who initially suffered from motion sickness, with constant travel or flights, got used to the new condition and the symptoms disappeared.
To "pump up" the vestibular apparatus, you should pay special attention to exercises for coordination and balance. Dances (especially waltz), aerobics, riding a carousel and other active activities, where it is necessary to spin or make sudden movements, have a good effect on the state of the body. That is why you should take your children to the rides - such entertainment will help reduce the risk of motion sickness in the future.
If there is no time or desire for such amusements, you can perform simple exercises at home:
Training with a glance
The simplest thing to do is circular eye movements. Up and down, left and right, in a circle. This exercise can be done several times a day, anywhere.
Head rotation
You can do it while standing or sitting on a chair. Looking forward, lift your head up, then take to the right shoulder, then to the left and up again. Repeat several times, then do the same in the other direction. You can also perform circular head movements.
Turns in place
The most effective exercise for balance and coordination. All that is needed is to stand in one place and make several turns around its axis. You can start with one or two turns and increase their number as you get used to.
All of the above will help, if not completely get rid of seasickness, then reduce the intensity of symptoms and turn car travel into a less painful process.
How to reduce the risk of motion sickness while driving
In addition to the long-term preparation of your body, described above, you can resort to short-term methods.
Rest well
A good 8-hour sleep has a beneficial effect on the body and improves well-being. Getting enough sleep is especially important before long trips.
Avoid drinking alcohol, limit smoking
If you do not want to lead a completely healthy lifestyle, then at least on the eve of a long trip, give up alcohol and excessive smoking. And of course you shouldn't drink alcohol on the way.
Do not overuse food
It is best to get into the car 30-60 minutes after a meal - the food should be light, in no case greasy. You should also avoid sweet and carbonated drinks.
But breakfast / lunch should be nutritious enough not to feel weak.
Eliminate odors during your trip
Do not use perfumes or heavily scented creams or deodorants. And ask other fellow travelers not to do this. Even a subtle smell of cream in the car can cause headaches or nausea. Not to mention the harsh or overly sweet perfumes, from which people who are resistant to motion sickness feel bad.
This also applies to car air fresheners.
Open the window
After smells, stuffiness and stale air becomes the enemy in the car. Be sure to open the window a little, even if the cabin is cool.
Sit in the front seat
And look in front of you, concentrating on the road, closer to the horizon or just far away. If it is not possible to sit next to the driver, still try to look forward through the windshield or concentrate on something in the cabin.
Find yourself something to do
Something fun and active, if not for the body, then for the brain. For example, a game, an interesting conversation, or, in extreme cases, gymnastics for the wrists - at least something that will help distract the senses from a "non-standard" situation and give you the opportunity to concentrate on something specific.
But in no case should you do relaxing things, such as reading or playing calm music. This will only make the situation worse.
Listen to rhythmic music
One that will take possession of not only the mind, but also the body. Aggressive rock or fast dance tunes are ideal.
Drink enough (just enough, not a lot) fluids
Take plain water on the road, you can add mint infusion or drops to it. Peppermint has the ability to eliminate nausea and the urge to vomit. You can also stock up on mints.
Choose the right clothes
Any discomfort to the body aggravates the symptoms of motion sickness. Therefore, make sure that you are not cold, and even more so hot. Grab a jacket or jacket in reserve, which you can put on or take off if necessary.
Carry an acupressure bracelet with you
If you are susceptible to seasickness, then it will not be superfluous to buy a special bracelet. It creates pressure on a specific point on the wrist (called the pericardial point-6), thereby reducing the intensity of headaches and nausea during movement.
If the child is seasick
The vestibular apparatus and its functioning are fully formed by the age of 13-15. Therefore, children, especially small ones, are very often prone to motion sickness.
The methods of dealing with symptoms in children are the same as in adults - fresh air, light food, nothing sweet or carbonated, and no odors. Find something to do or try to get your child to sleep if possible. In a dream, a person is not susceptible to motion sickness (this is also relevant for adults).
You can give your child diluted apple juice instead of pure water. If he doesn't mind, add a little peppermint or ginger to the drink. Also, it will not be superfluous to stock up on mints. In addition to the mint effect, the lozenges will make the child swallow regularly, which also eliminates nausea and the urge to vomit.
Hidden motion sickness syndrome
It often happens that a person learns about his propensity for seasickness by changing to another mode of transport or even changing the car. This often happens even among seasoned sailors, who, for example, spent their whole lives on a fishing ship, and then, being on the liner, suffered more than land passengers. This fact only confirms that the vestibular apparatus needs to be trained.
In the auto world, this happens if you change the car or the road. For example, on a car with poor depreciation, where the passenger is constantly shaking, or when driving on city streets, a person feels normal. But the high-speed lane and a new car, in which the movement is not felt, instantly bring people into a state of kinetosis, who seem to be not susceptible to this ailment.
Drivers often suffer from latent seasickness. While a person is driving, he is completely focused on the driving process, the commands to the receptors of the vestibular apparatus are "correct" and correspond to his actions. But as soon as the driver moves to the passenger seat, a classic conflict of sensations and reality sets in - I see and feel completely different from what I do.
In most cases, you can get rid of this disease, or at least reduce its intensity. But a certain number of people are endowed with, so to speak, chronic motion sickness syndrome. And nothing can be done about it. The problem, most likely, lies in the violation of the development of the vestibular apparatus, but medicine does not yet have accurate information on this issue.
