Dr Natheera Indrasenan discusses the causes of and how to prevent or treat symptoms of motion sickness
As a doctor, I see patients suffering motion sickness caused by everyday reasons like driving, as well as others who avoid air travel because of the symptoms it causes. Not everybody is susceptible to motion sickness, but it can cause enormous problems and suffering for those who do.
Motion sickness occurs when the body receives conflicting information from the eyes, the vestibular centre (in the inner ear) and the body sensors (in the legs). The brain expects the information it gets from these to be consistent but, in some situations (such as travelling by car, ship, train, plane or even on a swing!) the information through the eyes is of rapid movement while the body is moving in a different way. The body responds to this mismatch with symptoms of motion sickness. These range from dizziness, excess salivation, pallor and nausea through to cold sweats, vomiting, fatigue and loss of concentration.
Episodes can also be triggered by poor ventilation or emotional factors like anxiety.
If you suffer with motion sickness then the good news is that with prolonged exposure your body adapts. But there are also specific steps I advise my patients that can help minimise the symptoms.
Prevention
1. On the road
Being the driver you are in control of the car, and this can lessen the effects of car sickness. If you have to be the passenger then ensure that you have a wide peripheral view of the surroundings – your senses can be confused by the sensation of travelling if you can't see the reason for it. So looking down to read a book, for example, can often trigger sickness. If you do feel unwell then don't hold your head in your hands – it'll just make things worse. Try to look up and keep an eye on the road.
Make sure you have good ventilation in the car, as the smell of smoke or other strong smells can trigger and aggravate motion sickness.
Also, avoid a heavy meal or excess alcohol as this will aggravate the motion sickness.
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Content last updated: 25/08/2005
About our doctor
As a GP, Dr Natheera Indrasenan realised she was seeing more and more patients with panic attacks, phobias, anxiety, low self-esteem and depression which could have been prevented if they were taught preventative skills. As a result she became passionate about teaching people preventative strategies using Neurolinguistic programming and Coaching skills to manage stress and to be more motivated and confident in their lives.
Dr Indrasenan now trains doctors in using these techniques with their patients, for themselves (doctors often have their own stresses to cope with!) and also members of the general public.
