Motion sickness is a condition where a person feels uneasy and/or dizzy accompanied by nausea which may lead to vomiting. This is caused once the motion perceived with your inner ear is contradictory from the motion that you see. This is a usual condition that occurs in people who travel by car, boat or plane. Motion sickness also occurs to people who ride the roller coaster or any similar amusement park ride.
Motion sickness can happen to anyone who travels, but pregnant women and children are more susceptible to motion sickness. Other factors such as the person’s fear or unease about traveling, what type of vehicle was used to travel, poor ventilation in a vehicle and incapability to see outside of the vehicle can increase the risk of motion sickness.
Motion sickness occurs when the brain receives confusing signals from the eyes and the inner ear causing the brain to get confused, this happens when you cannot see the motion that your body feels or if you cannot feel the motion that your eyes see.
Signs and symptoms of motion sickness:
- A feeling of uneasiness
- Cold sweats
- Dizziness
- Pale skin
- Increased saliva production
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
When is a visit to the doctor necessary for motion sickness?
In most cases of motion sickness, a visit to the doctor is not necessary. In cases where a person starts developing signs of dehydration from constantly vomiting requires a trip to the doctor. But for most people, this shouldn’t happen as symptoms should start to slowly decrease and then completely disappear.
Treatment
There are various treatment options for motion sickness. A simple change in the environment (such as sitting by an open window of the vehicle), over-the-counter medication, eating a mint, or home remedies for some people.
The use of over-the-counter medications can assist in relieving the symptoms of motion sickness and can also prevent it in some cases, these medications include:
- Scopolamine
- Dimenhydrinate
- Meclizine
- Promethazine
- Diphenhydramine
- Cyclizine
Read the instructions on these drugs before you take any of them as they can have side effects such as drowsiness, blurry vision, dry mouth and disorientation. If you are driving, planning to drive, or operate heavy equipment then do not take medications that have these side effects.
You can treat motion sickness with home remedies by herbs such as ginger, peppermint, or tea. Acupuncture also works as a home remedy for some people.
FACT CHECK
https://www.medicinenet.com/motion_sickness_sea_sickness_car_sickness/article.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_sickness
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ear-infection/motion-sickness#1