Aqib neaz zohaalmost 6 years ago

Motion Sickness

Hi there, you do obviously love long journeys like me. But do you know, there are some people who get afraid of a journey in a vehicle and the reason is nausea. Even someone does vomiting in a vehicle. Let’s know something about this. We called this situation medically “Motion sickness” What is Motion sickness? Motion sickness is a common problem in people traveling by bus or car, train, airplanes, and especially boats. It usually quiets down as soon as the motion stops. The more you travel, the more easily you’ll adjust to being in motion. We also called it “Kinetosis”. Who gets Motion sickness? Anyone can get it, but it is more common in women especially pregnant women and 2–12 years of children. People who suffer from migraine headaches are also more prone to motion sickness. It’s not contagious. What causes Motion sickness? Motion sickness is a common disturbance of the inner ear (inner ear is the area of the body that affects your sense of balance and equilibrium). The reason for motion sickness is quite interesting. Motion sickness happens when your brain receives conflicting messages about motion and your body’s position. The conflicting messages are delivered from your inner ear, your eyes (what you see), your skin receptors (what you feel), and muscle and joint sensors. Say you’re on a plane, you feel like you’re moving, but your eyes tell your brain that you don’t appear to be going anywhere. These conflict senses make you motion sickness. Let’s see another example; if you are reading on your phone while riding a bus, your eyes are focused on something that is not moving, but your inner ear senses motion. Your brain can’t take in all those mixed signals. The result is the same: Motion sickness. How many categories of Motion sickness are there? Specifically, we can divide Motion sickness into three categories. They are: • Air sickness: Specific form of motion sickness which is induced by air travel • Car sickness: Specific form of motion sickness which is induced by road travel. • Sea sickness: Specific form of motion sickness which is induced by sea travel. Why do some people get motion sickness and some do not? You may have a question on your mind. Why some people face this condition and some people don’t. The reason? Is our brain different? Everyone has the capacity to become motion sick, but there’s no real explanation for why some people do and others don’t. The reason may be some people is good at processing motion and other people don’t good at processing those, that’s why they get motion sickness. Motion sickness often runs in families such that children of motion sick prone parent are five times more likely to also be motion sick prone. There is a strong correlation between identical twins such that if one has motion sickness, the other almost always does as well. Both conditions are linked to the brain’s ability to process sensory information. It’s also more common in people of Asian descent. Certain medications that increase nausea may also contribute to motion sickness susceptibility. What are the symptoms of Motion sickness? Symptoms can strike without warning. They can get worse quickly. You may feel dizziness, nausea, vomiting. You break out in cold sweat (Cold sweat refers to sudden sweating that doesn’t come from heat or exertion) and fatigue. A person with motion sickness may become pale or complain of a headache. Can Motion sickness be prevented? If you know you get motion sickness when traveling, plan ahead. These steps can prevent it or relieve the symptoms:  Pick a right seat for you. Such as: • In a vehicle, Drive or Sit in the front seat • On a train, Always face forward and sit near a window. • In a boat, request a cabin in the front or middle of the ship near the water level. • In an airplane, choose a seat near the front of the aircraft, or beside a wing. You should experience less motion in these areas. A window seat can help as well.  Don’t read while riding in a car, plane or boat. Look out the window at the horizon. Look at a distant object. Closing your eyes can help, too.  Get a good night’s sleep the evening before you travel. Being overtired can make you more susceptible to motion sickness.  Avoid alcohol. Eat lightly before travel but don’t fast. Stay away from greasy or acidic foods before and during your travels.  Don’t smoke or sit near smokers.  Many experts say peppermint can help, as well as ginger and black horehound. What is the treatment for Motion sickness? Common medicines that treat motion sickness include Meclizine, diphenhydramine, dimenhydrinate, scopolamine. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommends scopolamine. It eases nausea and vomiting. It does not make you sleepy. A skin patch works best. Antihistamines are helpful. However, these usually make you sleepy. Non-drowsy antihistamines are not effective in treating or preventing motion sickness. Meclizine is much less sedating. Nonsedating antihistamines such as fexofenadine are not effective in treating motion sickness. Another type of medicine is called antiemetic. These are used to treat nausea and vomiting. **Before taking any kind of medicine first talk to you doctor** When should you see a doctor? Motion sickness usually goes away once the journey is over. But if you’re still dizzy, have a headache, continue to vomit, notice chest pain, call your doctor. Finally, thank you for reading my article. Writer: AQIB NEAZ ZOHA JINZHOU MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, CHINA **References: Centers for disease control and prevention Mayo Clinic Cleveland Clinic SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN USA Today Wikipedia Dr. Steven Rauch, M.D., (medical director at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Balance and Vestibular Center and professor of otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School) Dr. Terry Fife, M.D., (director of the balance disorders and vestibular neurology program at Barrow Neurological Institute and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology) Web link: medicinenet.com nhs.uk medlineplus.gov webmed.com medlink.com Self.com familydoctor.org verywellhealth.com healthline.com