Did you ever step off a boat or rollercoaster or get out of a car, feeling nauseous, dizzy, and otherwise awful? That is motion sickness. Any person can experience it; in fact, one in three people suffer from motion sickness in their lifetime. It is most common in children and pregnant women.
Motion sickness can occur during any form of travel, whether by car, bus, train, boat, or airplane. Occasionally amusement rides can cause it too. While it is not a severe condition, it can make travel stressful or uncomfortable.
Hence, before you travel again, follow the following tips for preventing and treating motion sickness to enjoy your journey.
What Causes Motion Sickness?
Motion sickness happens when your brain cannot make sense of information sent from your eyes, ears, and body. Usually, your brain receives signals from motion-sensing parts, including the eyes, inner ears, muscles, and joints. When these parts pass on conflicting messages, your brain can’t interpret whether you are stationary or moving. As your brain is confused, it makes you feel sick.
For example, while sitting in a car or bus, your eyes see trees passing by and register movement. Your inner ears also sense movement. At the same time, your muscles and joints sense that your body is still. The brain interprets a disconnect among these messages, which leads to motion sickness.
You can treat motion sickness by various means, including staying hydrated, taking THC Oil or ginger or lemon, sleeping, etc.
What Are the Symptoms of Motion Sickness?
Motion sickness can surprise you as you may feel fine one moment and then suddenly experience the following symptoms:
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Irritability
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Cold Sweats
- Inability to concentrate
- Gulping Of Air
Who Might Get Motion Sickness?
Motion sickness can affect anyone. According to a study, one in three people gets motion sickness at some point. Women and children above 2 years are most at risk of motion sickness.
Apart from it, the following factors can increase the chances of getting motion sickness.
- Inner Ear Disorder
- Menstrual Periods
- Migraine
- Pregnancy
- Family History of Motion Sickness
- Hormonal Birth Control
How To Manage Motion Sickness?
Following are the five tips to control motion sickness.
1. Use THC oil
If you are prone to motion sickness, you may wonder if cannabis can help. In short, the answer is yes.
Cannabis can impact your mental and physical health through the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system contains neurotransmitters and endocannabinoids, including Anandamide and 2- Arachidonoylglycerol. Endocannabinoids are responsible for numerous processes like nourishing homeostasis and modulating the immune and reflex systems. Cannabinoids in cannabis, such as THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol), can increase and decrease the neurotransmitter in the body through cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2.
According to research, ECS is responsible for stress, vomiting, and nausea, which are the symptoms of motion sickness. Consuming cannabis can influence ECS and these symptoms by activating cannabinoid receptors.
2. Eat Light Meals and Stay Hydrated
Though it can be tempting to fill up before travel to avoid eating packaged food during the journey, eating smaller and more frequent meals and drinking water is recommended. According to NIH, filling up your stomach before and during travel can upset your stomach and increase the chances of causing motion sickness.
Besides eating light meals, avoid salty, spicy, or greasy foods and minimize your intake of caffeine drinks and alcohol before and during your travel.
3. Press on the Acupressure Point
Traditional Chinese medicine says pressing on an acupressure point can relieve nausea. The acupressure point is located on the inner side of the forearm, just about two inches above the wrist, in between the two tendons.
Although there is a need for more research on the effectiveness of acupressure, early research on postoperative nausea and vomiting suggests that acupressure can ease nausea.
Besides pressing on the point using the finger, you can also use acupressure wristbands.
4. Look at the Horizon
Looking toward the horizon while traveling by boat, car, train or bus can help prevent motion sickness. Concentrating on the horizon diverts your mind and avoids sending conflicting messages to the brain. For that reason, you may not feel any symptoms of motion sickness.
5. Tilt Head in the Direction of the Turn
Rotatory motion and turns can cause severe motion sickness compared to traveling in a linear motion. Coordinating your body with the vehicle’s motion may help reduce motion sickness. According to a study, researchers found that travelers experienced reduced motion sickness when they tilted their heads in the direction of turn and kept their eyes open.
Therefore, next time you travel in a car, boat, or bus, concentrate on turns to control the symptoms of motion sickness.
Conclusion
The tips mentioned above may be worth considering if you are among the people who get motion sickness. But keep in mind there is limited research to support these tips. So, it is always a good idea to talk with your doctor to analyze the impact of trying these remedies.
