Tips to help you avoid getting seasick
MOTION sickness can strike at any time and can easily turn a fun boat cruise into a miserable experience.
It occurs when your brain can’t make sense of information sent from your eyes, ears and body, such as lots of motion – in a car, plane, boat, or amusement park ride, leaving you queasy, clammy or sick.
With summer approaching, the opportunities for travelling, cruising and sailing are endless. Try these tips.
Look to the horizon
This works best when you have a landmass or object to look at and is advised by sailors, backed by science.
Focusing on the horizon is a good tactic as motion sickness is caused in part by conflicting sensory signals to your brain; your eyes are telling it everything is still while your vestibular, the inner ear balance mechanism, says you’re moving. Looking at the horizon can help give your brain a point of reference, allowing it to sense the motion of the ship and your body’s movement with it.
Fresh air
Fresh air does wonders for clearing your head. Sit out at the front of your boat or ask to sit with the skipper in the cockpit as this is one of the highest places on a boat.
Medication
Since nausea is caused by neural activity, there are drugs available from your doctor that can help soothe the nerves in your inner ear or suppress the brain’s vomiting response. Typically these drugs come as a pill, which you should take before the symptoms of seasickness start.
Avoid seasick passengers Believe it or not, seasickness can spread. If you’re on a cruise ship or large pontoon boat, try to stay away from those who are already sick. Seeing or hearing others being sick won’t help you.
Sea bands
Taking their cue from ancient practices such as acupuncture; sea bands are elastic bracelets with a plastic stud attached to the inside of the band. This stud places pressure on an acupressure point believed to relieve nausea and vomiting. Sea bands are cheap and easy to find at many pharmacies.
Try ginger
Ginger is one of the best natural remedies. Ginger ale has been a remedy for feelings of nausea and vomiting for years. Try sipping a little and see how you feel. Some people prefer it carbonated and others prefer it flat. Ginger pills or even pieces of raw ginger may help.