The shocking way to cure your seasickness
IF you are prone to feeling queasy when you step on board a boat, you’ll know there is normally very little you can do about it.
But scientists have been working on a device which they believe can ward off seasickness.
According to experts at Imperial College London, being given a mild electric shock to the scalp before you sail will prevent the feeling of nausea caused by confusing messages from our ears and eyes.
They are now developing a gadget that will plug into a mobile and deliver a short shock to the head via a set of electrodes. According to the Imperial scientists, whose research was published in the journal Neurology, the mild electrical current dampens the activity of the part of the brain responsible for processing motion signals.
This reduces the impact of confusing inputs received in the brain, preventing the problem that causes symptoms of motion sickness. Study leader Dr Qadeer Arshad said: ‘We are confident that within five to ten years people will be able to walk into a chemist and buy an anti-seasickness device.’
His co-author Professor Michael Gresty said: ‘Treatments for motion sickness are usually tablets that make people drowsy. But this treatment provides an effective measure to prevent motion sickness – with no apparent side effects.’