Also known as: Seasickness, Car sickness, Air sickness
Motion sickness is a general term for an unpleasant combination of symptoms, such as dizziness, nausea and vomiting, that can occur when you are traveling.
Motion sickness is thought to occur when there is a conflict between what your eyes see and what your inner ears, which help with balance, sense. Your brain receives a jumble of contrasting information, which is thought to bring on the symptoms of motion sickness.
You may be able to relieve the symptoms of motion sickness by using the self-care techniques below:
Minimize head and body movements
Fix your vision on a stable object
Get some fresh air
Relax
Medication
Several medications can be used to treat motion sickness. However, as motion sickness delays digestion, your body will not absorb medication as well if you take it when you already have symptoms. It is usually better to take medication before your journey to prevent symptoms developing.
Antihistamines
There are several different types of antihistamines, including some that cause drowsiness. Antihistamines used to treat motion sickness that cause drowsiness include:
and promethazine (Avomine)
and cinnarizine (Stugeron)
These are usually taken as tablets one or two hours before your journey. If it is a long journey, you may need to take a dose every eight hours.
