July 12, 2010

Tips for Preventing Sea Sickness

Posted in Category : Common Ailments

Sea sickness is a form of motion sickness. There are some people who are particularly vulnerable to the condition and may suffer from any form of motion sickness. Sea sickness occurs when such a person is on any form of craft or device that is floating on water. Most water bodies have waves, tides and currents. Even in calm waters, there is always a rocking motion that takes place because of the ebbing and flowing of water. This motion is often rhythmic and is responsible for the condition of sea sickness.

The symptoms of sea sickness include nausea, giddiness, disorientation and vomiting. It is not uncommon for people to suffer from the condition when they are in a water-borne mode of transport for the first time. Most people will get over their sea sickness issues as they experience the waves more and more, while some people remain vulnerable to the condition throughout their lives. There is no way to actually cure sea sickness as the condition could arise anytime while sailing, though it can be efficiently prevented. This sensation is similar to the sensation felt in a train although the severity of the sensation in a train tends to be quite limited. The reason behind sea-sickness is a combination of the lack of balance felt and the visual disturbances that occur. The horizon tends to be bobbing up and down in a rocking boat but this does so at a different speed and intensity to the other visual reference points around an individual. This causes a visual disorientation to occur which leads to the development of the symptoms.

How to Prevent Sea Sickness

There are ways to prevent sea sickness that should be employed by those who are sailing for the first time or are known to suffer from motion sickness issues. One could keep oneself busy through conversation and performing other tasks on the boat. This distracts the eyes and makes them continuously change focus to different objects. One can also have medication prior to leaving the dock which would effectively prevent the condition from occurring.

When one is suffering from sea sickness, one could use some useful sea sickness remedies which will cure the condition. The ginger herb is useful in this situation. Having ginger tea or sucking on crystallized ginger will reduce the symptoms dramatically. The vertical movements of a craft, particularly a small boat are greater on certain parts of the boat. A person suffering from sea sickness can move to the part of the boat which is the least prone to vertical pitching to reduce their balance related symptoms.