Motion Sickness
Motion sickness is a normal response to real, perceived, or anticipated movement. People tend to experience motion sickness on a moving boat, train, airplane, automobile, or amusement park rides. Although this condition is fairly common and only a minor nuisance for the occasional traveler, it may be incapacitating for people with an occupation that requires constant movement, such as a flight attendant, pilot, astronaut, or ship crew member. Symptoms generally consist of dizziness, fatigue, and nausea, which may progress to vomiting. Fortunately, most symptoms disappear once the journey is over.
Signs and Symptoms
The most common signs and symptoms of motion sickness include:
- Nausea
- Paleness of the skin
- Cold sweats
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Increased salivation
- Fatigue
Causes
Motion sickness occurs when the body, the inner ear (a tiny structure involved in hearing and balance), and the eyes send conflicting signals to the brain. This reaction is generally provoked by a moving vehicle such as a car, boat, airplane, or space shuttle, but it may also happen on flight simulators or amusement park rides. From inside a ship's cabin, the inner ear may sense rolling motions that the eyes cannot perceive, and, conversely, the eyes may perceive movement on a "virtual reality" simulation ride that the body does not feel. Interestingly, once a person adapts to the movement and the motion stops, the symptoms may recur and cause the person to adjust all over again (although, this reaction is generally brief).
In addition, even anticipating movement can cause anxiety and symptoms of motion sickness. For example, a person with a previous experience of motion sickness may become nauseous on an airplane before take-off.
Integrative Medicine Treatment Options
We combine the best of conventional medicine with the best of complementary and alternative therapies to give you optimal results.
Here are some options we use at the Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine LOCATED IN Cincinnati, Ohio
- Acupuncture
- Herbal Therapies, Supplements & Medication
- Energy Healing
