A Personal Story ...
For me, motion sickness is more than an annoyance whenever I go on a trip. It's a way of life. It has been for as long as I can remember.
From the time I was a baby, riding in any kind of vehicle made me sick. As a child, I remember a small plastic bucket for me to throw up in as
a necessity for every family trip.
It's hard to describe the feelings associated with motion sickness, but
it's more than just nausea. It takes over my entire body and makes it
difficult to enjoy any kind of trip ... and sometimes even short car
rides to the grocery store or a friend's house. Slow moving elevators sometimes trigger the feeling. Merry-go-rounds and swings in the playground are off limits. I don't even think about attempting amusement park rides anymore.
As I grew older and realized motion sickness would be a part of my life, I learned to live with it. Planning for, and trying to prevent, motion sickness, have become as routine as packing a suitcase whenever
I travel. I make sure I have plenty of Dramamine on hand as well as
other remedies that make me feel better if the Dramamine just isn't
working ... which does happen sometimes.
Now that I'm living in a city where riding in a car is a necessity to get anywhere, I have to plan even more. I take Bonine every time I know I'm going someplace. I carry a couple of non-medicinal remedies with me as well. It's inconvenient, but it's made my life much more enjoyable.
Anyone who suffers from motion sickness doesn't want to hear that part of it is psychological but, at least in my case and many others, it is. I've learned that the more pre-trip planning I do to avoid getting sick, the less likely I am to end up throwing up, which is a good thing because once it starts it doesn't stop until I reach my destination. Even then, the after-effects linger for hours.
I do get angry when people tell me motion sickness is all in my head. But through years of experience I've learned that planning for the worst, practicing the tried and true methods of avoiding it and the power of positive thinking have helped me at least partially overcome it.
The following steps can also help prevent motion sickness.
Aboard ship:
- Spend as much time as you can on deck in the fresh air.
- If you're going to be spending the night (or nights) on a boat, try to get a cabin near the middle of
the craft, close to the waterline, where there's less pitching and rolling.
On a plane:
- Request a seat over the wings. Avoid sitting in the tail section; it's the bumpiest.
- Open the overhead vents and direct air at your face.
On land transportation:
- Fix your gaze on the scenery straight ahead, not to the side.
- Sit near an open window, for fresh air, unless you're traveling through a heavily polluted area.
- If you're traveling by car, offer to drive. The person at the wheel rarely gets motion sickness.
In addition, the following steps are helpful no matter what your means of conveyance.
- Get plenty of rest before setting out. Fatigue makes you more vulnerable to motion sickness.
- Avoid drinking alcohol before or during travel, and don't overindulge the night before.
- Take an over-the-counter motion sickness medication (such as Dramamine) approximately 30 minutes before travel begins. Read the package for cautions and other important information.
- If over-the-counter medications don't bring relief, ask your doctor about a prescription
medication containing scopolamine, available as a patch that's usually worn behind your ear.
- Don't read while traveling and don't try to focus on any other stationary object. Aboard a ship, lie down on your back and close your eyes.
- If any of your traveling companions get sick, move as far away from them as possible; otherwise, you may get sick, too.
- Some people report that taking tablets of powdered gingerroot relieves their motion sickness. Others find relief by pressing on an acupressure point about midway on the inside of the wrist, where the hand and forearm meet.
If preventive measures fail and you fee sick anyway, you can try the following:
- Breathe in slowly and deeply.
- Remove yourself from smoke and food odors, and get some fresh air.
- To reduce tension and anxiety, concentrate on relaxing all your muscles, as though you’re a limp rag doll, and visualize a peaceful scene.
- To settle a queasy stomach, eat dry crackers.
  
  
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