The A-Z of Sea Sickness
Whenever I tell people about my sailing experience they are quick to ask me if I felt sea sick during the sailing. The ships I have sailed in were always too huge to experience that kind of motion and rocking to induce sea sickness, but I have heard really bad experiences from people about sea sickness. I can assume that it’s not a pleasant feeling but I do believe that it can, to some extent, be controlled and prevented.
So what exactly is it? Sea sickness, or mal-de-mer as the French fondly call it, has little to do with what you ate and more to do what your brain is going through. A more scientifically accepted reason explaining the cause of sea sickness says that it is caused whenever there is a miscommunication between the brain and the inner ear. The inner ear senses movements happening on the ship but visually everything seems attached and stable to the brain. This mismatched information often results in the brain getting all confused and you getting all sick. Though what you ate is not causing sickness but it might aggravate the problem.
It is said that 90% of all people would have experienced motion sickness at some point in their lives. Not everybody gets it, but sometimes a few people might just be more prone to get sea sick. It is a myth that sailors don’t get sea sick because if the sea is very rough, they do get sick. It’s just that with years of sailing their bodies generally get accustomed to the motion and over the time the effects mellow down. Besides the usual symptoms of nausea and vomiting many other symptoms like dizziness, headache, pallor, cold perspiration and extreme sleepiness can also point towards the existence of sea sickness.
According to late comedian, Spike Milligan, the sure cure for sea sickness is to sit under a tree. But if that is not possible and the job demands that you trade the trees with the seas, then help is at hand. Although a harsh climate and out of control rocking motion will make you a little sick at some point, there are ways to diminish sea sickness.
· Eat light:
As mentioned that a heavy meal might not cause the sickness, but with food getting all sloshed in the stomach, it can certainly make things worse. So eat a light, oil free meal, which won’t make your stomach feel full and bloated up.
· Drink less:
That goes for both water and alcohol. Alcohol can make you dizzy which can worsen the situation by making the brain all the more confused. Water on the other hand if taken in excess will fill your stomach and slosh around with motion, making you feel sick.
· Fix your eyes:
Keeping your vision fixed on the shore or the horizon is often helpful in lessening the effects of the confusion which is brewing in the brain during motion of the ship.
· Fresh air:
Whenever you feel that the motion is making you sick, go out in the fresh air. It not only soothes your senses but distracts your mind from the apparent mayhem.
· Sleep away:
You know how babies sleep well when rocked back and forth? In a similar way, try to sleep like a baby by imagining the ship’s motion as a gentle rocking. Sleeping is often the best way to get rid of sea sickness.
· Take your mind off:
Sometimes it is just all in the mind. You might be getting sea sick but then sitting and thinking about it will make you all the more sick. So move about and get yourself busy with activities which can take your mind off the whole motion sickness drama.
· Avoid reading and watching TV:
I know that distracting yourself often translates as watching TV or reading, but in case of sea sickness these activities can make the matters worse. Try and avoid anything that focuses your eyes on a particular thing for too long.
· Comfort foods:
And no it doesn’t mean a bar of chocolate or a piece of cake. Comfort food in this case mean foods that comfort the tummy and make you feel well. Chewing on ginger is known to reduce the nausea. Also eating green apple, some say, is quite helpful.
· Medicines:
There are some medicines which can help relieve the symptoms of sea sickness. So if you’re one of them who is prone to get motion sickness, do consult your doctor and ask him/her to prescribe you these medicines.
· Avoid the sick:
Sea sickness is not a disease and certainly not a contagious one at that. But sometimes when you see getting people sick around you, your mind starts thinking about nothing but that. So to avoid getting motion sickness, avoid the company of people who are getting sea sick onboard.
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