Managing motion sickness

Travelling should be an enjoyable experience, but for many the onset of queasiness, dizziness and nausea can turn a seemingly harmless journey into a distressing episode of Motion Sickness.

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Commonly called carsickness, seasickness or airsickness depending on the mode of transport, this condition arises when the brain receives conflicting signals from the inner ear, eyes and body.

At its core, motion sickness is driven by what experts call the “sensory-conflict” model. In simple terms the inner ear senses motion, the eyes may perceive very little movement (for example when reading in a moving vehicle) and the muscles or joints may feel something different. This mismatch leads to the characteristic nausea, cold sweats, salivation and sometimes vomiting.

The good news is that for most cases this is short-lived and self-limiting, with symptoms resolving once the motion ends. But as a seasoned practitioner in outpatient departments you know that prevention and early intervention often make the difference between a tolerable travel experience and one ruined by misery.