Responsible Tourism [#11] - Everything You Need to Know About Motion Sickness

Imagine a ship cruise on warm, gently rolling seas. For some, it's pure delight, but others would experience a sheer nightmare. It’s not just the fear of water; it’s about seasickness, which can be quite a troublesome issue.

What is seasickness?

Seasickness is one form of motion sickness. It falls under the category of kinetoses, which are disorders caused by sudden excessive movements of the body. When we travel by ship, conflicting signals reach our brain from our sensory organs. The vestibular system, which is the balance organ, “senses” the motion of the body caused by the swaying of the ship. Meanwhile, the eyes indicate that the person is in a completely stable position on board. As a result, the body invokes various defensive reactions, such as nausea, dizziness, or vomiting.

Prevalence

Anyone with a well-developed vestibular system is at risk of experiencing seasickness. Seasickness is not hereditary, so there’s no rule that can determine whether we will be susceptible to this condition or not.

Symptoms of seasickness

The first symptoms typically begin about half an hour after the onset of significant swaying. Initially, headaches and dizziness occur. Excessive salivation also appears. A person suffering from motion sickness sweats excessively and feels drowsy. Subsequently, nausea arises, which ultimately leads to vomiting.

How to prevent it?

• Try to focus on a fixed point on the horizon and, under no circumstances, look at the waves as this exacerbates the symptoms.
• Try to find something to do, talk to someone, or listen to music.
• If the cruise is longer, go to your cabin and try to sleep.
• If you feel unwell, take deep breaths of fresh air.
• During the journey, eat light meals.
• It's best to stay on the ship’s axis, where there is the least motion.
• Clothing is also important; overheating can also exacerbate discomfort.

Natural prevention methods

• Chewing ginger during travel can be useful; it’s a helpful and proven method for completely or partially mitigating symptoms.
• A good effect is also achieved by using patches adhered to the wrists or navel. The patch should be applied about 20 minutes before the journey and kept on the body throughout its duration.
• Peppermint oil is also a good idea; inhaling it during the cruise alleviates headaches and eliminates nausea.

As can be seen, thanks to the methods described above, long cruises need not be a torment. By following these guidelines, we gain something very valuable: health, which typically goes hand in hand with good humour. And from that second factor, it’s just a step away from our trip becoming a truly wonderful adventure.

This article was written in collaboration with cityon.pl - a search engine for places and tourist attractions in Poland.