A cure for sea-sickness?

[Neils]

Normally, when someone is feeling ill due to rough seas everyone on the boat automatically reccomends that person to sit in the middle of the boat and focus on something stationary. I would like to know if this is necessarily the best thing to do? In school, we are curently learning that feelings of motion sickness (physiological vertigo) are due to a mismatch of input along the vestibular-ocular-sensory pathway i.e. your eyes are telling you one thing while your vestibular apparatus is telling you something else. Instead of staring at something stationary, logic tells me that the person should instead stand up and appreciate the motion of their environment, thereby restoring "balance" betwen what the inner ear is feeling and what the eyes are seeing. I would appreciate any insight (medical or anecdotal) that readers of this board may have!
-Neils

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Neils,

Sitting in the middle of the boat is recommended because this area is likely to be moving less than the extremities of the craft. It has nothing directly to do with attempting to compensate for mismatches of input along the "vestibular-ocular-sensory pathways."

Recommendations you may have heard to "focus on something" that appears stationary, like something on the boat, are simply improper. This will only leave your eyes even more convinced that your middle ears are wrong. The proper recommendation is to watch the horizon, which although stationary appears to move when you're on the water.

Hope this was helpful.

DocVikingo

 

[scubaaz]

I have done numerous boat dives in Hawaii and in Mexico in some pretty rough water and have found a natural anti-seasickness cure that has worked for most of my buddies

Go to the local chinese market and get some Ginger Tea bags.
Make it the night before, add some sweetness to taste (sugarless preferred). Then sip about a cup of it on the way to the boat. It has worked for me.

Also avoid any greasy or heavy foods in the morning or late at night before you go.

Hope this helps

 

[WreckWriter]

5 minutes on the dock is the only true cure.

Medicine, dramine, triptone, etc. works for most folks. Wrist bands and such are voodoo (they'll work if you believe they will hard enough).

Tom

 

[k4sdi]

Originally posted by WreckWriter
Wrist bands and such are voodoo (they'll work if you believe they will hard enough).

Tom

Hey, if it works, let it be! My buddys wife has one and swears by it. Kinda funny to watch her hand twitch open and closed! Now, im not saying its for everyone, but if it works for you, Great!



Mark

 

[scubadoc]

A search of Scuba Board for 'seasickness' yields 62 references and threads, some of which go into excellent detail about this malady.

There is a discussion of sea sickness on the Diving Medicine Online web site at http://www.scuba-doc.com/seask.html [new address].

If you think you have it bad on a boat - consider the poor astronaut - if s/he vomits, it just floats around and gets on everyone.

Use whatever floats your particular boat - remembering that some of the medications are sedative and will be additive to the effects of nitrogen. The scope patch is still thought by most to be the most effective with the fewest side effects,

Good things!

scubadoc

 

[booga_roo]

Tried the ginger thing - oh my GOD! I have never vomited so much in my life. I was even sick under the water. In deperation I refused point blank to do the second dive and swam to the nearest dry land which was a tiny island with no water or shade. I have never been happier to reach dry land.

I am still searching for a cure but middle of the boat has turned out to be the best place. Be away from diesel fumes, try to kit up on dry land or get someone else to do it on the boat so that you don't look down and try to be first off, last in the boat.

Sometimes accepting the vom factor, not being embarrassed and just putting up with it is the best you can manage.

But or all you scientists out there, the person who comes up with a non drowsy, immediate acting cure will be elevated to the position of God.

 

[Bob_Harris]

Focusing on distant land definately helps, but make sure you can't see any part of the boat bobbing up and down in the foreground.

I often feel the effects of a rough sea but there are two situations under which I am never sick.

1) Driving the boat. Watching the oncoming swells seems to gratly reduce the inner confusion. This doesn't seem to work as well if you are just a passenger but maybe if you have a really good imagination...

2) A couple of beers BEFORE you hit the rough water, crank up the stereo and get ready to enjoy a good days FISHING.


Bob

 

[Scuba446]

I have had great luck with Bonine, over the counter Rx. MY daugher, who gets car sick, uses the Sea Band wrist bands, and they really seem to work - for her, ALL the time!

Voodoo? Reminds of me Godsmack's new tune - "Voodoo!"

??

 

[greyface]

Just my .02 The only cure for me, is to STAY BUSY! Back in '76, at the tender young age of 19, while on my first of many trips fishing the Dry Tortugas, from FT. Myers,(yeah, you read it right- 16 hrs running time in a 34' @ 6 or 7 kts) my Uncle (hard core 27 yr Sgt. Mjr. USMC) "helped" me thru my first (and last) bout with motion sickness. : He made me unshackle the anchor from the bow, and bring it to the stern. Then he made me return the anchor to the bow and re-shackle it. After 6 or so trips back and forth, I was getting pissed! "You don't feel sick anymore, do ya?" There's ALWAYS something to do on a boat, to keep your mind off of getting sick. If you THINK you'll get sick, you WILL. Good luck!