Sea sickness is just another word for motion sickness that travellers suffer from when they make use of various modes of transport including boats and cruise ships.
Basically, the brain receives conflicting signals from the eyes and inner ears (balance centre) - the eyes perceive movement while the inner ear can not detect this movement. It's called visual disorientation and the result is a feeling of severe nausea.
To wait until the nausea sets in is leaving it too late. For successful prevention of sea sickness, measures should be taken up to 24 hours before you step on board the boat to enjoy your whale watching/shark cage diving/week-long cruise experience.
A Stitch In Time...
There are various types of medication and devices to prevent, combat and cure sea sickness.
Before we look at the "official" preventative measures, an aside: the first step you must take is one you have to start with 24 hours in advance - behave! Not in the way that Austin Powers usually means it... but believe it, it works:
Basically, the brain receives conflicting signals from the eyes and inner ears (balance centre) - the eyes perceive movement while the inner ear can not detect this movement. It's called visual disorientation and the result is a feeling of severe nausea.
To wait until the nausea sets in is leaving it too late. For successful prevention of sea sickness, measures should be taken up to 24 hours before you step on board the boat to enjoy your whale watching/shark cage diving/week-long cruise experience.
A Stitch In Time...
There are various types of medication and devices to prevent, combat and cure sea sickness.
Before we look at the "official" preventative measures, an aside: the first step you must take is one you have to start with 24 hours in advance - behave! Not in the way that Austin Powers usually means it... but believe it, it works:
Avoid foods that are too fatty, spicy or contain high levels of acid for a day preceding your boat trip, or the start thereof. Stick to mild, "safe" foods with fresh ingredients ... consuming any form of ginger is a great idea.
Don't drink too much alcohol. Starting your cruise or boat trip with even a slight hangover is not a good idea. Too much liquid sloshing around in your stomach won't help either.
Being fit, healthy and well rested will help preventing the onset of sea sickness.
The Best Of The Bunch
Fortunately for those to whom sea sickness is a new problem, thousands of people have tried various preventions on past boat trips and cruises. We can now make informed choices influenced by real, previous travellers' experiences.
There is still an element of "what works for some, doesn't work for others", but the ones that have proven to be most effective for most people, are:
Homeopathic medicine - with completely natural active ingredients, it offers the added bonus of causing no side effects. Another plus is that it can usually be taken in conjunction with other medicine you may be taking. Look for the ones specifically formulated for motion sickness, not just a general ginger-based one. Trip Ease (take 2 hours before boarding) and Sea Sik Oral Spray (spray it under the tongue 3 times a day or more if needed) both get rave reviews.
The motion sickness patch must be placed behind the ear about 4 hours before boarding and changed if necessary after 72 hours. The active ingredient, scopolamine, is absorbed through the skin. It works well for a big percentage of people who have tried it, but does have some side effects (dry mouth, blurry vision).
Over the counter medication must be taken 1-2 hours before boarding. There are various brands but they all cause some level of drowsiness which isn't always desirable, especially if your boat trip is a relatively short one. Pills with meclizine as the active ingredient (like less-drowsy Dramamine) are best, followed by those with dimenhydrinate as the active ingredient (like regular Dramamine).
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