A survey found that about 1/3 of the population suffer from motion sickness [1]. And I happen to be the unlucky one in the 1/3, the tenth-level player with motion sickness and seasickness.
Especially in stop-and-go traffic jams, cold sweats, nausea, and vomiting often make me worry about whether I have to explain myself in the car.
(Source: giphy)
Motion sickness is really, really, really uncomfortable!
Let’s talk about some theoretical knowledge first.
Motion sickness, seasickness, and plane sickness are all types of motion sickness. As for the etiology, the most widely accepted hypothesis is the “sensory conflict” hypothesis (the specific etiology and precise neurobiological mechanisms are not clear).
Simply put, the feeling of motion sickness is due to a mismatch between sensation and input, especially between the visual and vestibular systems [2].
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
The vestibular system is an organ in the body that senses body movement and keeps the body in balance.
(Location of the vestibule in the structure of the ear)
Imagine that when you are in a confined space that is obviously not suitable for exercise (such as sitting in a narrow bus seat), the visual experience is relatively static relative to the surrounding people and seats of.
However, the vestibular system feels acceleration, deceleration, cornering and other motion stimuli, and the signals received by the brain will be confused, and the conflicting information will start to fight.
And then…the person gets dizzy.
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The recently popular “big screen 3D/VR” game can also test the “sensory conflict” hypothesis.
There must be some friends like me. After playing this kind of game for ten minutes, you will feel dizzy and feel nauseous, but in contrast to motion sickness, the game here is that the body feels that you are not moving, which is realistic The visual experience makes the eyes feel that you are moving [3].
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The same reason can explain why people who are motion sick don’t get motion sick when they drive.
The main reason is that when the passenger has not yet reacted to turning, the driver has already judged that he is going to turn the steering wheel, and the brain has a pre-judgment of the state of motion, that is to say, the driver There is no “feeling conflict”, so drivers rarely experience mismatches between sensory inputs.
At the same time, when driving, the brain is highly concentrated, and the higher centers of the cerebral cortex are highly excited, which also inhibits the vestibular system.
(Image source: giphy)
Smell
Many people start to feel sick as soon as they get in the car when they smell gasoline.
Although there is no direct relationship between good ventilation and motion sickness, poor ventilation in the car may lead to the accumulation of a large amount of carbon dioxide and other undesirable gases in the environment.
Therefore, it may affect the autonomic nervous system through the respiratory system, thereby causing various uncomfortable reactions in the body and reducing the human body’s tolerance to car vibration [4].
Translation is that all kinds of gases in closed environments can make people more prone to motion sickness.
Driver’s driving habits
On the same section of road, different drivers drive very differently. If you are unfortunate enough to encounter a “left, right, up, down, down, BABA” driver with one foot of the brake and one foot of the accelerator, you can’t handle it. The brain is naturally more dizzy.
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Personal Sensitivity
There are great individual differences in different people about motion sickness. As I said at the beginning, there are two-thirds of the chosen sons who can vomit to death when others vomit. Indifferent, this is a combination of genes and environment.
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In addition, certain groups of people with medical conditions are at higher risk for motion sickness, such as those with vestibular disorders and vertigo, who are particularly susceptible to motion sickness.
Status while riding
Too tired, in poor condition, and more prone to motion sickness.
Too full will stimulate the smooth muscle of the stomach, making it easier to vomit.
Too hungry, low blood sugar, if it causes a chain reaction, it will aggravate the discomfort of motion sickness.
The main symptoms of motion sickness involve the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, and autonomic nervous system.
So in addition to nausea and vomiting, people with motion sickness may experience pallor, cold sweats, excessive salivation, upset stomach, as well as lethargy and persistent fatigue [5].
As for the solution to these symptoms, the fastest and most effective way to get out of the car is of course.
However, this approach can’t really solve the problem. After all, you can’t live without a car all your life, right?
Therefore, to really solve the problem of motion sickness, there are mainly the following methods [3].
1. Establish tolerance. Many people have this experience. For a while, they often ride in the car. After getting used to it, the motion sickness will also decrease. The conductors on the bus don’t see them getting motion sick even if they spend most of the day on the bus. That’s the reason.
2. Look out the window or close your eyes while riding. When you look out the window, your eyes will, like your body, realize that you are in motion, which can appropriately reduce the conflict in your senses. Squinting and resting directly blocks the input of information from vision.
In addition, lying on your back can reduce the symptoms of motion sickness, so if you have the conditions, it is recommended to choose a sleeper.
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3. Prepare some motion sickness medicines (the specific medicines will be described in detail later).
4. Avoid riding when you are too full or hungry.
5. Bring some orange peels, balsamic essence, or open windows for ventilation in time. Increasing air mobility can also effectively relieve symptoms.
6. Participate in some aerobic exercises that exercise balance ability appropriately to improve cerebellar balance ability and muscle reflex ability. In fact, improving physical fitness is the best way to avoid motion sickness means.
To add here, some traditional remedies, such as sticking ginger orThe methods of treating motion sickness such as shiatsu massage have yet to be confirmed in clinical practice.
Oral Drugs:
Common ones are diphenhydramine and diphenhydramine.
These drugs can reduce the frequency of afferent nerve impulses, and can inhibit the release of acetylcholine and reduce gastrointestinal motility, thereby reducing nausea and vomiting, usually after 30 minutes of taking effect.
How to take: Half an hour to an hour before the ride.
Recommended scenarios: Short to medium distance travel
Transdermal Patches:
Scopolamine patches are common in the market.
How to use: Put it 4~5 hours in advance, the effect can last for 2~3 days, usually put it on the dry skin without hair behind one ear .
Recommended scenarios: Long trips.
Notes: Take it off in time after the ride, otherwise adverse reactions may occur. Contact dermatitis occurs in 10% of people [6], and should be observed when using it, and scopolamine can enter breast milk, so it should be used with caution in lactating women.
In addition, it should be noted that although motion sickness drugs are effective, if they are taken too much, they may be life-threatening. Be sure to pay attention to the dosage and contraindications when using them [7].
Most motion sickness drugs will inhibit the central system and will have a certain impact on the development of children’s nervous system, especially for children under 8 years old, the use of motion sickness drugs and long-acting motion sickness stickers should be prohibited
When taking, you should pay attention to the medication interval and dosage. Do not use high frequency and large doses because of persistent dizziness, so as to avoid adverse drug reactions and aggravate physical discomfort.
Reviewer: Jingguo Chen| Ph.D., Department of Otolaryngology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University
References
[1]Sherman Craig R,Motion sickness: review of causes and preventive strategies.[J] .J Travel Med, 2002, 9: 251-6.
[2] Hu Zhen, Wang Jianhong, Long Ying, Luo Jian, Luo Xiaozou, Peng Jingru. Analysis of the results of vestibular function in patients with motion sickness [J]. Chinese Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 2020 ,27(12):687-690.)
[3]Koch Andreas,Cascorbi Ingolf,Westhofen Martin et al. The Neurophysiology and Treatment of Motion Sickness.[J] .Dtsch Arztebl Int, 2018, 115: 687-696.
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[4] Golding John F, Motion sickness susceptibility.[J] .Auton Neurosci, 2006, 129: 67-76.
[5]Leung Alexander Kc,Hon Kam Lun,Motion sickness: an overview.[J] .Drugs Context, 2019, 8: undefined.
[6]Romita P, Foti C, Calogiuri G, Cantore S, Ballini A, Dipalma G, Inchingolo F. Contact dermatitis due to transdermal therapeutic systems: a clinical update. Acta Biomed. 2018 Oct 26;90(1):5-10. doi: 10.23750/abm.v90i1.6563. PMID: 30889148; PMCID: PMC6502158.
[7]Koch A, Cascorbi I, Westhofen M, Dafotakis M, Klapa S, Kuhtz-Buschbeck JP. The Neurophysiology and Treatment of Motion Sickness. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018 Oct 12;115 (41):687-696. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2018.0687. PMID: 30406755; PMCID: PMC6241144.