Airplane turbulence can be frightening, and even traumatic for some passengers. An expert explained how the body detects and reacts to these unstable air movements.
- Turbulence also scrambles the sensory information received by the brain and prompts the body to “recalibrate”.
- When the plane passes through an area of turbulent air, a fluid, located in the structures of the inner ear, moves in an unpredictable manner. This does not allow the brain to distinguish the movement of the plane from that of the head.
- This confusion, which manifests itself as dizziness, sweating or vomiting, is linked to the fact that we are deprived of sight and that the inner ear becomes the dominant sensory message sent to the brain.
While sitting in our airplane seat watching a movie, unpleasant shaking occurs. There is no doubt: the plane is going through a zone of turbulence. As a reminder, turbulence results from irregular air movements, which are more and more frequent. These can be destabilizing and terrorize us, because we may believe that the air navigation device is in danger of crashing. The instability of air movements can also make us feel unwell.
In a publication of The Conversation, Adam Taylor, professor and director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Center at Lancaster University (England), was interested in how the body reacts during these shocks. According to him, turbulence disrupts spatial orientation, that is to say the body’s relationship with objects in terms of distance and direction. These also scramble the sensory information received by the brain and encourage the body to “recalibrate”.
Motion sickness: “the brain interprets the movement of the plane as that of the head”
“Our inner ear plays a vital role in all of this. The three semicircular canals, the utricle and the saccule are responsible for the balance and position of the head and body. The semicircular canals are positioned in a vertical, horizontal and back and forth plane, detecting nodding, shaking and touching movements from ear to shoulder. The utricle and saccule, which can detect movements and acceleration, are attached to these channels”, the professor explained.
He said these structures feature microscopic hair cells in a fluid, called “endolymph,” that circulates with the head to create a sensation of movement. When the plane passes through a zone of turbulence, this liquid moves, but in an unpredictable manner. “It takes about 10 to 20 seconds for the fluid to move back into position, while the brain struggles to understand what is happening. Additionally, the structure that controls balance cannot distinguish movement from movement. plane from that of the head. Thus, the brain interprets the movement of the plane as that of the head.
According to Adam Taylor, this confusion, which results in an increased heart rate, dizziness, sweating, vomiting and gastrointestinal disorders, comes from the fact that on the plane, we are deprived of our sight. During the flight, our reference point is the seat in front of us. Thus, the inner ear becomes the dominant sensory message sent to the brain in the event of turbulence and disrupts the “vestibulo-ocular reflex”, which allows our vision to remain aligned with our balance or position.
Airplane: how to reduce the discomfort caused by turbulence?
To avoid feeling unwell during turbulence, the expert recommends choosing a seat facing forward. Another tip: sit by the window to admire the view. “The brain receives sensory information through visual pathways, which helps it calm down in response to the vestibular information it receives.”
In case of motion sickness during unstable aerial movements, you should also concentrate on your breathing to calm the nervous system. It is also necessary to prevent this discomfort by taking medication, in particular certain antihistamines.
