It is considered that 3 million French people regularly suffer from motion sickness. During the holidays, it is a real handicap for which there is unfortunately no miracle cure. However, a few common sense tips can help.
Statistically, motion sickness affects one in three people at least once in their lifetime. The only ones to be “protected” are newborns or very old people. Apart from these two “extreme” situations, there is a risk for everyone of being confronted with these discomforts, this risk being greater for young people, overweight people and women.
The car only causes 3 to 5% of discomfort compared to 5 to 10% for the plane and 25 to 30% for the boat. If you are a victim, forget the dream of participating in the conquest of the planet Mars, the risk of being nauseous in the Soyuz spacecraft or the American shuttle is… 50%!
Choose the train!
To be sure not to get sick, it is better to choose the train. Or – but this changes the nature of the trip a little…- the horse which does not cause any discomfort, unlike traveling on the back of a camel or an elephant!
And then, even if this does not solve your problem, know that man is not the only one to suffer from motion sickness: cats and dogs can share these unpleasant moments, and even goldfish which, transported by boat in their aquarium are stricken with … seasickness!
How to fight evil
What to do to travel without suffering this famous motion sickness? First of all, interrupt the trip regularly with short breaks: this prevents the most serious phases of this illness from being reached, which is expressed first by a feeling of malaise, then nausea and vomiting and, then, more troubles. which can go as far as prostration or even fainting.
Then, there are small “tricks” to fight against this evil:
– Lie down, to minimize the movements that will trigger motion sickness.
– Eat before the trip so as not to have an empty stomach.
– Drink sugar from time to time during the journey.
– Try to control your breathing by inhaling and exhaling deeply.
Certain medications can provide relief. Homeopathy seems to give good results but by treating it before, during and after the trip… a kind of psychotherapy!
But as a former offshore racing doctor, I can’t give you any better advice than this advice I give each time someone talks to me about seasickness: “To avoid getting sick on a boat, the best way is to ‘lie…under an apple tree!’.
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