How to Prevent and Treat Seasickness

 

So in a previous post, I talked about why seasickness occurs. (Check that post out here.) In this one, I'll discuss treatment options. First, let’s talk about prevention. Some people, like my daughter, get carsick easily. Well, if you know that you get carsick easily, be very cautious before going on a "three hour tour." (Catch the reference?) You’ll be more likely to get seasickness. Also, consider what kind of boat you'll be on, whether it's a lake or the ocean, and what you'll be doing. The major factor in seasickness is "sway," which is the up and down or side to side movement of the boat in the water compared to the horizon. In general, the bigger the boat, the better. Giant cruise liners have stabilizers which prevent the ship from swaying, so most people don't have as much trouble on a cruise. In general, lakes don't have as many waves, so don't sweat a day at the lake as much, especially if you're out tubing or water skiing. When the boat is moving, usually there will be less sway. My experience with seasickness is that the worst is going deep sea fishing in a smaller boat. Often, the boat is stopped in the water and the waves, even if gentle, cause significant sway. So the point is to know what you're getting into. If you get seasick easily, I 'd say just give a "hard pass" to the all day deep sea fishing trip...could be the worst 8 hours of your life.

So, what do you do if you know that you are going to be on a boat? First, prevention.

Many over-the-counter meds can help. They are all antihistamines, designed to prevent and treat seasickness. The most common ones are Meclizine and Dimenhydrinate. What's crazy is that "Dramamine" can have either one! So you have to look at the ingredients to know which one you're getting. I like Dimenhydrinate better than Meclizine, because at least some research shows that it is more effective. The key is to take it about 30-60 minutes BEFORE you get on the boat. Both can cause sleepiness, so be aware of this common side effect.

What do you do when you start to feel sick?

First, if you're inside the boat, get outside and look at the horizon. If you remember in the prior post on motion sickness, the major cause is the confusing signals that the brain is receiving from the ears (movement) and the eyes (no movement). Looking at the horizon lets the brain know that the eyes and ears "agree" that movement is occurring. Second, getting fresh air helps, so get away from the back of the boat if possible (less funky exhaust smell and less dead fish). If you haven't taken Dimenhydrinate or Meclizine, take one ASAP. Lastly, DON'T go inside the boat and lay down and try to "sleep it off", (or even worse, going to the "head" (toilet... remember what I said about bad smells and seasickness...yuck). That's a good way just to get more sick, and no one likes vomit on the inside of a boat.

OK, so what about prescription meds? There is one called Scopolamine, which comes in a patch and lasts three days. If you love boating/cruising but have a tendency to get seasick, getting a patch can help prevent having a "barf-tastic" cruise. The key is putting it on well before the cruise, like 8-12 hours before.

 

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Daily Life, EarErin Shellenbergerseasickness, nausea, ear