Treating Vertigo and Motion Sickness

We’ve all traveled with someone who gets dizzy while driving or flying. It can ruin a fun road trip, cruise, or bus tour, not to mention embarrassing if the person vomits on the bus! Here’s my simple spiel, about how vertigo and motion sickness happens.

The brain is like a central processing center of all the information that comes to it. Millions of ensors in your body head, along with your eyes and ears, constantly send your brain information about falling, spatial positioning, acceleration, and so on. One of the sensors in particular is found in the ear, and is responsible for sensing acceleration, deceleration. Now, if this sensors is irritated or simply hypersensitive, it can tell your brain, “Your falling!”. You brain then looks to the other sensors, such as the eyes, and if the eyes don’t agree, then you feel dizzy!! (no emails from ENT docs, neurologists or physiologists please! I’m just trying to keep it simple!)

Treatment and Expectations:

1. Try to find an area with least movement, such as the center of the boat or plane
2. Try to breath cool, fresh air. Many odors will make the situation worse.
3. Over-the-counter medications such as Dramamine or Bonine can be very effective for short trips or when symptoms occur intermittently. These medicines can make you drowsy however.
4. For longer trips, ask your doctor to prescribe medication called Transderm-Scop (scopalimine transdermal patch) comes in the form of a patch can be worn behind the ear. You place them discreetly behind the ear and they work for about 3 days, per patch.
5. Try not to drink alcohol at least one full day before traveling (at least don’t totally tie one on!)
6. Plan it out, be well rested.
7. If a person gets car sick easily, consider allowing them to drive! It works! It’s easier to prevent the onset of motion sickness, than to make it go away after it hits you.