Causes and Remedies for Airsickness

Airsickness is always an unpleasant experience. It doesn’t matter if it happened to someone for the first or umpteenth time, nobody grows habitual to it.

It’s a common and yet uncomfortable issue that many travelers have to go through. If you or someone you know suffers from airsickness, here are a few remedies that can help.

But first, let’s know a bit about the…

Cause of Airsickness

Airsickness is basically motion sickness that a person experiences while in a flight. It’s caused due to imbalance in the sensory systems of the body. The vestibular system, of which your inner ears are a major part, is responsible for controlling the sense of balance.

When you are in a flight, your eyes don’t sense motion as effectively as your ears do. As a result, the brain gets mixed signals and can’t process whether you are moving or not.

These mixed signals confuse the brain, creating an imbalance that feels like:

• Nausea
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Belching
• Salivation
• Stomach awareness (bloatedness and upsetting movements in stomach)
• Sweating
• Vomiting

In extreme conditions, airsickness can also lead to hyperventilation.

Remedies for Airsickness

There are several over the counter and prescription medicines available to treat airsickness. But before we talk about them, let’s take a look at non-medicinal remedies to prevent airsickness:

• Do Not Overeat

We all have been guilty of overeating at some point in our life, and it has never been easy on the stomach. The discomfort worsens when you are flying. Traveling unusually full is a strict no-go if you get airsick easily and often.

• Do Not Fast

Contrary to the popular belief, traveling on an empty stomach is not a good idea. Empty stomach eventually leads to acid reflux, that further worsens airsickness.

• Avoid Smoking and Drinking

Nicotine and alcohol cause dehydration. Moreover, alcohol further hampers the sensory balance of the body. Being drunk and/or dehydrated will only worsen airsickness.

• Choose the Right Seat

Booking a flight at the right time gives you a chance to choose a seat that you find the most comfortable. The middle seats, the ones that are directly over the wing, are the most comfortable seats.

• Don’t Stare on the Screen

Prolonged exposure to mobile, tablet or laptop screen in flight can cause loss of orientation. This may lead to nausea, so a better option will be to focus on objects in front of you or out of the window, far in the horizon.

Other Remedies for Airsickness

Focused breathing is an effective measure to counteract airsickness. Slow, deep breaths can help you sleep better in flight. Another effective remedy for airsickness is to chew a mint flavored gum. Peppermint,spearmint or any other mint flavor gum has soothes the stomach.

Medicinal Treatment for Airsickness

Over the counter antihistamines such as Dimenhydrinate is a good, prescription-free drug for airsickness. The best time is to take the medicine  horse before the flight.

You can also try using a hyoscine patch, which is a prescription medication. Place the patch behind your ear about 4 hours before the flight for optimum effect.

Conclusion

Airsickness is a common and uncomfortable experience. Many travelers face this issue. The preventive measures and remedies that we discussed above will surely help you overcome airsickness.

Which method do you prefer to avoid being airsick?