Planning a Holiday Cruise--Battling Seasickness

What’s In a Name?

Seasickness is simply motion sickness. It’s only referred to as seasickness because it occurs on water. As far as the human body is concerned, the resultant discomfort is no different than if it had been caused by riding in a car.

But What Causes It?

You might consider seasickness to be the result of a disagreement between your sense of balance as established by the fluid in your inner ear and your eyes. Your inner ear is more sensitive to movement than your eyes, so when you are at sea your inner ear senses that the ship is moving even though your eyes don’t see any clues that the ship is moving.

The brain thus receives conflicting reports, and until the conflict is resolved the body will remain in a disturbed state. Unfortunately, that disturbed state is defined by intense nausea and repeated vomiting.

What Can I Use To Prevent It?

Drug-Free and Over-The-Counter Remedies

Wristbands
Some people swear by a simple non-drug wristband that exerts a small amount of continuous pressure on the underside of the wrist exactly where a particular acupressure point is located.

Ginger Capsules
In a randomized double-blind study comparing the effectiveness of ginger capsules to that of dimenhydrinate, ginger was found to be just as effective but with significantly fewer side effects.

Prescription Remedies

Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine)
The body converts dimenhydrinate into diphenhydramine which is the same ingredient used in some sleeping pills. That explains why the best known side effect of Dramamine is drowsiness.

Meclizine Hydrochloride (Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula)
Drowsiness is still a side effect but as its name makes clear, less so.

Scopolamine
This is a powerful drug with many legitimate uses beyond fighting motion sickness. Care should be exercised when administering this drug, however. It is highly toxic and because of its paralytic effect when applied in high doses it has been misused as a date-rape drug.

What If I Forget to Take Preventive Measures?

Try to convince your inner ear that the ship is not moving by looking straight ahead toward the horizon without actually fixating on any one spot.

It also helps to stay on deck and feel the movement of air, so fight the urge to go below deck and lie down.