I am going on holiday in a few weeks' time and I suffer with really bad travel sickness. Is there anything that I can do to prevent it?

Travel sickness (sometime referred to as motion sickness) occurs when motion causes the eyes, the sensory nerves, and the vestibular apparatus of the ear to send conflicting signals to the brain.

Common symptoms include headaches, queasiness, nausea and vomiting although some people experience cold sweats, dizziness, excessive salivation and /or yawning, fatigue, loss of desire for food and sleepiness. Travel sickness usually affects susceptible individuals whilst flying, sailing or travelling in cars and trains.

Women tend to suffer from this complaint more than men and children under two and the elderly rarely suffer from it at all. Predisposing factors that may either bring on travel sickness or exacerbate it include: anxiety, genetics, overeating, poor ventilation, travelling immediately after eating, becoming over-hungry whilst travelling or reading while travelling.

Although travel sickness is not a life threatening medical condition it can make life difficult and it is very unpleasant for the person suffering with the problem. Many children suffer travel sickness and in some cases the situation may become so bad that it is impossible to go about normal family business if it involves travel. Prevention is the key to dealing with travel sickness as it is extremely difficult to resolve once it has occurred.

Natural remedies have been quite successful in preventing travel sickness. Ginger has traditionally been used to both prevent and treat nausea and an upset stomach. Take approximately one hour before a journey and then every three hours depending on the length of the journey.

Peppermint is good for soothing and calming the stomach. Peppermint can be taken either as a tea made with fresh or dried leaves or as a lozenge. During a journey eat whole grain crackers regularly. Olives are an excellent preventative because they reduce salivation.

Never eat spicy, fatty or junk food before a journey and be extremely cautious about drinking alcohol as this will nearly always lead to sickness when travelling. Have plenty of ventilation and practice deep breathing. The more relaxed you are the better because stress can bring on an attack of motion sickness within minutes.

Travelling at night helps people who suffer severely from the condition. Night-time travelling eliminates confusing visual stimulation, which is another contributing factor. Lying horizontally will help if you are at sea or if travelling in a car fix your eyesight on a distant stationary object such as the horizon and breath deeply.

Some people have reported success with some homeopathic remedies although because of the psychological link hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming is often a preferred route as this form of therapy can with some individuals completely eliminate the triggers in the brain that bring on the sickness. Acupuncture and acupressure can also give excellent results.

Always consult your G.P. before starting any new regime or self-treatment. The contents of this article are for informational purposes only and are not intended to prevent, diagnose or cure any medical conditions. If you would like a question covered, please contact The Clinic of Complementary and Natural Medicine, Kiltartan House, Forster St, Galway on 091- 568804.

Dr H Bhatti is the President of the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners and can be contacted at his clinics at Kiltartan House, Forster Street, Galway 091-568804 or at The Village Nursing Care Centre, Ballygarriff, Craughwell, 091-777700

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment