TRAVEL HEALTH
TRAVEL SICKNESS

There are some individuals who are particularly susceptible to motion sickness. The symptoms are those of nausea, lethargy, dry mouth, light headedness, drowsiness, headache and in some cases vomiting. The body over a matter of days can adjust itself to cope with motion sickness but thinking of your destination and holiday will be helpful in distracting your anxiety with the symptoms.

SELF-CARE

What you can do yourself

Road

Sit in the front seat.

Slow the speed of the car particularly around corners.

Ask the driver not to accelerate too quickly or brake too suddenly.

Avoid reading material or viewing objects in the near distance whilst car is in motion.

Look at the far horizon when the car is in motion.

Avoid alcohol.

Allow plenty of fresh air in the car to avoid a warm environment.

Sea

Sit in the midship section. This is where the effects will be minimised of any sudden movements of the vessel in bad weather.

If the symptoms of sea sickness are worsening, it is best to lie down, the relief is more profound if the eyes are closed.

Air

Sit in the cabin section closest to the wings.

Lie down and close your eyes or use a night shade.

Avoid large meals and alcohol. If these measures are not helpful or you are particularly susceptible to motion sickness then there are other ways to treat these symptoms.

'Sea bands' are elasticated wrist bands which use a plastic button to apply pressure on the wrist at a point thought by acupuncturists to decrease the effects of travel sickness. It is particularly useful in children as it does not cause any side effects and is painless.

Certain drugs can be used to prevent motion sickness. Ideally, they need to be taken before travel for full effect. However, they can all cause a dry mouth, drowsiness and blurred vision and this needs to be borne in mind if driving or having to be at full mental power for subsequent meetings.

These drugs are available on prescription only.

Check their expiry date prior to planning to travel.

Commonly used Travel Sickness drugs include:

Hyoscine (0.3 - 0.6mg)
taken a minimum of half an hour before travel (lasts 4 hours)

Cyclizine (50mg)
taken a minimum of two hours before travel (lasts 12 hours)

Promethazine (25mg)
taken a minimum of two hours before travel (lasts 24 hours)

Cyclizine and Promethazine have the least side effects however their duration of action is longer so that you may need to be careful if you plan to drink alcohol on your arrival.

Alcohol will increase the potential side effects.

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