Tips On How To Cope With Motion Sickness And Enjoy Your Vacation

By Author: Jo Alelsto
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Sometimes the worst thing about motion sickness isn't the dizziness or the nausea, or even the vomiting. The worst thing about this condition is that while you are feeling miserable, everybody else is enjoying the view and feeling fine. That instead of enjoying your vacation, you feel sick and cannot get pleasure from your holiday getaway.

Medical experts say that motion sensitivity varies with the individual and the reasons remain unknown.

You get sick when the balance system in your inner ear senses motion that contradicts what your eyes perceive. Seasickness may be the most common variety. Just think of the how many different ways a ship can move at once. But many vacation cruises have been ruined by unwelcome queasiness.

The fact is that almost any kind of moving conveyance can produce motion sickness, whether it is a boat, a car, a plane, a horse, or a camel. But there are almost as many ways to prevent motion sickness as there are vehicles to cause it. Here are some tried and tested doctor's recommendations for moving without moaning:

1. Hold still

Keeping your head movement ...
... to a minimum helps fight motion sickness. Experts say that if you want to look at something, try to keep your head still and move your eyes instead.

2. Develop a distant stare

If you want to enjoy the scenery while aboard a cruise ship, go ahead. You are better off focusing on a landmark far down the road or the sea than to focus your eyes on the sea breeze down below or watching the telephone poles zip by as you drive.

3. Take a nap

As much as you want to enjoy the view, it would be best for you to take a nap first. Several studies show that sleep is an excellent way of preventing motion sickness. Not everyone can sleep in a moving vehicle, of course, but nature tends to care for many who are prone to motion sickness by making them sleepy. Perception of motion is not sent to the brain, so queasiness does not trouble those who are sleeping soundly.

4. Take a pill

If you really want to enjoy your travel without the hassle, take a pill. Over-the-counter motion sickness medicine as well as stronger prescription versions works by reducing your brain's awareness of the sensory conflict.

Take them at least a half-hour before your trip. If you wait until motion-sickness symptoms start, they are not going to work. And remember, this stuff makes you drowsy, so don't take the pill when you are the driver.

5. Don't look down

Advice for shipboard travelers or those on aboard a vacation cruise: The worst thing that you can do is bend your head over and watch the waves go by in the water. Instead, keep an eye on the horizon.

As long as you are on deck with the wind in your face and an eye on the horizon, you help reduce motion sickness.

6. Shun the cabin

It is best to spend as much time as you can up on deck while at sea. Seasickness is usually worse if you are below. Besides, you have to maximize your vacation spree. If you have chosen cruise as your vacation, then by all means enjoy it while you can.

7. Stay active

You may be able to keep seasickness at bay simply by not giving yourself time to think about it. A lot of balance-system problems depend on how aware you are of them. If you stay very active on a big cruise ship, for example, your brain can basically override what's going on in your stomach.

Keep these tips handy all the time and your satisfaction is guaranteed. Just remember the rules when you are away on a vacation spree, especially the golden rule: have fun!
Jo is a writer for ‘Villa Retreats' (http://www.villaretreats.com), a firm that offers holiday villa rentals in Europe and the USA. If you are planning to take a holiday break in Barbados then look for some charming and stylish yet fairly priced Barbados villa rental, where you could make your trip there really a unique experience.