Symptoms of seasickness caused by. Seasickness

Motion sickness is a special painful condition that occurs in some people when rolling on a ship or plane, as well as when driving in road and rail transport, mainly due to the impact on the body of mechanical stimuli associated with the movements of the ship, aircraft, car, etc.

To designate a certain painful condition, depending on where motion sickness develops - at sea, in the air or in a car, on a train and on other land transport, the terms "seasickness", "air sickness", "railway or car sickness" have long been used. . Some authors call this condition simply motion sickness, or motion sickness.

What are the causes of seasickness?

Most often and fully, the clinical picture of motion sickness is expressed at sea, especially when the water surface is restless. Seasickness at sea is primarily associated with the ship's rolling and the impact of rectilinear and angular accelerations on a person. Other factors contributing to the development of the seasickness symptom complex are an increase in the body's reactivity, instability of the emotional sphere, as well as lability of the autonomic part of the central nervous system. Even Plutarch noted the absence of motion sickness in children in the first years of life. Confirmation of the great importance of the state of the psyche with an increase in the reactivity of the body are cases when the clinical picture of seasickness occurs when you see the rough sea from the deck of the ship, or only when you remember the painful sensations experienced in the past when traveling on a ship, plane, car. Along with this, many cases can be cited when sailors subject to motion sickness, in the conditions of intense combat activity of the ship, did not suffer from seasickness even in stormy weather.

Seasickness is more common among people young age. According to the data, only 1/3 of young sailors aged 18-25 do not suffer from motion sickness. Older sailors, and especially those who often go on long sea voyages, are much less likely to get motion sick in adverse weather conditions.

The development of seasickness depends on several other factors. Thus, seasickness is observed more often among sailors living in rooms located in the bow of the ship than among sailors and passengers located in the aft compartments. That's why experienced sailors always try to get a place in the cabins aft of the ship.

Equally important factors contributing to motion sickness are insufficient ventilation of closed and cramped spaces, heat and increased air humidity, as well as ship shaking. Seasickness occurs less frequently and is more easily tolerated in the open air, when it is possible to observe the surrounding water surface and the horizon line.

About 67% of the personnel decommissioned from ships ashore due to seasickness are sailors and foremen of the electromechanical unit; motion sickness occurs more than two times more often among minders than among boatswains. According to other data, in general, only 3% of people are not prone to motion sickness, and all the rest suffer from seasickness to some extent.

Among other factors contributing to the appearance of seasickness, various smells should be pointed out: tobacco, used engine oil, varnishes, smoke, cooked food, etc. All these smells irritate the olfactory analyzer and increase the symptoms of motion sickness, making them more painful.

The quality and quantity of food matters: plentiful, especially fatty and sweet foods, as well as alcohol abuse by affecting the taste buds and interoreceptors of the stomach, contribute to the manifestation of the motion sickness symptom complex.

So, a number of the most diverse factors favors motion sickness, but, as we indicated above, the pitching of the ship is of primary importance in the development of seasickness.

There are three types of pitching of the ship: vertical - when the ship is immersed down and lifted up, side - about the longitudinal axis and pitching - about the transverse axis.

Rolling increases during the drift and when the ship is in a lag (parallel to the wave), while the roll can reach 20-30 ° and is most significant near the midship (the center of intersection of all the ship's swing axes). The pitching is most pronounced when the ship is moving towards the wave.

The greatest range of pitching occurs at the extremities of the ship, and especially in its bow. In this case, the trim - the angle of the longitudinal inclination of the vessel, causing a difference in the drafts of the bow and stern, can reach 7-9 °. During side and pitching, a person is affected by angular and rectilinear accelerations, slightly exceeding the threshold physiological stimuli.

A few words about pitching on the so-called dead swell. Swell - the excitement of the sea without wind, sometimes reaching large sizes, is observed either after a long wind, when the sea has not yet calmed down, or before the wind, when the latter blows with force in the neighborhood and drives a wave in front of it. In this case, the amplitude of wave motion in the vertical plane can reach several meters.

With heaving, which is more pronounced at the bow and stern, a person is affected by rectilinear accelerations, which are tens of times higher than the threshold physiological stimuli.

Rectilinear, mostly vertical, ship movements are often the main cause of seasickness. On large ships, the vertical movement of the vessel is almost not felt, but there are significant angular movements observed during side and pitching.

In the development of seasickness, along with the type of rolling, its character is no less important. Rolling can be slow (smooth) or, conversely, fast (rapid). Rapid pitching is especially poorly tolerated on ships of small tonnage with a small natural period (the period of time during which the ship moves from one extreme position to another and back).

Each ship has its own, unique to him, natural period of pitching. The value of this period depends on the length, width, deepening of the ship, as well as on design features. During heavy seas, motion sickness is also facilitated by forced oscillations of the ship, depending on the size of the waves, which can reach 400 m in length and 11 m in height.

How does seasickness occur?

During pitching, primarily due to the impact of rectilinear and angular accelerations associated with the movement of the body, a number of response somatovegetative reactions occur, which determine the main manifestations of motion sickness. The place of application of these irritations is primarily the vestibular apparatus, the otoliths and semicircular canals of which, with the help of the vestibular nerve receptors located on the threshold of the inner ear, communicate the peripheral organs-analyzers with the central nervous system.

The base of these cells, facing the wall of the ampulla, comes into contact with the fibers of the vestibular nerve, and the hairs of these cells "bath" in the endolymph of the ampulla. When moving the head (semicircular canals), endolymph currents are irritants for cells with hairs. The resulting impulses are transmitted along the vestibular nerve to the central nervous system.

Parts of the vestibule are elliptical (utriculus) and spherical (sacculus) sacs, which are innervated by the vestibular nerve. These sacs also contain epithelial cells with hairs, at the ends of which, facing the cavity, are lime crystals - otoconia. The central segments of the cells of these sacs are intimately connected with the fibers of the vestibular nerve. This whole apparatus is called otoliths. The fibers of the vestibular nerve arise from the cells of the Scarpa node, which lies in the internal auditory canal. The peripheral fibers of the cells of this node are connected with the receptor cells of the otoliths and semicircular canals, and the central branches are part of the auditory nerve, which enters the medulla oblongata. The vestibular branches of the auditory nerve terminate in five nuclei. The medial nucleus lies under the floor of the IV ventricle. The nucleus of Deiters is located laterally from it. In the outer corner of the IV ventricle lies Bechterew's nucleus.

The descending nucleus is located at the level of the tail part of the Deutersian nucleus and reaches the level of the nuclei of the posterior pillars. Finally, Monakov's nucleus lies outside the sphenoid cord. The fibers of the vestibular nuclei are connected with the cerebellum, with the nuclei of the spinal cord, the optic tubercle trunk, the oculomotor nerves, and also with the cerebral cortex.

As mentioned above, when the body rotates around any axis, the endolymph of the semicircular canals begins to move and irritates their epithelial cells with hairs. The movement of the endolymph towards the ampulla creates a state of increased excitability of its receptors, which is transmitted through the fibers of the vestibular nerve to its nuclei and those apparatuses that are associated with it. As a result, a number of reflex, so-called vestibular somatic reactions arise, the purpose of which is to eliminate or reduce the passive movement of the body when external forces act on it.

biological significance of the otolithic apparatus lies in the fact that it is, in fact, the main receptor in the system of tonic reflexes that determine the position of the body during its rest and movement. The otoliths and semicircular canals have something in common that they are involved in the regulation of the position of the body in relation to the center of gravity, and also contribute to the fixation of the visual axis when moving the head. In other words, these devices possess receptors for postural, in particular, antigravity reflexes.

Along with adaptive (response) somatic reflexes, when the vestibular apparatus is irritated, a large number of visceral reactions can occur, manifested by dilated pupils, blanching of the face, changes in pulse rate, nausea, vomiting, etc. All this is due to the fact that when the vestibular apparatus is excited, impulses are transmitted both to somatic and visceral centers of the brain. Dizziness, often observed with stimulation of the vestibular apparatus, is apparently due to the spread of excitation to the cortical vestibular centers.

If for the semicircular canals, as mentioned above, the stimulus is angular acceleration, then for the otolithic apparatus it is gravitational acceleration and acceleration during rectilinear movements of the body. During motion sickness, excitation and a special position occur not only in the semicircular canals, but also in the otolithic apparatus. The clusters of sensitive cells present in it, the auditory spots and the calcareous crystals lying on them - otoconia - change their relationship, namely: when the ship is on the crest of a wave, the otoconia are pulled up to the spots, and when it reaches the bottom of the wave, they move away from the spots. As a result, irritation of the hair cells of the neuroepithelium occurs, followed by the transmission of impulses along the vestibular nerve to various parts of the central nervous system and the impact on the somatovisceral organs. The response from the latter consists in motor and vegetative disorders, the totality of which, in combination with cortical reactions, outwardly manifests itself as a motion sickness syndrome. It is quite clear that persons with an unstable nervous system and autonomic reactions are most susceptible to motion sickness.

The role of the vestibular apparatus in the occurrence of motion sickness is evidenced by the fact that deaf-mutes with an underdeveloped labyrinth rarely suffer from seasickness or airsickness.

Children are insensitive to motion sickness (from infants to 4 years of age).

In addition to the vestibular apparatus, which is the main, although not the only source of spatial sense and reflexes associated with it (especially vegetative), a certain role in the mechanism of motion sickness belongs to irritation of the visual and non-static analyzers. Suffice it to say that irritation of the receptor apparatus of the visual analyzer under these conditions often causes dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

Optical fixation of the gaze on a fixed point on the horizon, distant waves and clouds reduces motion sickness, while most of fields of vision occupied by moving objects exacerbate prolonged dizziness. In other words, the loss of eye contact with static points contributes to motion sickness. This is why the blind are more prone to seasickness.

Increased impulsation from proprioceptors during rolling causes vestibular-vegetative reactions of the body, and staying in a horizontal position helps to reduce motion sickness, as additional acceleration caused by active and passive movement of the head is removed. Along with this, in a horizontal position, irritation of the sensory nerves decreases as a result of the fact that the displacement of the movable internal organs in relation to the diaphragm becomes less significant.

The reactions of the body to statokinetic stimuli (changes in the position and movement of the body) depend on the state and activity of many receptor systems (visual, vibrational, tactile, proprioceptive, interoceptive, etc.), among which the labyrinth occupies a special place.

“Changes in the position and movement of the body (i.e., statokinetic stimuli) are caught simultaneously by vision, and the labyrinth, and the muscular-articular sense, and the vibratory-tactile sense, and the sensitive membranes of the abdominal, thoracic and cranial cavities with the organs enclosed in them” .

What are the symptoms of motion sickness?

Motion sickness at sea is tolerated in different ways. Described over 20 various symptoms motion sickness. Some hurriedly walk along the windward side of the ship, experiencing a sense of anxiety and fear, others lie on their berths, they are apathetic and indifferent to their surroundings.

Dizziness, diplopia, headache, chilliness, dilated pupils, sometimes confusion and other brain symptoms appear. Perverted taste and appetite. Often associated with disorders of bowel function: constipation, rarely loose stools. General weakness develops, salivation appears, increasing nausea. The skin of the face becomes pale and covered with a cold clammy sweat. Sometimes there are various disorders of the heart rhythm. Arterial pressure decreases. The patient breathes often, deeply and irregularly. Vomiting starts. In the vomit there is an admixture of bile, viscous mucus, and sometimes blood. After vomiting comes short-term relief.

Subjective sensations of patients are extremely painful. This state is perfectly defined by the old saying: "At the beginning of seasickness, they are afraid to die, and if it drags on, they want to die."

According to the severity and variety of clinical symptoms, some authors propose to distinguish three degrees of manifestation of this disease state. However, all this is very conditional.

The first degree (mild in its course) is mainly manifested by dizziness, nausea and salivation.

Second (moderate) and third degree of motion sickness. A severe course is characterized, along with the indicated symptoms, by a violation of activity of cardio-vascular system, which is manifested by various heart rhythm disorders, a drop in blood pressure and pallor of the skin. Excruciating vomiting, cold sticky sweat and severe disturbances in the emotional sphere, perhaps, fully characterize the severity of the manifestation and course of motion sickness.

There are also three forms of manifestation of seasickness: asthenic, agitated and mixed.

Most often there is an asthenic form of motion sickness. It manifests itself in a sharp depression of the emotional sphere, mental depression, lethargy, and is combined with varying degrees of severity of vegetosomatic reactions from different body systems.

Another type of manifestation of seasickness is an agitated form of motion sickness, characterized by excessive instability of the emotional sphere: excessive talkativeness, unmotivated laughter, “theatricality” of posture, speech, etc. In addition, with this form, mobility is often unjustified by the situation.

The mixed form of motion sickness is characterized by a change in the emotional state, when an asthenic state quickly sets in after the erectile phase.

With the cessation of pitching, all symptoms of seasickness disappear, but some "swayed" faces continue to feel sick. For several hours and even days they are in prostration, experiencing general weakness, headache, dizziness, nausea and a number of other painful sensations.

General overwork, increased sensitivity of the vestibular apparatus to accelerations, and some disease states (chronic gastritis, cholelithiasis, kidney stones, cardiovascular neurosis, and various functional and organic diseases of the central nervous system) especially predispose to motion sickness.

The slightest acceleration can irritate the receptive fields of a diseased organ with a low threshold of excitation, resulting in a violent, diffuse, vegetative-somatic response of the body to sea rolling.

What measures are in place to prevent seasickness?

Persons entering the maritime service (seafarers) must undergo a medical examination to select those who are less suffering from motion sickness.

Collective prophylaxis of the crews of ships, commercial and passenger ships mainly consists of sanitary and hygienic measures, systematic physical training and hardening, as well as special (physical) training sessions.

During rough seas, it is necessary to intensively ventilate the living and service premises of the ship (vessel).

Before going out to sea, it is advisable to draw up a special menu-layout with dishes containing an excess of salt-sour products.

In stormy conditions, herring, pickled cucumbers, salted vobla, and sauerkraut should be included in the daily diet. It is advisable to add cranberry extract to drinking water and hot tea.

Such training exercises provide an increase in resistance to the occurrence of seasickness by developing the resistance of the vestibular analyzer to the actions of specific stimuli.

A set of exercises recommended on the ship to prevent seasickness

1. Turning the head to the right and left on the spot and in motion - 10 times.

2. Turns of the body in place within 45-180 ° - 10 times.

3. Tilts of the head forward and backward in place and in motion - 10 times.

4. Torso tilt forward and back extension in place and on the go - 5-10 times.

5. Tilts of the head to the sides in place and in motion - 10 times.

6. Tilts of the torso to the sides in place and in motion (hands in the castle above the head) - 5-10 times.

7. Tilt the torso at a right angle and rotate in one direction - 10 times, then stop, straighten the torso and walk in a straight line at a distance of 3-5 m (active otolithic reaction).

8. Jumping on toes 40-50 times in 30 seconds. Running and walking in place. Jumping in place with a turn of 180-360 ° -5-10 times.

Special exercises in the training gym

1. Flip sideways ("wheel") in both directions -6 times.

2. Kulbyuts and somersaults forward and backward - 6 times.

3. Handstand (at the wall or with the help of a friend) -3 times.

4. Turns on the crossbar with a curtain forward and backward, as well as riding forward or backward - 6-8 times.

5. Exercises on parallel bars: coups, stand on the shoulders, lifting by kip from swinging.

6. Circling in both directions on a vertical rope or on rings with rope twisting.

7. Walking on the beam for balance training.

8. Swinging on Khilov's two-bar swing for 15 minutes.

9. Exercises on giant steps.

Physical training and tempering of the crew protect the personnel from motion sickness under certain conditions, although attempts to achieve reliable habituation in rolling under artificial conditions on the shore long before the ship goes to sea really turn out to be of little success.

Sleep is a powerful way to prevent motion sickness. It is known that almost the majority of sailors and passengers experience motion sickness when falling asleep.

In addition, experience shows that seafarers who are prone to motion sickness on ships of large tonnage, with a smooth, long period of rolling, often feel much better on ships of small tonnage with a rapid, short period of rolling, and vice versa.

Personal prevention and treatment of seasickness

The need for protective measures against motion sickness usually arises in connection with the forthcoming going to sea or with the appearance of rough seas during the stay on the ship.

Especially in need of protective measures are those who are prone to motion sickness and in the past have repeatedly experienced all the painful sensations of this condition when moving by sea, along railway or in a cross-country vehicle.

The following measures protect and mitigate the manifestations of motion sickness: distraction (switching) of attention from waves at sea (especially protects against motion sickness physical labor), staying in fresh, cool air, placing in the middle part of the ship, where the rocking is less pronounced, resting on a bunk (in the supine position) located along the side of the ship, or in an armchair with the head slightly thrown back. An old way to alleviate the general condition during motion sickness is to apply a rather tight bandage on the stomach (bandaging the stomach is done from the bottom up).

Great importance has a power supply. On an empty stomach, they get sick more often and stronger, so a light breakfast and strong tea are recommended before going to sea. Eating too much and fatty food can speed up the onset of nausea. Smoking and drinking alcohol should be avoided.

Medical treatment for seasickness

Theoretically, based on the pathogenesis of motion sickness, effective drugs against motion sickness are those that reduce the sensitivity of the nerve centers, with which the vestibular apparatus is primarily associated. Because of this, in our country and abroad with preventive and therapeutic purpose to combat motion sickness, drugs are used that act mainly on the central nervous system.

1. Medications that calm the central nervous system and at the same time have an anticholinergic effect:

a) Scopolamine hydrobromic in doses of 0.0001-0.0005 g (highest, single), daily dose of 0.0015 g.

b) Aeron tablets (vasano) containing scopolamine camphorate at a dose of 0.0001 g and hyoscyamine camphorate at a dose of 0.0004 g. The duration of action is about 10 hours. Daily dose - no more than 4 tablets.

Powders and tablets containing scopolamine must be taken one hour before going to sea or before traveling. In rough seas, hyoscyamine itself often causes vomiting and may be accompanied by dry mouth and ringing in the ears.

2. Sleeping pills in combination with drugs that stimulate the central nervous system: Medinal - sodium diethylbarbiturate. The highest single dose is 1 g.

Duration of action up to 8 hours. If necessary, you can repeat this medicine at half the dose.

3. Drugs that act primarily on the autonomic part of the central nervous system. These include anticholinergic agents from the atropine group, in particular platyfillin tartrate, as well as agents that block autonomic nodes.

In order to prevent motion sickness, belladonna preparations are ineffective. Platifillin, which has pronounced anticholinergic and antispasmodic properties, acts more reliably. At the correct dosage, unlike atropine, it does not cause side effects. Platifillin is recommended to be used in combination with other drugs.

Take 30-60 minutes before sailing or travel. If necessary, you can repeat the mixture in the same dose after 3-5 hours. The mixture is prescribed in powders, gelatin capsules, tablets, drops and suppositories.

AT last years for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes, to combat motion sickness, they try to use ganglion-blocking substances that have the ability to temporarily weaken or completely interrupt the transmission of nervous excitation through the autonomic ganglia. Ganglioblocking activity is possessed not only by compounds containing quaternary nitrogen atoms, but also by many tertiary amines related to spasmodic, antihistamine, local anesthetics - antispasmodic, diphenhydramine, novocaine, etc. The effectiveness of antihistamines for the prevention and treatment of motion sickness is low.

The use of such ganglionic blocking agents as pentafen, chlorpromazine, etc., is undesirable, since they have a pronounced side effect. Pentafen can cause accommodation disorder, tachycardia, dry mouth, scleral vascular injection, dysphagia, constipation, urinary retention, muscle weakness, and even the development of postural hypotension with the transition to orthostatic collapse. Side effects in the treatment of chlorpromazine are expressed by allergic dermatitis, it is also possible the development of toxic parenchymal hepatitis, pellagra-like syndrome, orthostatic collapse, parkinsonism phenomena. In addition, the use of pentafen and chlorpromazine for prophylactic purposes against motion sickness as a result of the development of side effects can lead to a decrease in the efficiency of 35-42% of the ship's personnel.

Difazin has the greatest positive effect and the least side effect, although when using this drug, dizziness and drowsiness were observed in 15-20% of people who used it as a prophylactic. Difazin is recommended to be given in combination with diphenhydramine and caffeine. The duration of this mixture is 7-12 hours.

It is clear that the choice of one or the other medicines for the prevention and treatment of seasickness in each case will depend not only on the conditions of navigation (on a trip), on the severity and nature of the manifestation of motion sickness, on the previous state of health (anamnestic data), but also on the functional state of various physiological systems organism.

Everyone has experienced motion sickness while traveling. If the problem occurs among tourists traveling on the waves, it is called "seasickness". Despite the romantic name, motion sickness while walking on a yacht, boat or ship can bring a lot of unpleasant moments. As a result, travelers have no desire to either view the landscapes or enjoy their vacation. It remains only to fight dizziness and bouts of nausea.

Seasickness: how and why

In medical terminology, motion sickness in transport is called "kinetosis". Moreover, motion sickness in the sea has the same nature as dizziness during dancing or on a carousel.

One of the main causes of "seasickness" is the lack of training of the balance organ or the vestibular apparatus. Although, doctors do not exclude an individual predisposition to motion sickness associated with heredity.

By its nature, motion sickness during boat trips is associated with the inconsistency of information perceived by a person. The fact is that the receptors of the inner ear in the process of moving on a boat or ship, as in any other transport, perceive the situation as stationary. The body does not move during the trip. While the eyes fix movements in space. As a result of such a disproportion in the information perceived by the brain, dizziness and slight nausea occur.

Possible causes of motion sickness:

Low level of development of the vestibular apparatus
- fear
- elevated temperatures and stuffiness
- strong tobacco smell
- alcohol consumption
- emotional stress
- overwork
- pregnancy.

Symptoms of motion sickness and seasickness

In most cases, the symptoms are absolutely identical. But due to the individual characteristics of the body, everyone can endure motion sickness in a slightly different way. The classic symptoms of "seasickness" are severe, increasing dizziness, the urge to vomit, and nausea. The patient's skin and mucous membranes become very pale. A person loses appetite, sleep disturbances appear.

The reaction to motion sickness can be different. Some people become lethargic during this period, while others become very agitated. Immediately after the disappearance of the source of motion sickness, when going to land, the symptoms weaken, and then disappear.

Depending on the type of temperament, there is also a tendency to motion sickness. Observations show that introverts suffer from "seasickness" more and more often, while extroverts endure pitching much more easily.

How to prevent motion sickness: actions before the trip

1. Persons prone to motion sickness before going to sea should better refrain from eating, alcohol and highly carbonated drinks. It's best to plan your last meal at least 2 hours before your trip.
2. On the road, you should be distracted from thoughts about motion sickness and have fun. A light conversation with a neighbor will be optimal. On a ship or boat, it is better to sit at the stern and look ahead. It is known that sailors on duty never suffer from pitching. Since they constantly monitor the route and look exclusively ahead. Therefore, at the first signs of motion sickness, it is necessary to go to the stern and look at the horizon line.
3. Persons suffering from "seasickness" are strictly prohibited from positioning themselves in the opposite direction of travel. If the bunk in the cabin is positioned this way, it will provoke an increase in symptoms.

Ways to treat seasickness

1. Medical preparations. The active development of medicine leaves no chance for more traditional methods. Therefore, knowing about your tendency to motion sickness, it is better to take one of the suitable drugs an hour or half an hour before a boat trip.

Croatian-made Dramina tablets remain one of the most popular. Bonin (USA), Aminalon and others have a similar effect.

2. Vitamins. Blocking nausea allows taking large doses of vitamin C. At a time, you can use from 3-4 grams to 5 grams. The action of the vitamin is based on blocking the release of histamines, as a result, relief occurs almost instantly.

If there are no tableted vitamins at hand, you can use sour fruits. Green apples are perfect. Lemons are also good.

3. ginger powder. A well-known remedy for motion sickness is the root of this plant. Powder is recommended. One teaspoon is enough one hour before departure.

A similar effect is possessed by everyone's favorite gingerbread cookies and caramels.

4. Mint tea with lemon. A proven remedy for motion sickness is a fragrant drink. The proportion is one teaspoon of tea per glass of water. After that, you need to let the drink brew for at least 20 minutes.

Tea is taken with them to the sea and drunk in small portions. A good addition to the drink is lemon.

5. Pickles, green tea. Pickled cucumbers have a similar calming effect on motion sickness. They are recommended to chew a little. Helps with motion sickness brewing green tea. You just need to chew it during an attack.

6. Diet. Travelers suffering from "seasickness" before walking on the waves, be sure to monitor their diet. It is better to consume water, vegetables and fruits. While it is better to refuse heavy food, such as sweets, carbonated drinks, starchy foods or chips.

8. Honey and mint. This recipe is also suitable for children who are hard to tolerate pitching. A teaspoon of honey is mixed with peppermint essential oil. It is important that the child does not swallow the honey, but chews it. After that, you need to drink it with cool water.

Experienced travelers not only use proven medicines, but also know a couple of simple tricks to avoid motion sickness.

1. Before walking on a ship, the wrists are pulled with an elastic bandage. As a result, the body reacts much softer to pressure drops.

According to the theory of Chinese medicine, there is a point on the wrists that helps prevent nausea. And it is on the impact on it that the technique known to sailors is based.

2. Maximum distraction. To do this, sailors clamp a match or a toothpick in their teeth and begin to chew it during bouts of motion sickness. A simple mechanical technique distracts from pitching, switches attention and makes it easy to endure the trip.

3. Plaster. Many people with poorly trained vestibular apparatus know about this technique. With the help of two plasters, the navel is sealed. This must be done in such a way that the middle of the adhesive plaster completely covers the navel. The method is simple but very effective.

By following these simple recommendations, you will easily endure not only an hour-long walk around the coast, but also a long sea cruise. Medications and techniques proven by sailors allow you to cope with troubles and remove all the symptoms of motion sickness.

A pathological condition resulting from sea rolling. It is manifested by nausea, dizziness, cephalalgia, vomiting, malaise, deviations in the emotional sphere (apathy / agitation), a drop in blood pressure, arrhythmia. Diagnosis is based on typical clinical symptoms. For the purpose of professional selection, instrumental methods for studying vestibular function are used. Depending on the manifestations, therapy is carried out with a combination of several drugs of the following groups: anticholinergics, antiemetics, antihistamines, psychostimulants, nootropics.

General information

Seasickness is an integral part of the concept of "kinetosis" (motion sickness), which includes various types of motion sickness: airsickness, motion sickness in road transport, ride sickness, riding sickness. Symptoms of kinetosis under appropriate conditions are detected in 60% of children, 30% of adults. The marine form is one of the most severe variants of kinetosis. Strong pitching can cause motion sickness of any person, only 3% of people are absolutely resistant to its effects. Most often, seasickness is observed in children 2-12 years old, least often in the elderly. Young people are more susceptible to the disease, according to some reports, about 2/3 of seafarers under 25 years of age suffer from seasickness. Women are less resistant to motion sickness than men. In children under 2 years of age, the symptoms of pathology during sea travel are practically not detected.

Causes of seasickness

The main etiofactor of kinetosis is the effect on the vestibular apparatus of multidirectional accelerations that exceed the usual threshold stimuli. There are three forms of rolling: vertical (lifting-immersing of the ship), keel (oscillations around the transverse axis of the ship), side (oscillations around the longitudinal axis). On large ships, heaving is felt weakly, but keel and side roll are significant. A number of factors are known to increase the likelihood of developing marine kinetosis, these include:

The intense nature of pitching. A slow, smooth roll is much easier to carry than a fast, fast one. The pitching period (the time the ship moves between the extreme positions) depends on the degree of sea roughness, the size, and the tonnage of the ship.
Alcohol intake, fatty foods, overeating. These factors negatively affect the state of the body, reduce resistance to rolling. To provoke marine kinetosis can be the abuse of food and alcohol, the intake of carbonated drinks 1-2 days before the start of the voyage.
Adverse effects environment . The likelihood of seasickness increases under the influence of several adverse factors. So, in the engine room of a ship, sailors are affected by noise, vibration, air with harmful impurities.
Chronic diseases. Cardiovascular pathologies, cholelithiasis, chronic gastritis, nephrolithiasis are accompanied by increased sensitivity of the receptor apparatus of the affected organ. As a result, slight accelerations cause a violent vegeto-somatic reaction.
CNS pathology. Organic, functional diseases of the central nervous system cause hyperexcitability, inadequate response of the central structures that perceive impulses from peripheral receptors. Under such conditions, enhanced statokinetic effects during rolling easily provoke kinetosis.
optical factor. Constantly moving objects in front of the eyes contribute to motion sickness. Irritation of the visual analyzer, similar to the vestibular one, can cause dizziness and nausea.
Psycho-emotional state. A tendency to anxiety-depressive states, self-absorption, a sense of fear increase the likelihood of motion sickness. Concentration of attention on a certain occupation, sleep helps to overcome kinetosis.

Pathogenesis

Despite the widespread prevalence, the mechanism of the development of pathology has not been fully studied. Many researchers believe that motion sickness is associated with the response of the CNS to increased afferent impulses. The peripheral vestibular analyzer is located in the inner ear. The receptors of the semicircular tubules perceive angular acceleration, the otolith organ - linear and gravitational acceleration. The information received through the vestibular nerve is transmitted to the central nervous system, supplemented by impulses from proprio- and baroreceptors. The result of processing the incoming afferent information is a response impulse going to the muscles, somatic organs, vegetative centers and aimed at adapting the body to the prevailing conditions. At the same time, many vegetative-visceral reactions occur, causing the main symptoms of kinetosis.

According to the theory of "sensory conflict", the decisive factor is the inconsistency of sensory information entering the CNS. Confirmation is the aggravation of symptoms in the cabin, when vestibuloreceptor impulses indicate constant movement, and visual - the absence of movement of surrounding objects. Similarly, some experienced pilots flying as passengers experience airsickness. The usual combination of vestibular and visual information in the cockpit is replaced by a combination of identical vestibular sensations with a different visual afferentation due to the situation in the aircraft cabin.

Classification

Seasickness has variable clinical manifestations. The clinical polymorphism of the condition formed the basis of several classifications. Below are the two main ones.

According to the predominant clinical manifestations, 4 forms are distinguished:

nervous. The clinical picture is dominated by cephalgia, heaviness in the head, dizziness, drowsiness. Possibly impaired vision and hearing.
Gastrointestinal. Accompanied by nausea, vomiting, changes in taste, a feeling of unpleasant aftertaste, decreased appetite. In some cases, there is intolerance to the smell of tobacco smoke, burnt food, etc.
Cardiovascular. It is typical for people with cardiovascular pathology. It starts with tachycardia, increased blood pressure, palpitations, arrhythmia. Subsequently, there is bradycardia, arterial hypotension.
Mixed. Occurs most often. It is clinically manifested by a variable combination of symptoms of various forms.

According to the mental characteristics of the course, seasickness is classified into 3 options:

asthenic. The patient is depressed, asthenic, gets tired quickly, is somewhat retarded. The mood background is lowered.
Agitated. Excessive talkativeness, fussiness, mobility, increased emotionality, theatricality of speech, pretentiousness of movements are noted.
Mixed. It is an alternation of periods of asthenia and agitation. Perhaps the prevalence of one variant of mental reaction.

Sea sickness symptoms

Symptoms are highly variable. Some patients experience apathy, weakness, lie on a bunk, others hurriedly walk around the deck, excited, extremely talkative. Dizziness, cephalgia, nausea, temporary relief from vomiting are typical. Diplopia, chills, increased salivation may be detected. Patients complain of lack of appetite, rejection of many odors, changes in taste sensations. Disorders of the motor function of the gastrointestinal tract are not uncommon: diarrhea, constipation. The state of motion sickness is extremely difficult to tolerate, accompanied by pronounced changes in the psycho-emotional sphere.

In mild cases, motion sickness is limited to 2-3 days of dizziness, nausea. In severe cases, the patient is pale, his face is covered with cold sweat, there is bradycardia, repeated vomiting, an increase in respiratory rate, cardiac arrhythmias, impaired coordination of movements, a drop in pressure, and a confused state of consciousness are possible. Sometimes seasickness has a latent course. There is asthenia, decreased performance without obvious clinical manifestations of kinetosis. The absence of vivid symptoms makes it impossible to timely diagnose the latent form. A similar situation is dangerous if a sick team member receives a task that requires responsible execution.

Diagnostics

Diagnostic measures include taking an anamnesis (no symptoms before the trip, the presence of chronic diseases), detailing complaints, assessing the general status, and neurological examination of the patient. It is necessary to exclude diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, intestinal infection, cardiovascular diseases. The study of the neurological status does not reveal meningeal symptoms, focal neurological deficit, allows us to reject the possibility of neuroinfection (meningitis, encephalitis). Diagnosis of predisposition to kinetosis is necessary for the professional selection of sailors. The assessment of the vestibular analyzer is carried out by the following methods:

Vestibulometry- study of the reaction of the vestibular apparatus to various stimuli. It is carried out by using devices that simulate the impact of various forms of acceleration.
Caloric test. Gives an idea of the excitability of the labyrinth, allows you to identify labyrinth pathology.
Rotational tests. Required to determine the adaptive capacity of the vestibular apparatus in terms of rotation. Carried out with the help of a special chair, where the test is located.
Videooculography. It makes it possible to detect latent nystagmus, indicating a subclinical pathology of the labyrinth.

Sea sickness treatment

You can reduce the symptoms of motion sickness by eliminating aggravating factors. You need frequent light meals in small portions with the exception of fatty, whole milk, carbonated liquids. It is useful to drink water, tea with cranberry juice, lemon. Facilitates the state of resorption of lollipops, crackers. It is recommended to stand on the deck, fixing your eyes on the horizon, or take a horizontal position in the cabin (optimally - fall asleep). Pharmaceuticals that have anti-sickness effects include:

Cholinolytics(hyoscyamine, platifillin). Widely used at the end of the 20th century, due to pronounced side effects, they are currently used to a limited extent. Scopolamine is the most effective. A special application form of the drug in the form of a patch allows for uniform diffusion of scopolamine into the blood, which significantly eliminates side effects.
sodium bicarbonate. Showed high efficiency against motion sickness. Intravenous infusions, rectal suppositories are prescribed.
Antihistamines(dimenhydrinate, meclozine, promethazine). They block histamine receptors in the inner ear, vestibular nuclei, reducing vestibulo-vegetative reactions. Well tolerated, used prophylactically.
Psychostimulants(mesocarb, caffeine). They are prescribed in combination with antihistamines / anticholinergics. Reduce by-effect as CNS depression.
Antiemetics(metoclopramide). Needed to stop repeated vomiting.
Nootropics(aminophenylbutyric acid, piracetam). They increase the adaptive capabilities of the central nervous system, improve cerebral metabolism.
Combined pharmaceuticals. They are a combination of several pharmaceuticals of the same type (scopolamine + hyoscyamine), agents of a different mechanism of action (antihistamine + psychostimulant).

Forecast and prevention

Seasickness goes away when you stop rolling. In some patients, weakness, dizziness persist for several days. Measures for the prevention of kinetosis are the exclusion of provoking factors, training of the vestibular apparatus, preventive pharmacotherapy. Before swimming and during the trip, it is recommended to stop taking carbonated / alcoholic drinks, limit smoking, avoid overeating, overheating in the sun, tracking flickering objects. Increased resistance to motion sickness contributes to regular exercise stress. Vestibular training is provided by exercises with head turn, rotations, sport games(football, volleyball), dancing, aerobics, acrobatics. Drug prophylaxis is carried out with antihistamines. An early increase in the adaptive abilities of the nervous system is carried out by conducting course therapy with adaptogens, agents that improve cerebral hemodynamics, and neuroprotectors.

Seasickness is one of the most ancient types of motion sickness, which is not surprising, since humanity made the first long trips with the help of this transport. Mentions of this ailment are found in the writings of Hippocrates dated to the 5th century BC. It is known that the great naval commander Admiral Horatio Nelson suffered from nausea during motion sickness, and Charles Darwin, on the contrary, went on a trip around the world to treat motion sickness. What are the causes of this syndrome? And what should be the treatment of seasickness in order to be able to enjoy such joys of life as cruises around the Atlantic, yacht trips in the Mediterranean, boat trips? After all, some have to avoid sailing on a ship precisely because of the fear of seasickness.

Seasickness is one of the most ancient types of motion sickness, which is not surprising, since humanity made the first long trips with the help of this transport.

Causes of seasickness

The cause of motion sickness in the sea is a discrepancy between visual perception and sensations experienced by the body. The medical name for this mechanism is sensory conflict. For example, a similar mismatch that causes motion sickness syndrome, or kinetosis, can occur during pitching, when a person is inside the ship and does not see the waves on which the ship oscillates, but the body at the same time feels its movement. Psychological factors can also have a significant influence on the development of motion sickness. People who have experienced motion sickness symptoms in the past set themselves up for an unfavorable scenario, which again leads to ailments.

Sea sickness symptoms

It has been established that the development of motion sickness syndrome is possible not only in water transport. Kinetosis can also occur in an airplane, car, elevator, and even when swinging on a swing. In all cases, motion sickness is usually of short duration. At the same time, its manifestations can have different intensity. The main symptoms of motion sickness include:

nausea and vomiting;
increased salivation and rapid breathing;
yawning and drowsiness;
headache and dizziness or even fainting;
loss of spatial orientation;
pallor;
irritability and tearfulness, which are often observed in seasickness in young children.

What to do when motion sickness

The problem of motion sickness does not mean at all that you will have to give up traveling on water expanses forever. The following recommendations will help get rid of seasickness or minimize its manifestations.

drink water. If a child or an adult is seasick and vomits while the ship is moving, a good remedy for seasickness is water with lemon, simple drinking water or another drink to be taken in small sips. This will help replenish lost fluids and suppress feelings of nausea.

Limit visual activity. Symptoms of seasickness are more pronounced with open eyes: this is due to the fact that during movement the “picture” is constantly changing, and an excess of visual information enters the brain. Therefore, if bouts of nausea appear when moving, if you become motion sick, it is better to try to take a relaxed posture in the cabin of the ship and close your eyes, or you can fix your gaze on any motionless object.

Adhere to a special diet. You should not overeat, but it is also not recommended to go sailing on an empty stomach. If you feel sick while driving various types transport, compliance with this recommendation will minimize the manifestations of motion sickness. Choose an easily digestible nutritious meal and try to consume it 1.5-2 hours before sailing to prevent nausea.

Take a certain posture and choose a passenger seat. Try to take a seat or cabin amidships. To avoid seasickness, it is recommended not to sit against the movement of the ship. It is also important to take a comfortable position in which motion sickness is minimized (it is advisable to tilt your head back a little and relax).

Provide fresh air. It should be remembered that motion sickness develops less frequently and is easier to tolerate in the open air, when it is possible to observe the horizon line and the surrounding water surface. At the same time, insufficient ventilation of cramped and enclosed spaces, high air temperature in the cabins on the ship can exacerbate the motion sickness syndrome.

Take Dramina®. Dramina® helps relieve excessive nervous system excitation and reduce the unpleasant symptoms of motion sickness during sea voyages. Blocking the receptors of the inner ear when taking Dramina® eliminates their increased sensitivity to motion sickness. This allows you to get rid of dizziness, weakness, disorientation and nausea with kinetosis. Please note that during a long trip, for example, during a multi-day cruise, you will not have to take the drug all the time: as a rule, the body gradually adapts and ceases to actively respond. More information about the drug can be found here.

Whether you're planning a river trip on a regular boat or a cruise ship, a traditional fishing weekend or an epic trip around the world, it's best to take Dramina® with you so that nothing can ruin your holiday experience!

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Seasickness is not a disease, but a specific pathology in which a person has certain symptoms. As a rule, the symptoms of motion sickness appear when a person experiences monotonous fluctuations, which can be caused by a walk on a boat, boat, and so on. In addition, flying in an airplane and even a long car ride can cause nausea, dizziness and drowsiness - all symptoms of seasickness.

What is seasickness?

Seasickness is also called "kinetosis". It occurs when different senses transmit conflicting signals to the brain and body. The conflict of perception lies in the fact that between the receptors of information and sensations that come from the vestibular apparatus, there is a discrepancy. As a result, a person develops dizziness, general weakness, nausea. All these symptoms make a person inoperable for some time.

Fortunately, seasickness is not permanent and some people manage to get rid of it. You can adapt to this state in just a few days. However, the difficulty is that not every person will be able to withstand the symptoms of the disease over a given period of time.

Doctors distinguish two categories of people with seasickness. The first category successfully gets rid of this pathology and quickly adapts to new conditions: a car trip, a boat trip, and so on. But the second category of people does not adapt at all and does not lend itself to any treatment. Therefore, such people are advised to limit all possible risk factors that can trigger the onset of symptoms of seasickness.

Doctors identify a number of factors that increase the risk of our body's susceptibility to motion sickness. Here are the most common ones:

fatigue;
stormy weather;
reading and working with maps;
stress;
fear;
bad smell of food or oversaturation of food;
intense swing.

Causes of seasickness

To date, doctors have not been able to understand the true cause of seasickness. Research continues to this day, but each person has his own individual characteristics of the body, so it is difficult to predict why he might get seasick.

However, doctors still put forward some versions. The first version is that there is a conflict between the nerve impulses that come from the vestibular analyzer and between the visual accompaniment of what is happening. For example, such a discrepancy can occur when a person is in a cabin, but cannot see the horizon. At this time, the vestibular apparatus captures cyclic changes in body position, and the eyes see all static objects in the room.

Some experts adhere to the theory of V.I. Voyachek. This theory states that the degree of motion sickness depends on the degree of load on the vestibular apparatus. Receptors immediately begin to respond to the acceleration and movement of our body, while transmitting impulses about the strength and nature of changes to the brain. In each person, the vestibular analyzer responds very well to movements that suddenly change speed or trajectory. As a result of such changes, kinetosis occurs.

How to overcome seasickness?

If you are in the category of people who can easily cope with seasickness, then you are in luck. After all, with the help of some exercises, you can avoid unpleasant symptoms. The main thing is to follow the recommendations below. Some recommendations should be started before you travel on board a ship or on board an aircraft.

Vestibular training

To prepare your body for seasickness, you need to perform exactly the same actions and movements that occur during motion sickness. For example, you can swing in a hammock or on an ordinary children's swing. If this is not possible, do not despair. In this case, you can resort to one very effective exercise, the essence of which is as follows:

blindfold with a bandage and make 20 circular movements clockwise with your head (most likely you will experience dizziness, so when it passes, proceed to the second exercise);
you need to repeat the same head movements, only this time counterclockwise.

Choose the right location on board

It is very important to choose the right seat on board an aircraft or ship if you get seasick. Kinetosis appears due to a mismatch between the visual picture and sensations. Therefore, in order to get rid of torment, you need to find a place on board from which the horizon will be visible. It is best to sit near the window. When seasick, it is not recommended to go down to the cabin, as visual accompaniment and vestibular receptors will cause symptoms to appear and make your trip painful.

Eat right while traveling

After eating dense and fatty foods, the risk of seasickness increases. Therefore, for the duration of the trip, it is recommended to carefully review your diet. From it you need to exclude all fatty and heavy foods. It is better to give preference to light breakfasts and vegetable salads. Dinner also plays a special role. It is best to eat something from seafood for dinner: squid, fish, scallops, octopus, and so on. Such products have a high nutritional value, but are quickly and easily absorbed by the body.

Experienced sailors recommend taking lemon and ginger with you on the road. These natural products are good for motion sickness. You can make your own drink from these products. In no case should you drink alcohol and coffee. You can eat something sour if it gets really bad.

Use a scopolamine patch

Scopolamine plaster helps very well and quickly from motion sickness. The main active ingredient of this patch is iron polyacrylate. Such a component allows you to cope with the hypersensitivity of the vestibular apparatus and prevent the appearance of symptoms of motion sickness. The patch is glued behind the ear, so it does not cause any discomfort.

The patch is absolutely safe. From the patch, the body constantly receives the necessary substances that enter the bloodstream, but bypass the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Therefore, the internal organs do not suffer. The dosage of the drug depends on the size of the patch.

Pressure on acupuncture points

Each person has a special point on the wrist of the left hand. With light pressure on it, the symptoms of seasickness disappear. It is difficult to describe the exact location of this point, so you just need to massage the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe wrist with your fingers. That way you will surely fall for it. Some sailors are even given special bracelets that vibrate on the arm and affect this point.

Take medications

If you are not a fan of folk methods, then medications will come to the rescue. Homeopathic and antihistamine remedies are suitable for combating seasickness. Both drugs affect the depression of the nervous system, due to which a person becomes drowsy and lethargic, and then simply falls asleep.

Homeopathic medicines work differently. These products contain ingredients that cause nausea. However, in small doses, they have the opposite effect. Such funds are absolutely safe for health, but the period of their action is very short.

In any case, you should not rely only on pills. It is better to have several options for eliminating seasickness in reserve, since we all have different organisms, and each organism reacts differently to certain remedies.