What is Travel Sickness ( Motion Sickness )

Motion sickness is commonly referred to as Sea Sickness, Air Sickness or Car Sickness. Motion sickness is a combination of symptoms like nausea, vomiting and dizziness brought on by travelling by road, rail, sea or air.

The body transmits conflicting signals between what your eyes are seeing and what your inner ear, which gives you your sense of balance, are sensing. The brain then receives a series of scrambled and conflicting information thus causing the variety of symptoms suffered by travellers.

Most people are vulnerable to travel sickness in varying degrees, and may experience some symptoms. Most people tend however to adapt to the change in their environment, and will begin to notice an improvement in their condition within a few days. However, it is estimated that up to 5% of people will not adapt to their new surroundings and will experience symptoms until they are removed from the environment that is causing the disturbance.

Women and children up to to the age of 12 are more vulnerable to travel sickness than men, with pregnant women being especially prone to motion sickness.

Travel sickness can ruin what van be an otherwise enjoyable journey.

The two most common medicines used to treat motion sickness are

                                   

                

·         Scopoderm TTS (Self-adhesive patches active for 3 days)

                                                        

·         Kwells tablets

                               

                    

·         Avomine

These medicines work by minimizing the conflicting signals in the brain, which cause the confusion when the brain tells the body one thing, while visual signals tell the brain something else.

The anti-travel sickness tablets should be taken just before you embark on your journey, but can be used during the journey to alleviate travel sickness symptoms. For full details, please be sure to read the accompanying product information leaflet.