How to Overcome Seasickness
Seasickness is a type of motion sickness. When we are at sea, our brains are sensing the movement of the water and boat, while our eyes perceive a different type of motion. This disparity causes a nauseating sensation in our stomachs that often comes along with light-headedness and dizziness. You can overcome seasickness both by prevention and by dealing with the symptoms as they occur.
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Things You'll Need
- Drinking water
- Ginger-based foods
- Pressure wristband
- Carbonated cola drink
Instructions
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Eat a small meal within an hour of getting on the boat. You should only eat enough to make you feel full and settled, not overly full or bloated.
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Keep acidic, greasy foods out of your system for a full day prior to your departure. These heavy foods can make your stomach upset and exacerbate seasickness.
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Put a peppermint candy into your mouth as the boat begins to move. The sucking motion of your mouth on the candy restores your balance, and the peppermint can calm down your churning stomach.
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Drink water regularly over the course of your boat trip, whether you are seasick or not. Dehydration contributes to the symptoms of seasickness.
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Find a space on the boat that is cool and has fresh air, and sit there until the seasickness subsides. These external factors will help relax your body and overcome the nausea.
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Focus on a steady point at a distance from you, such as the horizon or a star. This fixed object allows you to focus your eyes and recalibrate your brain to the surroundings.
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Eat foods containing ginger, such as ginger ale and ginger cookies, as the ginger will help relax your stomach and allow you to calm down.
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Put a pressure band around your wrist to provide steady, light impact on your pressure points.
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Drink a carbonated cola drink with phosphoric acid to calm the stomach and relieve symptoms.
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Sleep enough so you don't feel weary, which will make it more difficult for your brain to reconcile the balance change when on the sea. Sleeping on your back is a good position for rest at sea.
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Tips & Warnings
If your seasickness is very extreme or threatening, you can try asking your doctor for a medical prescription to help deal with it.
Do not drink excessively before or during the voyage as you can create a serious fluid imbalance. This makes the seasickness much worse.
References
- Photo Credit sport fishing boat image by Wimbledon from Fotolia.com cola image by Kate Jones from Fotolia.com
