Feeling Seasick? Five Remedies to Beat Motion Sickness While Sailing
Let’s be honest. Nothing spoils a trip quite like feeling like you might vomit on a member of your crew. Surprisingly, seasickness is common, even for people who live on the boats full-time. So, whether you’re a sailor, a scuba diver, a fisherman or just can’t get enough of being on the water, there is no reason why you should suffer while doing what you love. Luckily, the following top five remedies will help you beat motion sickness while sailing.
Read on to discover how to make motion sickness a thing of the past!
If you do get seasick, you’re far from alone
In fact, around 80% of the population suffer from motion sickness at some time in their lives. And, it can be caused by a rocky sea, land- or air-based travel or even a health issue.
Motion sickness can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, cold sweats, a throbbing headache and or anxiety, say internists Eve Glazier, MD, MBA and Elizabeth Ko, MD. At the end of the day, motion sickness is caused by confusion in the body, but isn’t well understood.
When one part of your balance-sensing system (your inner ear, eyes and sensory nerves) sense that your body is moving, but the other parts don’t, you feel that motion sickness. And, I think we can all agree, it feels terrible.
But, Wait. Before you reach for the Barf Bag
There are both natural and pharmaceutical solutions to seasickness, from electricity to ale. I like to stay on the more natural side and stick with non-invasive remedies that will kick motion sickness in the ass. One of my favorites ? …
1. Acupressure (and Sea-Bands)
Sea-Bands have been clinically tested against travel-induced nausea and vomiting.
Choppy seas beware! These wristbands exert gentle pressure on specific points on each wrist. One size fits all, and they can be combined with any other remedy.
They’ve worked for me!
2. Use Electricity (The Relief Band)
Zap!!
Just kidding. We’re not talking shock therapy here. Nope, just a gentle, low-level electrical current that helps you control your motion sickness quickly.
The best part about this watch-like device is that it prevents and treats the nausea and has no side-effects. Moreover, you control the level and duration of relief via the Relief Band Explorer’s five settings.
These devices are good for people who don’t find the Sea-Bands hit the spot.
3. Bottoms up (Or Vomit’s up?) Try Ginger and its Ale
Ginger in its many forms is a hugely popular and often-effective seasickness solution.
Ginger root capsules can help, especially if you don’t like the taste of ginger.
Start taking them a few days before you travel, or as soon as you think there might be a storm in sight.
One 1000 mg or two 500 mg capsules per day is a good dosage.
Blackmores Travel Calm Ginger is one example of a (400 mg) ginger tablet that’s made from a non-drowsy formula and is suitable for children who are over 6 years old. It also helps with digestion, reducing flatulence, gastrointestinal muscular spasm and colic.
A sick man in a fairground carousel
4. Still Feeling Queasy? Try Quease-Ease
This non-drug product is an all-natural inhaled seasickness reliever that was proven effective in hospital studies.
It was formulated and developed by a US Certified Registered Nurse anesthetist to calm surgery- and anesthesia-related queasiness.
Made from peppermint, lavender, ginger and spearmint essential oils, it’s suitable for all ages and is very cost-effective.
You remove the cap, take a few deep breaths of the aromatic vapor when needed and then put the cap back on. Done. Quease Ease lasts for 6-8 months if you’re careful to replace the cap properly, and it doesn’t react with any other meds.
Magic.
5. If all else fails, get your butt in the water!
Though a scientist recently proved that fish can actually get seasick, getting in the water while out boating can actually help HUGELY.
Kevin Wagar from Wandering Wagars says:
“While on a dolphin and whale-watching excursion in Costa Rica, I came down with a SERIOUS case of seasickness. We had no medication on board the small boat, so the only way I could get relief was by jumping into the ocean from time to time. Not only did it give me an opportunity to clean myself up, but being in the waves rather than above them instantly calmed my stomach. I also caught the attention of a massive whale shark, who swam up to investigate what I was doing in the water in the middle of the ocean. So my seasickness led to one of the coolest travel experiences I’ve ever had!”
So, there you have it. Now, you finally may be able to stow away your barf bag forever. It’s all smooth sailing from here on out.
Oh, and just in case you have officially taken the leap from land to sea. Or, perhaps you spend more days on your sailboat then off it, here are some awesome gadgets and items to make your life on board a little bit easier. Check it out here.
Cheers
Captain Gino
