Doctors think motion sickness stems from conflicting signals from your brain and body. The balance mechanism in your inner ears and the nerves in your feet tell your brain you're moving, but your eyes see a motionless deck and cabin and send signals that you're not moving. The conflicting signals cause confusion in your brain, resulting in nausea, dizziness and sweating.
Here are a few tips for combating nausea on the high seas.
•Act before you board.
Think big! Bigger ships rock and roll less on choppy waters. So if you are planning a family cruise and are concerned that someone may be susceptible to seasickness, book your family cruise on a larger ship. A ship that carries 3,000 passengers, will offer a steadier ride than a smaller ship of 600 passengers.
Also, plan your family cruise with weather and seasons in mind. For example, you might want to avoid a family Caribbean cruise during the height of hurricane season, which is the end of July through mid September. You also can expect rough waters in the winter in the North Atlantic, off western France and around Cape Horn, off the southern tip of Chile.
The medical director for Carnival Cruise Lines, suggests family members who may be susceptible to seasickness, book a cabin near the middle of the ship on one of the lower passenger decks. Imagine sitting in the middle of a playground seesaw instead of at an end. Another suggestion is to eat several small meals throughout the day. Eat in moderation, enjoy several small meals and avoid excessive alcohol throughout the family cruise .
•Consider over-the-counter cures.
Some passengers can control their symptoms with one of the non-prescription drugs such as meclizine (sold under the brand names Antivert, Bonine, Meni-D, Antrizine) and dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, Gravol and Vertirosan). These suppress the mechanism that transmits signals from the inner ear, thus minimizing the conflict in your brain.
Dimenhydrinate makes many people drowsy, a huge disadvantage when you don't want to miss a minute while on your family cruise. Meclizine produces fewer side effects and may be a better choice for that long awaited family cruise. Be sure to take the medication several hours before boarding, because the drugs need time to take effect. And check with your doctor to make sure there's no negative interaction with any medication you're taking.
Seasickness patches mete out a drug called scopolamine through the skin behind your ear. The patches release small amounts of the drug for several days, keeping nausea at bay for long periods of time. But beware, doctors say scopolamine has been tied to such side effects as delusions and delirium among the elderly and vision problems for people who accidentally get the medication on their fingers and rub their eyes.
The chief medical officer for Royal Caribbean Cruises, suggests you try the patches a day before your cruise to see if you suffer side effects. Also check with your doctor before trying the patches.
•Think about alternative methods.
Some cruisers swear that chewing on ginger or taking ginger tablets reduces nausea at sea, though doctors say medical studies have yet to show it offers any substantial relief.
Other cruise veterans put their faith in acupressure bracelets that are designed to stop nausea by pressing on a pressure point just above the wrist.
Doctors say you can reduce your nausea by standing on the deck of the ship, breathing in fresh air and keeping your eyes on the horizon.
