How to cure sea sickness!
There is no such thing as immunity against sea sickness, and even the oldest salts can be subject to it. According to books, 9 in 10 people have felt sea sickness at certain point of their naval experience.
Before going on a sea vacation, take some time in studying, and be prepared what to do if it comes, so that you enjoy your sailing adventure to the most.
Actually, sea sickness is really tricky, because it is not caused by anything that goes inside your organism - like bacteria or viruses. It is caused by the confusion of the body as to where it is situated in space. That's where the mal de mer (that is the French name by which it is famous) hits.
The vestibular apparatus inside your body does not know to which direction it is moving, whether it is moving at all, is it standing still... Generally because of gravitation, there is a fine 'tuning' of your body, also called the inner ear. So, in fact what happens is that there is a discrepancy between what your inner ear, your senses detect and your brain who is used to stable ground. Conflicting information reaches the central nervous system, and the result is the body being unable to position any more in the three-dimensional space it occupies.
The symptoms of sea sickness come quickly. We all know how unpleasant they can be.
Surprisingly, half of the people get the mild symptoms and they are... simply drowsiness. Research has showed that a positive attitude and distracting your thoughts from the idea of sea sickness lessens the symptoms.
Unfortunately, some of us suffer the hard symptoms and they are progressing to extreme nausea, throwing up, dizziness and headache, becoming pale, cold perspiration. If you have a problem with traveling by car or by plane, it is very likely that you get seasick, especially in strong weather.
On the other hand if you get seasick in a small yacht, it does not necessarily mean that you will feel bad in big cruiser ships or other means of transport. The thing is that the bigger the vessel, the smaller it rocks and the less it is prone to waves and wag.
If the person tries to concentrate on something (especially if they concentrate on not vomiting), the situation gets worse. In the case of vomiting, the brain receives similar signals like when the body has some kind of poisoning.
There are three things which trigger sea sickness, and it is advisable that you avoid them, if you are prone to it, or try to do as little as possible: if you go below the deck for a long time (there the wag is bigger), if you look through binoculars or other optical device, and finally - if you read a book, look at a compass or do any work that requires gazing at one point for a long time.
Just try to keep your peripheral vision on objects that your brain will interpret as stable (because in fact they are not, and there will be clash in the sensory information and it will end in sea sickness).
Sea sickness prevention
The best way it is the natural - sooner or later your brain gets used to rocking and floating (for a longer trips, but mind you! - After you set foot on a firm ground, you will also need some time to re-adjust to walking ashore.)
In some cases, however, sea sickness is very strong and you need to do something to prevent/cure it.
As we mentioned, it is good to focus your mind to anything else, it is also good to be in the fresh air, look forward, make sure your eyes have access to the horizon and let your eyes roam. Drink water to avoid dehydration. And breath deeply and slowly. The worst thing you can do is go somewhere below the decks and not see the horizon, or open spaces. Avoid heavy, fatty, too salty food. Stay fresh.
If you have a history of motion sickness, better not book an inside cabin, it will be a nightmare and spoil your fun!
Basically, the remedies against sea sickness can be divided into three groups - drugs, herbs and bands you stick on your skin.
We don't endorse any drugs - because some of them like dimenhydrinate can cause allergic reactions, so consult your doctor.
We recommend something with almost no side effects - ginger; eat a little bit, and you'll feel better. Yet it is not recommended for pregnant women.
If someone is feeling really bad, and the situation calls for action, get them on the deck, but not in direct sunlight, especially if it is hot, cockpit is the best place. Tell them to close their eyes. The helmsperson should steady the course of the yacht (at least for a while).
Remember - no matter how bad you feel - it is just a temporal state, and many of the legendary sailors also people who have crossed the oceans numerous times have suffered from severe sea sickness.
Don't panic! It's not lethal!
