Medicines used to prevent and treat travel sickness most commonly are either sedating antihistamines or anticholinergics. Travel sickness medications are more effective when taken pre-emptively, so before your journey begins.ДЄntiemetics and anti-nauseants act on the brain and nervous system. Glasses with a built-in horizon to combat motion sickness were patented in 2018, so watch this space. Some people find wrist bands that provide acupressure to be effective, although when these have been studied in controlled trials, the proof is lacking. Symptoms often return when back on dry land, usually for just a day or two.Д¬hewing hard ginger has been claimed to work for naval cadets, but other studies have not confirmed its effectiveness. Medicines can then be reduced and even stopped. There tends to be a reduction in symptoms after a couple of days at sea. For example, increasing experience on the water in relatively smooth conditions in preparation for longer and potentially rougher trips can help. More time 'on deck', keeping an eye on the horizon if there's a significant swell, and focusing on other things (for example looking out for whales) are good examples.Дesensitisation or habituation also work for some. Medicines that control vomiting (antiemetics) and nausea (anti-nauseants) are the mainstay of medicines used for motion sickness and are effective.Д«ut as there are unwanted side effects such as drowsiness, it's reasonable to try behavioural techniques first, or alongside medicines. Sitting in the back seat of the car, reading in a car or bus (trains and planes are better), facing backwards in a bus or train or going below deck on a boat in rough conditions are all best avoided if you're prone to travel sickness. Sufferers quickly work out what to avoid.

It often co-exists with a history of migraines. There is a genetic influence too, with the condition running in families. Susceptibility seems to increase with age, while women are more prone to travel sickness than men.

Some people are extremely susceptible to motion sickness, and may feel unwell even with minor movements such as 'head bobbing' while snorkelling, or even riding a camel. (Shutterstock) Motion sickness is commonДЄround 25-30 percent of us travelling in boats, buses or planes will suffer вЂ“ from feeling a bit off all the way to completely wretched pale, sweaty, staggering, and vomiting. The vestibular nerve in our ear is central to our balance. Together these are strong stimuli to bring on an attack of motion sickness.

It's when these sources of information are in apparent conflict that we may experience motion sickness.ДЇor example, in those who are particularly susceptible, watching certain movies can induce motion sickness as our eyes indicate we are moving, although other sensors confirm we are stationary.ДЄ boat trip in rocky seas or a car trip on winding roads means our head and body will be moving in unusual ways, in two or more axes at once, while sensing accelerations, decelerations and rotations. Ears and eyes disconnectДЄs we move through space, multiple sensors in our middle ear, limbs and eyes feed information to our balance centre in our brains to orientate us. The good news is, there are strategies and medicines you can use to prevent motion sickness, or to help you ride it out. These include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, excessive saliva, rapid breathing and cold sweats. The perception of motion of any sort can bring on symptoms of travel sickness.

Seetrean motion sickness glasses