How to Avoid Air Sickness on a Plane

Travel by air is the fastest and most convenient and popular way to get to your destination, especially if it is an international destination. However, it can be the most daunting experience if you are prone to air sickness. Imagine starting your vacation with the miserable experience of air sickness. It may take you a day or two to regain your composure, and having to miss out on two days of vacation fun would create a not so wonderful holiday experience.

Air sickness is basically motion sick caused while in the air, and is also known as aviation sickness. Motion sickness is caused when your body and brain receive confused signals with regards to motion. Air sickness occurs when the vestibular system (a sensory system that contributes to the sensory of spatial orientation and balance) senses movement, while the brain sees lack of movement. This creates confusion in the body as your brain senses lack of motion, while your inner ear senses motion in relation to gravity, and this is when you begin to feel nauseas. 

Anxiety and fear can set in once the symptoms occur, especially if you are a first-time flyer, which can worsen the condition. Some people have a low tolerance and experience changes even during mild sensory changes.

Symptoms to look out for:

· Nausea;

· Dizziness;

· Fatigue;

· Chills;

· Sweating;

· Increased salivation;

· Vomiting;

· Headache;

· Disorientation;

· Incapacitation .

Some people are generally susceptible to air sickness, however there are various factors that make a person more prone to aviation sickness, such as:

· If you already have any illnesses;

· If you are on heavy medication;

· If you are already experiencing stress or anxiety;

· If you are already experiencing fatigue ;

· If you are experiencing emotional stress;

Sometimes it is easy to overcome air sickness naturally and over. However not everyone is able to adjust and therefore there are other methods and remedies to help overcome this. 

Let’s look at some of the natural ways to overcome air sickness:

· Take short local flights every so often, before you decide to take a long flight, in order to get your body and sensory used to flying;

· Eat a light, low sodium meal, however do not eat just before flying. Eat sometime time before the flight ensuring that you do no step on the plane with an empty stomach;

· Maintain your hydration by drinking as much water as possible;

· Drinking ginger tea before a flight may help;

· Alleviate any pre-flight anxieties so that you are in a calm state when boarding;

· Ensure you are well rested before your flight. This means ensuring that you are not doing any last minute packing the night before and instead are having a goodnights sleep, and waking up early enough that you don’t have to rush to airport;

· If possible, look outside the window at a fixed point on the horizon and try not to move your head too much;

· Try to use an oxygen mask if possible;

· You can’t exactly get fresh air on plane, however us the air-conditioning vents to get substitute fresh air;

· Do not smoke immediately before boarding a plane;

· Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing.

If the above-mentioned remedies do not work, there are always several over the counter prescription motion sickness tablets available at your local pharmacy. Your pharmacist would be able to guide as to which brand would be suitable for and which the best on the market. If you are still unsure as to which one to purchase and you already are on medication for other illnesses, then it would be best to consult a doctor as to which brand would be suitable to you. However, medication for motion sickness can have various side effects such as drowsiness, visual impermeant and mental side effects.  

There are also specific bracelets called "Sea bands", which are also available for purchase at your local pharmacy. These bracelets contain a plastic or wooden semi-circular discs, which create a pressure point on the median nerve along the wrist, and assists in elevating nausea. For the really tech savvy people, there is a watch like device which transmits a very low current voltage to the median nerve in the wrist, which assists in settling the conflict between the motionless that the brain feels and the motion that the inner ear feels.

There are also a few things that you should not do on a flight if you are prone to air sickness:

· Do not read during the flight. The movement of your eyes can cause further confusing and make you feel worse. Do not especially read on a table as the back light can cause further nausea and headache;

· Do not put your head down as the will create further nausea and more so dizziness;

· Keep your mind busy with other things and do not dwell on your sickness as this will make you feel work. Keep positive thoughts and perhaps try to strike up a conversation with your co-passenger, or listen to some music;

· Limit the intake of alcohol before the flight as this can contribute to the air sickness. Better yet, do not consume any alcohol before the flight and rather have plenty of water;

· If you begin to feel queasy, do not remain seated or lie back, rather stand up so that that the body can establish a sense of balance;

· If there are passengers around you that are experiencing air sickness, do not remain seated around the as this can cause your own air sickness to escalate, ask the flight attend if you can be moved.

 

Experiencing aviation sickness can really put a damper on your travelling time, causing you to be put off by the very notion of flying off to another destination. Rather do your research beforehand, to ensure that you are properly prepared. Follow all the guidelines provide. Always consult a doctor before taking any sickness tablets to ensure that you don’t suffer any unwanted symptoms.

Once you have overcome aviation sickness, flying anywhere, whether they are short flights or long flights, will become much more enjoyable.

Also some video advices how to avoid air sickness:

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