By Vin Sparano
Finding
a cure for seasickness is often a matter of trial and error. Everyone
has a different approach. Some fishermen are convinced that a
full stomach before a fishing trip is the best way to avoid seasickness
and that may work for some people. But it doesn't work for everyone.
Experienced boaters, however, can tell you what doesn't work for
everyone. Stay out late, overindulge, get on a boat tired and
hung over and it is almost guaranteed that you will get sick even
in a small chop.
In simplest terms, seasickness is the inability of your body to
adjust to motion. Your body has a built-in gyroscope to keep you
on even keel, much the way a gyroscope keeps a rocket upright
as it travels in space. This system works on solid ground, but
on a rocking boat or a bumpy airplane, the mechanism sometimes
fails and you get seasick.
This
means, of course, that when you start feeling seasick, you should
try to reduce movement as soon as possible. If you are on a boat,
sit in the center and at the stern, where movement will be minimized.
It also helps to keep your eye on a stationary object, such as
a bridge or tower on the shoreline. You are trying to send a message
to your brain that you are not really rocking and have no reason
to be seasick. It sometimes works.
Fight
the urge to go into a cabin. There is nothing stationary in a
cabin, you have no fixed object and you will likely get sicker.
In fact, if you get seasick and head for the cabin, you will probably
be there for the rest of the day.
Over
the years we have all heard of dozens of concoctions to cure seasickness.
Some may be effective for some people, but most wacky formulas
don't work. A doctor once suggested cold stewed tomatoes and saltines,
a formula that originated aboard an oil tanker. I suggested it
to a friend and he still got sick. It could, however, work for
you.
Fortunately,
modern medicine has made great strides in helping people cope
with an illness that will make you feel like dying. These seasick
drugs fall into two categories: antihistamines and scopolamine.
These drugs are designed to inhibit the flow of nerve impulses
from the vestibular system to the brain. Which drug wilt work
for you? You may have to try them all until you find the one that
works best for you.
Antivert
and Bonine are nonprescription antihistamines that you take every
24 hours. They will make you drowsy. Marezine is another antihistamine,
but it is taken every four to six hours.
Dramamine
is the old standby. If the weather forecast calls for rough seas,
take a Dramamine tablet one hour before you get on a boat. An
antihistamine that is taken every four hours, Dramamine is a nonprescription
drug and it will make you drowsy, though there is now a Dramamine
formula that the company claims will not make you drowsy.
Phenergan
and Mepergan are prescription antihistamines that will effectively
prevent and treat seasickness, but ask your doctor about side
effects. In some people, they can cause considerable drowsiness.
There's
a lot you can do to protect yourself from getting seasick. First,
accept the fact that everyone will eventually get seasick. When
someone brags that he never gets seasick, don't believe him. His
time at the rail has not yet arrived! There is also no reason
to be apologetic or embarrassed about getting seasick.
Finally,
never poke fun at someone who is seasick, especially a youngster.
You may get paid back on your next trip!
