What is sea sickness. Was on a cruise and after that i feel sick all the time is that it..?

Answer 1

Seasickness, sometimes called “mal de mer” which means the same but comes with French chic, affects mostly people who are not used to spending much time on a boat. It is more common under rough weather conditions. It is based on a conflict of sensory input, that our brains can’t handle.

If you stand on solid ground, a sensory organ in your inner ear uses the stream of liquid around very fine hair to feel the position and movement of your body with respect to your environment. It works similar to a gyrometer – if you move left, the momentum of the liquid in your balance sense organ resists the motion. The fine hair, however, does move instantly since it is physically attached to your body and bends in the liquid. This behavior is felt and the organ sends a signal to the brain.

There, the brain receives information not only from the sense of balance, but from all kinds of sense organs. Humans are very visual and from our early childhood on, we trust optical signals more than any other sensory input. If we move and the brain receives the “the hair in the inner ear says: you are turning left!”, it tries to match this with visual input. If you stand on solid grounds, your eyes will confirm your motion with respect to your surroundings.

But how does this work on a moving sailing vessel? There your brain receives the signal: “the hair in the inner ear says: you are turning left – and down; no, wait, up in fact and slightly to the right – and back again!”. But if the brain tries to match this information with what your eyes see, it gets confused: since it is the entire ship that moves with you, the eyes fail to perceive the motion with the same intensity as your sense of balance does. The brain is confused and solves the conflict with a simple reaction: Throw up!

The idea is that vomit always falls down and that this way, your eyes will be able to tell where you are going. Well, not really. The brain is just confused, you start to feel sick and then you can call it “seasickness”, even though the same issue applies in any situation with the described circumstances. Be it in a car, a bus or a plane – some people get sick in trains. The cause is always the same dilemma: conflicting information about your movement from different sources.

So this is seasickness. It might start with a funny tummy, but at latest when you start vomiting, it becomes a serious issue and should be treated with much consideration. Throwing up means that you deprive your body from water supply, and dehydration leads to headaches, dizziness and a loss of orientation. If the seasickness itself didn't already do the job.

People who are seasick don’t make good sailors, so do take care to put effected ones to rest. In most cases, the brain adjusts within hours or days to the new situation and learns to ignore the sickening senses.

But how does this work on a moving sailing vessel? There your brain receives the signal: “the hair in the inner ear says: you are turning left – and down; no, wait, up in fact and slightly to the right – and back again!”. But if the brain tries to match this information with what your eyes see, it gets confused: since it is the entire ship that moves with you, the eyes fail to perceive the motion with the same intensity as your sense of balance does. The brain is confused and solves the conflict with a simple reaction: Throw up!

The idea is that vomit always falls down and that this way, your eyes will be able to tell where you are going. Well, not really. The brain is just confused, you start to feel sick and then you can call it “seasickness”, even though the same issue applies in any situation with the described circumstances. Be it in a car, a bus or a plane – some people get sick in trains. The cause is always the same dilemma: conflicting information about your movement from different sources.

So this is seasickness. It might start with a funny tummy, but at latest when you start vomiting, it becomes a serious issue and should be treated with much consideration. Throwing up means that you deprive your body from water supply, and dehydration leads to headaches, dizziness and a loss of orientation. If the seasickness itself didn't already do the job.

People who are seasick don’t make good sailors, so do take care to put effected ones to rest. In most cases, the brain adjusts within hours or days to the new situation and learns to ignore the sickening senses.

How to treat Seasickness
1.) Mind you diet before you fall ill: Seasickness is not directly concerned with any type of diet, but feeling generally fit and healthy is. Avoid heavy meals before and during your cruise, eat light and healthy food that won’t occupy your stomach too much. Try to eat modest portions. Drink enough water for your body. If you are already sick, compensate the amount of liquid and salts that you “lost” by drinking mineral water. Don’t get dehydrated – many people who feel sick stop drinking, which is a mistake.

2.) Look into technical gimmicks: As you know now, seasickness is caused by your eyes saying “everything’s smooth” and your sense of balance saying “rubbish, everything’s goin’ up and down like crazy!”. To give your eyes a reference point that – on contrast to the boat – actually remains in a constant position, a number of simple tools have been developed.

For example goggles with a little tank by the side that contains liquid and a plastic ball – the ball if freely floating and meant to stay in a fixed position. That way, your eye’s will know that you and the boat are moving.

3.) Stay on deck: For the very same reason as point 2, staying on deck can help a great deal. Rest your eyes on the horizon – it will stay constantly where it is meant to be and your brain will grasp that you and the boat are moving together.

4.) Rest and make yourself comfortable: Similar as the food thing, sleep deprived people are more likely to feel sickish. Sleep enough and frequently. Wear warm and comfortable clothing, avoid tight trousers or belts. Help yourself to fresh air.

5.) Take drugs if necessary: There are a number of common drugs available that don’t require a prescription. Keep them in your first-aid box. They are normally antihistamines, thus they cause drowsiness and should not be taken in combination with alcohol. Avoid them if possible, but don’t hesitate to take drugs if you feel your are getting sick!

Antihistamines bind to receptors in your brain and it sometimes takes several days until they show any effect. If you know that you are sensitive to seasickness, make sure to bring appropriate medication. Talk to your doctor before you set sail; read the instructions; and keep an eye on side effects. This applies even more if you take other drugs at the same time – always double-check with a doctor!

Many of the most common drugs are sold in a variety of forms with different names in different countries. The most common ones are hyoscine hydrobromide, meclozine hydrochloride and cinnarizine. They come as pills, patches or solutions and in different concentrations. Some will work better for you than others, it might be worth trying different ones on different occasions. Once again: do talk to your doctor if you encounter any problems using these drugs.

6.) Hints for less severe cases: Try spicy food with chillies and ginger. Drink moderate amounts of beer to please your brain and relax – don’t drink too much, or you will become a safety hazard. Take altoids. Keep yourself distracted and busy – don’t celebrate seasickness. Try not to think of vomiting.

7.) Try to keep calm and think rationally: Seasickness is a matter of time until your brain gets adjusted to an unfamiliar sensation. Depending on your constitution, you will get better within hours or days. If you feel better than other people on board, be a good mate and help them wherever possible. Finally, don’t rely on sickness as being seasickness – there are more severe issues that can make people vomit. Food poisoning or infectious diseases might stay undetected for too long under the “cover” of seasickness. Happy sailing! :o)

Answer 2

You bet and it's 10 times worse if you're recovering from a day of drinking on one of those party boats! Generally, a cruise ship is a LOT more stable than a small boat. They have considerable draft and have stabilizers that extend out when the ship is in motion that help. A lower deck, near the center of the ship room also helps. The ship motion can be particularly bad if a major storm is nearby. The seas are also bigger in the Atlantic during winter months. I've been on trips (mostly Eastern Caribbean in winter) where the crew placed airline barf bags in elevators and in public area. Most lines give away Dramamine at the purser's desk. The unfortunate thing is that it doesn't work for everyone. There are a variety of other "cures". If you think you may have a problem with this, travel prepared. You don't want to end up in the ship infirmary or with a ruined trip...

Answer 3

Yes my friend that is it. Your stomach seems to turn a summersault and your face turns white or a pale green. It is usually when the movement of the water is quite choppy and gives you that feeling. You can get tablets from your doctor before a cruise to help your problem the next time.

Answer 4

hi...the infamous 'Mal De Mare'...it is caused by the inbalance of fluids within the ear, which in turn causes you to always feel unbalanced, and therefore when those signals are sent to the brain it tries to compensate for the movement, but, as being on a vessel that is constantly moving then that inbalance can never be retified...so you feel unwell, sick.

if you 'now' feel sick after being on the cruise, then i would suggest going to your doctor for an ear flush, or, buy yourself some eardrops to clear out your ears...should help immensely.

Answer 5

Depending on how long ago the cruise was, you could have a balance disorder.

If I travel by plane or boat, or even use a lift (elevator), I get a form of Labyrinthitis, the little hairs in your ears that regulate your balance get sort of paralysed and you basically don't have any sense of balance. Feels alot like walking on jelly, or like you are still on the boat.

Answer 6

The motion of the ship on the sea, makes you feel giddy and sometimes feel sickly, some people are natural seafarers other landlubbers find it hard to cope with the motion on ships.

Answer 7

if youve finished the cruise and you feel sick, that steward you had sex with got you pregnant... if your at sea and feel sick yep thats sea sickness

Answer 8

oh boy Fen ! how do you follow that ! seriously its the inner ear which causes most of the trouble and if you were green you had it proper and there's a good cure dont go cruising again

Answer 9

Its due to the fat that your tummy and semi crculars inside your ears, cannot relate to the movement of the sea.....Whooaaa..sorry