Yachting brings many pleasures, yet it pays to stay alert on multiple awareness topics. Even for the most experienced yacht revelers, sea sickness can be an unfortunate and common side effect of sailing the open waters. Also called motion sickness, the illness arrives due to an imbalance in the inner ear resulting from changes in a person’s equilibrium and sense of balance. There is no cure for sea sickness, only techniques to prevent the feelings. Here, we have outlined five trusted ways to avoid and alleviate seasickness symptoms so you can make the most of your yachting adventure.
1. Look to the horizon. A sensory mismatch, sea sickness occurs when the body’s senses–sight, auditory, and smell to name a few–occur at different times and send a jumble of signals to the brain. Usually, the horizon appears steady and straight, allowing for the signals to stay linear. Focus on the stable horizon and sea sickness can be limited.
2. Push some pressure points. A derivative of ancient acupuncture, multiple products focus on putting pressure on the inner wrist. This spot, known as the pressure spot “P6” is regarded with capabilities to diminish nauseous symptoms. The pressurized wristband, Sea Band, pressurizes the P6 region of the wrist to relieve motion sickness symptoms through a holistic and drug-free mechanism.
3. Medicate. When holistic efforts aren’t enough to quell sea sickness, there are a plethora of drugs — over the counter and prescription — which make the symptoms disappear. Dramamine and Bonine are the most common drugs, but be sure to take a test drive prior to your yacht cruise as they can have side effects such as drowsiness, blurred vision, and insomnia.
4. Slap on a patch. Try Scopolamine, a drug administered through an adhesive patch that releases medication to the skin to reduce sea sickness. The small patch is applied behind the ear, and prevents nausea and vomiting from motion sickness for up to 72 hours.
5. Take some alone time. It’s common for sea sickness symptoms to spread when you’re around someone who is talking about their own illness symptoms. Isolate yourself from others suffering and speaking about motion sickness so you don’t soon find yourself having the same misfortune. Contact us to learn more about yachting advice and Cozmo Yachts.