If you have clung grimly to the side of a boat feeling sick, it will not surprise you that the word nautical has the same Greek origin as nausea. Sea sickness is a type of motion sickness that results in nausea and dizziness.

Many people suffer similar symptoms when skiing in poor visibility, riding a rollercoaster or travelling by car. The trigger is when the brain receives conflicting information about the body’s physical environment.

If you are sitting in a moving car while reading a book, your inner ear and other nerve receptors that control your ability to balance will detect that you are moving. At the same time your eyes are looking at a static object and your muscles are telling the brain you are sitting still. The same happens when you are below decks on a boat – your inner ear tells your brain you are moving, your eyes tell it you are still. The brain interprets this confusion as a hallucination caused by poisoning and triggers the stomach’s defensive action – to purge. This sets off further stomach problems such as churning and more vomiting.

Sufferers can ease the gastric symptoms with antacids or other remedies (see Kit Bag) but these won’t remedy the underlying cause. There are some over-the-counter drugs that can help with the neurological trigger. The most effective treatment is hyoscine, which is also available on prescription as a patch. Hyoscine is thought to prevent messages from the part of the brain that detects the body’s position from reaching the part that coordinates the vomit reflex.

The best course of action is to prevent the symptoms by closing your eyes, which reduces the risk of your brain being confused. Don’t eat or drink alcohol and get plenty of fresh air. It is unclear why some people are more prone to travel sickness, but there is evidence that fit people are more susceptible than those out of shape – a great argument for salvaging some dignity.

TAKING IT FURTHER

tinyurl.com/4wabjo
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a guide to seasickness

tinyurl.com/6emzau
The Medic8 website gives a technical overview of the causes and treatments of motion sickness

www.revolutionhealth.com
This US-based site offers a highly readable guide to motion sickness

ESSENTIAL GEAR FOR TRAVEL SICKNESS

Kwells tablets £4 for 12 from www.expresschemist.co.uk
These chewable tablets contain hyoscine, the best medicine for preventing travel sickness. However, they can cause drowsiness or a dry mouth.

Queasy Drops £5.35 for 20 from www.purpleturtle.co.uk
Queasy Drops were developed to provide relief from morning sickness but can also help with travel sickness. They are made from natural ingredients such as ginger, papaya and peppermint.

Acustrap travel sickness wristbands £5.99 from tinyurl.com/4vdnwt
Wristbands that use a stud to exert pressure on an acupuncture point can help alleviate travel sickness, though clinical evidence is sparse.

ArmorAll Clean-up Wipes £7 for 25 from www.halfords.com
If the worst should happen, you’ll be glad to have these wipes on hand in your car. They are sold in a stay-fresh tube and can be used on all surfaces, including upholstery.