Treatment of Motion Sickness:

For those travelers who cannot prevent the symptoms of motion sickness, medications and other treatments are available. Nonprescription antihistamine treatments are believed to block signals from the inner ear to the vomiting center.

These are most effective if taken 30 minutes to an hour before traveling and as directed. If the drugs are taken only when the traveler begins to feel sick, it is usually too late to stop the process. These drugs should not be taken by children under 12 or by persons with other health problems without a doctor's consent.

A number of prescription anti-nausea and anti-vomiting drugs are available. Ask your physician for advice.

One innovative treatment is a through-the-skin delivery system, Transderm Scop, developed for scopolamine a highly effective drug for motion sickness. One patch is normally applied behind the ear 4 hours prior to travel, and replaced every 3 days. This method is not recommended for children, pregnant women, or those with liver, kidney, or bladder disease.

Some studies have shown that ginger, an old home remedy for gastrointestinal disturbances, may be effective in prevention of motion sickness.

Once the symptoms of motion sickness have set in, there is little to offer the suffering traveler other than sympathy and perhaps some fresh air. It may be of some comfort to know that motion sickness seldom causes severe health complications and travelers usually adjust to the sickness-inducing motion. After a couple of days the symptoms usually disappear.