Airsickness
Encyclopedia
Airsickness is a sensation which is induced by air travel. It is a specific form of motion sickness
, and is considered a normal response in healthy individuals. Airsickness occurs when the central nervous system
receives conflicting messages from the body (including the inner ear
, eye
s and muscle
s) affecting balance
and equilibrium
.
The inner ear
is particularly important in the maintenance of balance and equilibrium because it contains sensors for both angular (rotational) and linear motion. Airsickness is usually a combination of spatial disorientation, nausea
and vomiting. Experimentally, airsickness can be eliminated in monkey
s by removing part of the cerebellum
, namely the nodulus of the vermis.
Nausea, vomiting, vertigo
, loss of appetite, cold sweating, skin pallor
, difficulty concentrating, confusion, drowsiness, headache, and increased fatigue.
Severe airsickness may cause a person to become completely incapacitated.
Pilots who are susceptible to airsickness should not take anti-motion sickness medications (prescription
or over-the-counter). These medications can make one drowsy or affect brain functions in other ways.
derivatives, such as ginger tea or powdered ginger capsules.
Motion sickness
Motion sickness or kinetosis, also known as travel sickness, is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement...
, and is considered a normal response in healthy individuals. Airsickness occurs when the central nervous system
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
receives conflicting messages from the body (including the inner ear
Inner ear
The inner ear is the innermost part of the vertebrate ear. In mammals, it consists of the bony labyrinth, a hollow cavity in the temporal bone of the skull with a system of passages comprising two main functional parts:...
, eye
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
s and muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
s) affecting balance
Balance (ability)
In biomechanics, balance is an ability to maintain the center of gravity of a body within the base of support with minimal postural sway. When exercising the ability to balance, one is said to be balancing....
and equilibrium
Equilibrioception
Equilibrioception or sense of balance is one of the physiological senses. It helps prevent humans and animals from falling over when walking or standing still. Balance is the result of a number of body systems working together: the eyes , ears and the body's sense of where it is in space ideally...
.
The inner ear
Inner ear
The inner ear is the innermost part of the vertebrate ear. In mammals, it consists of the bony labyrinth, a hollow cavity in the temporal bone of the skull with a system of passages comprising two main functional parts:...
is particularly important in the maintenance of balance and equilibrium because it contains sensors for both angular (rotational) and linear motion. Airsickness is usually a combination of spatial disorientation, nausea
Nausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
and vomiting. Experimentally, airsickness can be eliminated in monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
s by removing part of the cerebellum
Cerebellum
The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control. It may also be involved in some cognitive functions such as attention and language, and in regulating fear and pleasure responses, but its movement-related functions are the most solidly established...
, namely the nodulus of the vermis.
Signs & Symptoms
Common signs and symptoms of airsickness include:Nausea, vomiting, vertigo
Vertigo (medical)
Vertigo is a type of dizziness, where there is a feeling of motion when one is stationary. The symptoms are due to a dysfunction of the vestibular system in the inner ear...
, loss of appetite, cold sweating, skin pallor
Pallor
Pallor is a reduced amount of oxyhaemoglobin in skin or mucous membrane, a pale color which can be caused by illness, emotional shock or stress, stimulant use, lack of exposure to sunlight, anaemia or genetics....
, difficulty concentrating, confusion, drowsiness, headache, and increased fatigue.
Severe airsickness may cause a person to become completely incapacitated.
Susceptibility to Airsickness
The following factors increase some people's susceptibility to airsickness:- FatigueFatigue (physical)Fatigue is a state of awareness describing a range of afflictions, usually associated with physical and/or mental weakness, though varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work-induced burning sensation within one's muscles...
, stress, and anxiety, are some factors that can increase susceptibility to motion sickness of any type. - The use of alcoholAlcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, drugs, and medications may also contribute to airsickness. - Additionally, airsickness is more common in women (especially during menstruationMenstruationMenstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
or pregnancyPregnancyPregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
), young children, and individuals prone to other types of motion sickness. - Although airsickness is uncommon among experienced pilots, it does occur with some frequency in student pilots.
Avoiding Airsickness
Travelers who are susceptible to motion sickness can minimize symptoms by:- Choosing seats with the smoothest ride in regards to pitch (the seats over the wings in an airplane).
- Sitting facing forward while focusing on distant objects rather than trying to read or look at something inside the airplane.
- Eating dry crackers, oliveOliveThe olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s or suck on a lemonLemonThe lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
, to dry out the mouth, lessening nausea. - Drinking a carbonated beverage.
Medication
Medications that may alleviate the symptoms of airsickness include:- meclozineMeclozineMeclozine is an antihistamine considered to be an antiemetic. It is sold under the brand names Bonine, Bonamine, Antivert, Postafen, Sea Legs, and Dramamine . Emesafene is a combination of meclozine and pyridoxine...
(Antivert, Bonine) - dimenhydrinateDimenhydrinateDimenhydrinate is an over-the-counter drug used to prevent nausea and motion sickness...
(Dramamine) - diphenhydramineDiphenhydramineDiphenhydramine hydrochloride is a first-generation antihistamine possessing anticholinergic, antitussive, antiemetic, and sedative properties which is mainly used to treat allergies. Like most other first-generation antihistamines, the drug also has a powerful hypnotic effect, and for this reason...
(Benadryl) - scopolamineScopolamineScopolamine, also known as levo-duboisine, and hyoscine, is a tropane alkaloid drug with muscarinic antagonist effects. It is among the secondary metabolites of plants from Solanaceae family of plants, such as henbane, jimson weed and Angel's Trumpets , and corkwood...
(available in both patch and oral form). - gingerGingerGinger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
capsules
Pilots who are susceptible to airsickness should not take anti-motion sickness medications (prescription
Medical prescription
A prescription is a health-care program implemented by a physician or other medical practitioner in the form of instructions that govern the plan of care for an individual patient. Prescriptions may include orders to be performed by a patient, caretaker, nurse, pharmacist or other therapist....
or over-the-counter). These medications can make one drowsy or affect brain functions in other ways.
NonPharmacologic Remedies
A method to increase pilot resistance to airsickness consists of repetitive exposure to the flying conditions that initially resulted in airsickness. In other words, repeated exposure to the flight environment decreases an individual’s susceptibility to subsequent airsickness. Recently, several devices have been introduced that are intended to reduce motion sickness through stimulation of various body parts (usually the wrist).Natural Remedies
There are numerous alternative remedies for motion sickness. The most popular are gingerGinger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
derivatives, such as ginger tea or powdered ginger capsules.
See also
- AcclimatizationAcclimatizationAcclimatisation or acclimation is the process of an individual organism adjusting to a gradual change in its environment, allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions...
- Airsickness bagAirsickness bagAn airsickness bag is a small bag commonly provided to passengers on board airplanes and boats to collect and contain vomit in the event of motion sickness. Hovercraft-ferry operators and even train companies have also been known to supply bags...
- Motion sicknessMotion sicknessMotion sickness or kinetosis, also known as travel sickness, is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement...