Sea sickness cures and remedies

Sea sickness is probably the number one worry for first time cruisers so I thought it was about time I gave a bit of advice about what it is and how best to avoid/overcome it.

Sea sickness is caused by a conflict between your senses. You have a very sensitive canal in your inner ear filled with fluid that acts a lot like a spirit level. This controls your sense of balance. So whilst you’re on a cruise ship, even though you might not be able to feel it, this inner ear canal well be aware of the slight movements of the ship. However because your eyes are telling your brain at the same time that your not moving the conflict caused leads to the sense of nausea you experience. This is also what causes motion sickness on land, in a car for instance.

So now you know what it is, what can you do about it?

Seasickness is almost always easier to prevent than to cure so most of the below remedies should be taken a couple of hours before your cruise ship departs. Different remedies work better for different people, and you may need to try a few to determine which is best for you.

Dramamine and Bonine are the most common seasickness drug remedies. These two drugs are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. They’re basically antihistamines, and can make you drowsy, so make sure you’re not driving down to the port at the time. Both Dramamine and Bonine do come in non-drowsy formulas although I’ve heard conflicting reports on how well those varieties work. Have any of you ever tried the non drowsy version and were they as good?

Scopolamine patches are worn behind the ear like a tiny plaster. They’re the most common prescription drugs for seasickness. Scopolamine also comes in pill form. The patches last up to three days, provide time-release doses of the drug, and are usually very effective for preventing nausea. Although again I don’t have any personal experience with these so if any of my readers have tried one let me know how effective they were.

Ginger is the most common homeopathic remedy for sea seasickness. Probably a lot less effective than the drugs but without any of the drowsy side effects. This is one of those remedies for people that only experience minor symptoms whilst at sea. You can get it from most health shops either in capsule form or you can buy a piece of crystallized ginger to suck on. It’s probably worth noting that some people have said that ginger can leave you with heartburn.

Wrist bands provide a type of acupressure for the relief of seasickness. There is a point about an inch and a half above your wrist on the underside of the arm where the wrist band applies pressure. Many people swear by the wrist bands and they sell in large numbers although I’ve never been a big proponent of acupuncture so I’ve tended to see these as a bit of a ‘quack’ remedy but I’m prepared to stand corrected if anyone has had some personal experience of them.

If anyone else has any top tips/remedies/cures for sea sickness that you think may help others feel free to add them below.

Happy cruising