it ultimately says "enough is enough." 

 The stomach convulses vigorously, forc- 

 ing its contents upward. Then it's time to 

 run for, reach for or hug the nearest re- 

 ceptacle. 



In contrast, people unaffected by 

 motion in the studies showed no changes 

 in gastric electrical rhythms or in levels of 

 hormones. 



Susceptibility 



Susceptibility to motion sickness 

 varies. Women and children tend to be 

 more sensitive to motion than men, Koch 

 says. But no one knows why. 



Chinese and people of Chinese de- 

 scent are much more prone to motion 

 sickness. They react more quickly to 

 sensory conflicts and with more severe 

 symptoms. Scientists believe Chinese 

 susceptibility is related to an especially 

 sensitive neurotransmitter system in their 

 brain. 



Are some people then immune to 

 this misery? 



No, says Koch. It just takes "more of 

 whatever it is" that triggers the response 

 in susceptible people to initiate it in those 

 less affected by motion. 



Case in point: It's estimated that the 

 incidence of motion sickness among 

 passengers on trans-Atlantic ships during 

 moderate turbulence is 25 to 30 percent. 

 But if conditions worsen to severe, as 

 many as 90 percent of the passengers 

 succumb to the symptoms of motion 

 sickness. 



Despite recent research, scientists 

 have much more to learn about this 

 motion-driven affliction. Although medi- 

 cal researchers better understand the 

 body's response to motion, they are still 

 unsure exactly which responses or combi- 

 nation of responses actually trigger nau- 

 sea and vomiting. 



Determining the exact factors 

 could help medical researchers and 

 pharmaceutical companies develop 

 better anti-nausea drugs. Koch believes 

 a drug that blocks gastric dysrhythmia or 

 hormone activity, particularly vasopres- 

 sin, might be a possibility for relieving 

 the symptoms of motion sickness in the 

 future. 



Researchers also hope that an 



anti-nausea drug developed for motion 

 sickness will have applicability for preg- 

 nant women and chemotherapy patients 

 who experience nausea. 



Present Treatments 



Although not life threatening, 

 motion sickness can be debilitating for 

 astronauts, military personnel and pilots, 

 affecting their job performance. NASA 

 reports that 50 to 60 percent of its astro- 



IF ALL ELSE FAILS 

 TO ALLEVIATE 

 THE WAVES OF NAUSEA 

 GRABBING AT YOUR GUT, 



TAKE HEART. 

 YOUR BODY WILL ADAPT 

 TO THE SENSORY MISCUES 

 WITHIN A FEW DAYS 

 TO A WEEK. 

 YOUR BRAIN EVENTUALLY 

 TAKES CHARGE OF THESE 

 CONFLICTING MESSAGES 

 AND CHOOSES TO BELIEVE 

 ONE SENSORY ORGAN 

 OR ANOTHER. 



nauts experience motion sickness during 

 space missions. 



And for you and me, motion sick- 

 ness can go a long way toward ruining a 

 vacation, a fishing trip or the ride to 

 grandma's house. 



For now, the drugs and therapies 

 that are available to combat motion sick- 

 ness work well for some, but not at all for 

 others. And many of the drugs, 

 over-the-counter and prescription, can 

 cause drowsiness, dizziness, blurred 

 vision, nausea and vomiting — the very 

 symptoms people seek to relieve. 



As a first choice among over-the- 

 counter medications, Koch recommends 

 Marezine because it doesn't cause 

 drowsiness. As a second choice, the doc- 

 tor says select the popular Dramamine. It 



does, however, cause sleepiness in some 

 people. 



If neither of these drugs offer a solu- 

 tion, seek help from a physician, Koch says. 

 Ask for a prescription of scopolamine, 

 which is usually provided in the form of a 

 patch that is placed behind the ear. The 

 patch slowly releases the drug through the 

 skin and into the bloodstream. 



Then there's the herbal approach. 

 The Lancet medical journal reports that 

 capsules of powdered gingerroot curb 

 motion sickness better, in some cases, 

 than over-the-counter anti-nausea drugs. 

 Powdered ginger is available in health 

 food stores. 



And for an ancient solution to an 

 age-old problem, why not try acupressure? 

 Several companies market wrist bands with 

 hardened lumps woven into them that are 

 designed to apply pressure to an acupressure 

 location on the wrists called the Neiguan 

 point. 



Although some fishermen and boaters 

 swear by these bands, doctors, including 

 Koch, question their usefulness. However, 

 Koch's skepticism about the bands didn't 

 stop him and two other medical researchers 

 from testing an acustimulation device that 

 provides a mild electrical current to the 

 Neiguan point. 



Koch learned that the incidence and 

 severity of motion sickness was lower in 

 people who received a mild continuous 

 current to the Neiguan point than in indi- 

 viduals hooked to bogus devices. A patent 

 has been issued for a battery-operated 

 acustimulation device that Koch says may 

 soon be available through physicians. 



In other research, Koch and Dr. Robert 

 Stem, a psychophysiologist at Pennsylvania 

 State University, proved that eating food can 

 alleviate motion sickness symptoms. In an 

 experiment, people who ate breakfast and 

 those who had not were subjected to the 

 rotating drum. Those with full tummies 

 showed fewer signs of gastric dysrhythmia 

 and motion sickness than those who fasted. 



If all else fails to alleviate the waves 

 of nausea grabbing at your gut, take heart. 

 Your body will adapt to the sensory 

 miscues within a few days to a week. 

 Your brain eventually takes charge of 

 these conflicting messages and chooses 

 to believe one sensory organ or another. 



COASTWATCH 15 



