Air Sickness

Air sickness is a specific form of motion sickness and can make you feel queasy when traveling by airplane.

This type of sickness can occur when the body receives conflicting signals from the resources that affect equilibrium and balance. The inner ear, eyes, and muscles are those body parts that should be sending the signals.

This can be a normal response in healthy individuals, or it could be warning of problems like inner ear infection, loose crystals around your inner ear, eye problems, and more.

More often than not, when it comes to maintaining correct balance, the inner ear is often to blame if there is a problem.

There are common signs or symptoms of air sickness, these include:

  • Headache
  • Confusion
  • Skin pallor or loss of skin color
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Cold Sweats
  • Vomiting
  • Vertigo or dizziness
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Sleepiness
  • Confusion

It is important to take airsickness seriously as a severe case could cause a person to become completely incapacitated which could lead to more serious problems. Dehydration may increase the severity and a person’s susceptibility to air sickness symptoms, as will stress, fatigue, and anxiety.

Drinking alcohol can make it worse, as can drugs, or some prescription medications. A pregnant woman would be more likely to develop air sickness, so is any woman, especially during her menstruation. Young children are more susceptible as well.

Natural Cures for Air Sickness

There are a few things that travelers can do ahead of time if they know they will more than likely experience air sickness.

Thankfully, in most cases, air sickness or motion sickness is mild and can be treated yourself.

  • One is to choose a seat over the wing of the plane, as these seats typically experience a smoother ride.
  • Make sure you don’t eat a large meal before you get on the plane. Keep any food consumption light and simple.
  • Definitely stay away from alcohol.

Face Forward

Choose a seat that faces forward. There are still some planes that have seats facing the rear of the plane, if you have problems with air sickness, these should be avoided. Focus on distant objects rather than trying to read a book or look at something close by. Keep the air on can also help reduce symptoms.

Ginger

One of the most effective natural remedies for airsickness is the use of any ginger product. Sipping ginger ale or ginger tea, taking ginger capsules, chewing a fresh cut of ginger, or sucking on ginger candies, all can be an effective cure for airsickness.

Crackers, Coke, or Lemon

Another possible cure is to nibble on dry crackers to settle your stomach. You can also try to sip on a carbonated beverage, if ginger ale isn't available try coke.

Another natural cure is to suck on a lemon; this will dry out the mouth and make it more difficult to get air sickness. Sniffing the lemon may also help with the feeling of nausea. Cut slices and place them in a lunch bag before flying’

Medication

If you have tried a variety of natural methods and your air sickness is more severe than mild, your doctor can provide a prescription for either over the counter medications or possible a patch to help you out.