Sea-sickness
I enjoy sailing but get horribly seasick. Are there any alternative remedies that would help?
Vertigo is the name given to a false sensation of moving or spinning, accompanied by nausea and a loss of balance, The most common cause is, of course, motion sickness - especially in the back of a moving car or rocking boat. The reason some people suffer and not others depends on the sensitivity of the lining of the inner ear which communicates with that part of the brain that controls balance and equilibrium.
I once spent five days crossing the Atlantic aboard the QE2 and since it was a December crossing, we lost two thirds of the passengers and crew to seasickness for several days. I survived by moving with the ship i.e., not resisting the rocking and rolling but then felt sick and wobbly on land for the better part of the following week - unless I kept my body rocking and swaying which made me look like an imbecile!
Chinese sailors would chew on raw ginger root to stop sea sickness and in a study involving some 80 modern naval cadets, researchers found that taking just 1g of powdered ginger before embarkation reduced the symptoms of seasickness, including dizziness by almost 40% and slashed the frequency of vomiting by over 70%.
Since the symptoms are likely to recur within an estimated four hours, you need to take two ginger capsules 30 minutes before you set sail and two more four hours later. Ginkgo biloba, which is reported to boost circulation and thus sharpen the brain, has also been shown to be effective in treating vertigo.
Remember though, herbs only work because they can be as potent as prescription drugs and if you are already taking medication, especially anti-coagulant drugs, you should not take Ginkgo without consulting your doctor or a qualified health professional.
*Solgar’s Ginger Root capsules cost £12.55 for 60. Mail order from Revital (0800-252875) or call 01442-890355 to find local stockists.