Not until now I used to think motion sickness is a severe health problem associated with reading in a moving vehicle or any object of motion not until I came across an article wch obviate my ignorance on dz matter



Each year more than two million people visit a
doctor for dizziness, and an untold number
suffer with motion sickness, which is the most
common medical problem associated with
travel.
Remember: Most cases of dizziness and
motion sickness are mild and self-treatable
disorders. But, severe cases and those that
become progressively worse, deserve the
attention of a physician with specialized skills
in diseases of the ear, nose, throat,
equilibrium, and neurological systems.
What Is Dizziness?
Some people describe a balance problem by
saying they feel dizzy, lightheaded, unsteady,
or giddy. This feeling of imbalance or
dysequilibrium, without a sensation of tinning
or spinning, is sometimes due to an inner ear
problem.
What Is Vertigo?
A few people describe their balance problem
by using the word vertigo, which comes from
the Latin verb "to turn". They often say that
they or their surroundings are turning or
spinning. Vertigo is frequently due to an inner
ear problem.
What Is Motion Sickness and Sea Sickness?
Some people experience nausea and even
vomiting when riding in an airplane,
automobile, or amusement park ride, and this
is called motion sickness. Many people
experience motion sickness when riding on a
boat or ship, and this is called seasickness
even though it is the same disorder.
Motion sickness or seasickness is usually just
a minor annoyance and does not signify any
serious medical illness, but some travelers are
incapacitated by it, and a few even suffer
symptoms for a few days after the trip.
The Anatomy of Balance
Dizziness, vertigo, and motion sickness all
relate to the sense of balance and equilibrium.
Researchers in space and aeronautical
medicine call this sense spatial orientation,
because it tells the brain where the body is "in
space:" what direction it is pointing, what
direction it is moving, and if it is turning or
standing still.
Your sense of balance is maintained by a
complex interaction of the following parts of
the nervous system:
The inner ears (also called the labyrinth),
which monitor the directions of motion, such
as turning, or forward-backward, side-to-side,
and up-and-down motions.
The eyes, which monitor where the body is in
space (i.e. upside down, rightside up, etc.)
and also directions of motion.
The skin pressure receptors such as in the
joints and spine, which tell what part of the
body is down and touching the ground.
The muscle and joint sensory receptors, which
tell what parts of the body are moving.
The central nervous system (the brain and
spinal cord), which processes all the bits of
information from the four other systems to
make some coordinated sense out of it all.
The symptoms of motion sickness and
dizziness appear when the central nervous
system receives conflicting messages from the
other four systems.
For example, suppose you are riding through
a storm, and your airplane is being tossed
about by air turbulence. But your eyes do not
detect all this motion because all you see is
the inside of the airplane. Then your brain
receives messages that do not match with
each other. You might become "air sick."
Or suppose you are sitting in the back seat of
a moving car reading a book. Your inner ears
and skin receptors will detect the motion of
your travel, but your eyes see only the pages
of your book. You could become "car sick."
Or, to use a true medical condition as an
example, suppose you suffer inner ear damage
on only one side from a head injury or an
infection. The damaged inner ear does not
send the same signals as the healthy ear. This
gives conflicting signals to the brain about the
sensation of rotation, and you could suffer a
sense of spinning, vertigo, and nausea.
What Medical Conditions Cause Dizziness?
Circulation: If your brain does not get enough
blood flow, you feel light headed. Almost
everyone has experienced this on occasion
when standing up quickly from a lying down
position. But some people have light
headedness from poor circulation on a
frequent or chronic basis. This could be
caused by arteriosclerosis or hardening of the
arteries, and it is commonly seen in patients
who have high blood pressure, diabetes, or
high levels of blood fats (cholesterol). It is
sometimes seen in patients with inadequate
cardiac (heart) function or with anemia.
Certain drugs also decrease the blood flow to
the brain, especially stimulants such as
nicotine and caffeine. Excess salt in the diet
also leads to poor circulation. Sometimes
circulation is impaired by spasms in the
arteries caused by emotional stress, anxiety,
and tension.
If the inner ear falls to receive enough blood
flow, the more specific type of dizziness
occurs-that is-vertigo. The inner ear is very
sensitive to minor alterations of blood flow
and all of the causes mentioned for poor
circulation to the brain also apply specifically
to the inner ear.
Injury: A skull fracture that damages the inner
ear produces a profound and incapacitating
vertigo with nausea and hearing loss. The
dizziness will last for several weeks, then
slowly improve as the normal (other) side
takes over
Infection: Viruses, such as those causing the
common "cold" or "flu," can attack the inner
ear and its nerve connections to the brain.
This can result in severe vertigo, but hearing is
usually spared. However, a bacterial infection
such as mastoiditis that extends into the
inner ear will completely destroy both the
hearing and the equilibrium function of that
ear. The severity of dizziness and recovery
time will be similar to that of skull fracture.
Allergy: Some people experience dizziness
and/or vertigo attacks when they are exposed
to foods or airborne particles (such as dust,
molds, pollens, danders, etc.) to which they
are allergic.
Neurological diseases: A number of diseases of
the nerves can affect balance, such as
multiple sclerosis, syphilis, tumors, etc. These
are uncommon causes, but your physician will
think about them during the examination.
What Will the Physician Do for My Dizziness?
The doctor will ask you to describe your
dizziness, whether it is light headedness or a
sensation of motion, how long and how often
the dizziness has troubled you, how long a
dizzy episode lasts, and whether it is
associated with hearing loss or nausea and
vomiting. You might be asked for
circumstances that might bring on a dizzy
spell. You will need to answer questions about
your general health, any medicines, you are
taking, head injuries, recent infections, and
other questions about your ear and
neurological system.
Your physician will examine your ears, nose,
and throat and do tests of nerve and balance
function. Because the inner ear controls both
balance and hearing, disorders of balance
often affect hearing and vice versa. Therefore,
your physician will probably recommend
hearing tests (audiograms). The physician
might order skull X rays, a CT or MRI scan of
your head, or special tests of eye motion after
warm or cold water is used to stimulate the
inner ear (ENG - electronystagmography). In
some cases, blood tests or a cardiology
(heart) evaluation might be recommended.
Not every patient will require every test. The
physician's judgement will be based on each
particular patient. Similarly, the treatments
recommended by your physician will depend
on the diagnosis.
What Can I Do to Reduce Dizziness?
Avoid rapid changes in position , especially
from lying down to standing up or turning
around from one side to the other.
Avoid extremes of head motion (especially
looking up) or rapid head motion (especially
turning or twisting).
Eliminate or decrease use of products that
impair circulation, e.g. nicotine, caffeine, and
salt.
Minimize your exposure to circumstances that
precipitate your dizziness, such as stress and
anxiety or substances to which you are
allergic.
Avoid hazardous activities when you are dizzy,
such as driving an automobile or operating
dangerous equipment, or climbing a step
ladder, etc.
What Can I Do for Motion Sickness?
Always ride where your eyes will see the same
motion that your body and inner ears feel, e.g.
sit in the front seat of the car and look at the
distant scenery; go up on the deck of the ship
and watch the horizon; sit by the window of
the airplane and look outside. In an airplane
choose a seat over the wings where the
motion is the least.
Do not read while traveling if you are subject
to motion sickness, and do not sit in a seat
facing backward.
Do not watch or talk to another traveler who is
having motion sickness .
Avoid strong odors and spicy or greasy foods
immediately before and during your travel.
Medical research has not yet investigated the
effectiveness of popular folk remedies such as
soda crackers and & Seven Up ® or cola syrup
over ice.
Take one of the varieties of motion sickness
medicines before your travel begins, as
recommended by your physician.
Some of these medications can be purchased
without a prescription (i.e., Dramamine®,
Bonine®, Marezine®, etc.) Stronger medicines
such as tranquilizers and nervous system
depressants will require a prescription from
your physician. Some are used in pill or
suppository form.)



http://www.entassociates.com/dizziness.htm

Nice and very informative post. Motion sickness can be quite embarassing, most especially when one starts to feel nauseous and eventually throws up. When i was younger(secondary school years), i usually threw up at least four times in a week in the vehicle i take to school. But over the years the motion sickness has gradually reduced. When travelling, especially long distance journey, i avoid eating anything at all and i also chew some ginger roots and this has being very effective for me.

Motion sickness can be caused by any form of transportation. It sometimes strikes suddenly, bringing a sickening feeling to your stomach. It also progresses from a feeling of uneasiness to a cold sweat to dizziness and also vomiting. Click on the link below to read more on the prevention and treatments.
http://www.gigihealth.com/motion-sickness-how-is-it-treated/