Sea Sickness
One of the most frequent questions asked by those wanting to become crew is, what if I get seasick? As much as I would like to ignore this subject, it is something that plagues most people. Almost everybody suffers from sea sickness at some stage or another. Even seasoned crew can be afflicted. Admiral Lord Nelson, that famous upholder of British nautical pride, was dreadfully seasick on every voyage.
So what does being seasick feel like?
First you have a cold sweat, then you have a hot sweat, then you have a cold sweat and then you seem to have them both at once. While this is happening, your stomach gradually turns itself inside out. Your oesophagus will then turn into a live boa constrictor caught in a trap and your head leaves your shoulders and floats around about a foot above and behind you. All you want to do is vomit and vomit and vomit. At first, you are afraid that you are going to die then after a while you are afraid that you won’t. Additionally you may also suffer from dizziness and headaches.
There are several ‘cures’ for sea sickness. What will work for one, might not necessarily work for someone else. Here are just a few that may help you combat the problem.
Before you leave
You can go on a special diet before you leave, ingesting low fat, high fibre foods and drinking loads of water. There are various natural remedies out there. These include the ‘Bach Flower remedies’. Take these for up to a week before you leave. You can find further information about these in leading health food shops.
Dealing with Seasickness
So what can you do, if all the best-laid plans have failed, and you already have those awful cold, clammy, queasy, sensations of sickness?
- Drugs. Loads of different brands behind the counters of pharmacies the world over. Good but not a cure all and can make you drowsy. Didn’t work for me.
- Elastoplast behind the ears. Don’t know if ever it worked for anyone. Didn’t for me.
- Drink and eat loads of ginger as this is supposed to be a cure all for nausea. Didn’t work for me.
- The Magna Band Sea bands. Little grey fabric bracelets placed over pressure points in wrist. Didn’t work for me.
- Having your wisdom teeth removed. Might have worked for me, didn’t try it!
- Hypnotic Tapes. New on the market. Maybe worth a try.
- The Patch. According to some, the side effects can make you feel worse than the actual sea sickness itself but they may do the trick for you. See more on the Patch below.
- And finally, the cure all that works for all suffering from sea sickness – lying on soft sand under a firmly rooted tropical palm tree and watching the yacht from a distance of at least quarter of a mile away. Worked for me!
The Patch
Commonly referred to as ‘the Patch’, the Transderm-Scop patch is placed behind your ear, and worn for up to 72 hours at a time. After 72 hours you replace it with another one if necessary, and it is suggested you alternate patches, one on your left side then one on the right side.
The active ingredient in the patch is absorbed through the skin. It takes up to four hours for a full dose to be initially absorbed, so for best results, put a patch on at least four hours before you’ll need it.
The active ingredient is scopolamine - the same drug that is used, in much larger doses, as a truth serum, and a derivative of belladonna poison.
The good news is that the Patch is highly effective. But you may experience side-effects, ranging from minor things like a dry mouth, to more unpleasant things such as sedation, difficulty urinating, and blurred vision. Some people have reported hallucinations.
You may also sometimes experience withdrawal symptoms when stopping using the patch - symptoms including dizziness, headache, nausea and poor coordination.
The Patch is not recommended for children, the elderly, or for pregnant or breast-feeding women.
Notwithstanding the side-effects mentioned above, the Patch is a popular and commonly used medication, because it does work very effectively, and is generally rated as better than Dramamine.
In certain countries the Patch may not be available over the counter.
Take heart though, you’ll find that eventually - usually within 36-72 hours - your body adapts and trains itself to ignore the conflicting messages it is getting. In other words, you have got your sea legs and are no longer susceptible to seasickness.
When you are feeling seasick
Here are some tips for fast relief if you are already feeling seasick:
- Stay on deck, if you can. Fresh air will alleviate the symptoms faster. Try to stay in the middle of the yacht as this area moves the least.
- Lie down if possible.
- Maintain an even body temperature. Being too hot or too cold can exacerbate the problem.
- Try and avoid strong smells, especially food and diesel fumes. It seems that sense of smell goes into overdrive during a bout of sea sickness.
- Try sipping flat ginger ale, or eat a small piece of crystallized ginger. Ginger is renowned for helping ease the symptoms of nausea.
- Eat dry salt crackers. (This gives your stomach something to bring up which, depending on your viewpoint, is better than the dry heaves!)
BE CAREFUL
In cases of severe nausea, it is very important to watch for symptoms of dehydration. This can be very dangerous. A quick check for dehydration is pinching the skin on the back of your hand. If the skin is listless and does not spring back into place you could be suffering from dehydration.
Avoid this by taking an adequate supply of fluids. Sipping through a straw helps cut the nausea response and hydrates the body faster.
