Motion Sickness

Whether you travel by car or plane, elevator or roller coaster, motion sickness can make your journey unpleasant. Caused by a disturbance in the inner ear, motion sickness can be aggravated by hunger, anxiety or unpleasant odors such as tobacco smoke. Staying calm and keeping your vehicle well-ventilated can help stop the world (and your stomach) from spinning. The natural remedies in this chapter-in conjunction with medical care and used with your doctor's approval-may help prevent or relieve motion sickness, according to some health professionals.

See Your Medical Doctor When...

· o You have severe symptoms of dizziness that interfere with walking or even sitting up.
· You have severe nausea and/or vomiting.
· You have a change in hearing and ringing or fullness in the ear.
· You have ear pain, discharge or bleeding.

Acupressure

For motion sickness, firmly press points P 5 and P 6, which are near your wrists, says Acharyaji,. To find P 5, place your right thumb on the inside of your left forearm, three finger-widths from the center of your wrist crease. Breathing deeply, apply firm pressure with your thumb for one minute, suggests Acharyaji. Then move your thumb about half of a finger-width closer to the wrist crease to point P 6. Acharyaji says to apply pressure for one more minute, then repeat the procedure on your right forearm.

Flower Remedy/Essence Therapy

The flower remedy Scleranthus can help motion sickness, says Acharyaji. He suggests placing two to four drops under the tongue and holding them in your mouth for a moment before swallowing. He also says you can apply the remedy topically, putting it on the temples and inside the belly button.
Flower remedies are available in some health food stores and through mail order For information on preparing and administering flower remedies

Herbal Therapy

A scientific study from Britain says that ginger is more effective than Dramamine, an over-the-counter drug, in stopping motion sickness, says Acharyaji. You can buy candied ginger in Asian food markets and chew on it while traveling, according to Acharyaji. Or, he suggests, buy ginger supplements (they're available in most health food stores), then take two 500-milligram capsules about an hour before embarking on your trip and one or two more capsules every four hours while you're traveling.

Juice Therapy

Scientific studies have shown that ginger works better than commercial motion sickness products such as Dramamine, says. Those prone to motion sickness may be able to head off nausea by sipping Ginger Hopper juice blend about an hour before a trip. To prepare, juice a slice of fresh ginger (about ¼ inch thick) with an apple and four carrots Acharyaji suggests .

Reflexology

To help prevent motion sickness, or to help control it once it has started, work the diaphragm, pituitary gland, ear, neck and spine reflexes on your hands or feet, says Acharyaji.