2024-04-09 15:30:00
Motion sickness, better known as “motion sickness,” refers to a set of symptoms of discomfort and nausea caused by movements to which the body cannot get used to. In Western countries, up to 90% of individuals have already paid the price. It is estimated that 5% to 10% of people are particularly sensitive to it. For some of these people, traveling as a passenger is simply unthinkable, which restricts them in their daily travels.
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Identifying the root causes and effective solutions to this problem might obviously greatly improve the quality of life of the individuals concerned. But that’s not all. Solving the problem of motion sickness is indeed of particular importance, as the development of new modes of transport, such as autonomous vehicles, which might aggravate motion sickness, seems to be beginning.
In such a context, these adverse effects might constitute a new public health problem. The challenge will be to provide solutions that are viable, acceptable and without side effects. Where we are ?
Why do we get motion sickness?
Susceptibility to motion sickness is very personal. It depends not only on our habit of traveling as a passenger, but also on our age (children are more sensitive to it than adults), our gender (women are more sensitive to it than men), our state of mind (fear or anxiety might facilitate the appearance of symptoms), and even, more surprisingly, our ethnic origins. An evolutionary hypothesis has been put forward to explain motion sickness: it would have constituted a mechanism making it possible to put an end to movements causing sensory conflict or postural instability, because this type of movement might have caused injuries or been perceived by predators as a sign of increased vulnerability.
READ ALSO Plane and mountain, the same air sickness impoverished at altitudeThe exact causes and mechanisms of this phenomenon are still not completely elucidated and have been the subject of numerous scientific hypotheses. The most accepted suggests an inability of the body to perceive and predict exactly what forces it is exposed to.
In a moving environment, such as a car or a boat, the brain tries to estimate dynamics based on its experience in similar environments. However, if he is unable to understand and appropriate these forces, he triggers a defense mechanism comparable to a poisoning reaction.
What treatment for travel sickness?
To date, there is no consensus on any treatment for motion sickness. Various substances or practices are sometimes prescribed for supposed benefits. Among these palliatives or attenuators of effects, let us cite certain medications (antispasmodics, such as scopolamine, or certain antihistamines), food supplements, herbal elixirs (such as ginger) or acupressure techniques (technique of stimulation from traditional Chinese medicine, which consists of applying manual pressure to specific points on the body).
However, the effectiveness of these treatments has not been scientifically demonstrated. Although some individuals report positive effects, these might in reality result more from the placebo effect than from any real intrinsic effectiveness.
Additionally, unwanted side effects, such as blurred vision or prolonged listlessness, may result from taking certain medications, compromising their effectiveness.
How to reduce travel sickness?
As the perception of movement relies mainly on visual information, it is recommended to adapt your travel habits to limit the development of symptoms. An effective and simple method to implement consists of providing a clear view of the surroundings and looking towards the horizon. Other advice to give to passengers includes sitting as far forward as possible in the vehicle, avoiding using screens or books and instead favoring fun activities with the other occupants of the vehicle, to close your eyes and try to sleep, or to recline your seat back.
The psychological component also plays a crucial role in the development of symptoms. Low-sensitivity individuals can, for example, become ill with anxiety. Conversely, highly sensitive individuals may escape symptoms when they are mentally distracted.
The importance of well-being when traveling is therefore not trivial!
Travel sickness, impossible to eradicate?
The complexity of finding a universal solution to motion sickness comes from the fact that everyone reacts to it differently. Faced with this challenge, in recent years technological systems have emerged intended to further limit these undesirable effects.
Most aim to improve the ability to perceive and anticipate movements, in order to better prepare passengers for the associated physical forces. For example, dynamic visual signals broadcast in peripheral vision can help one locate oneself in space and better perceive accelerations. To help anticipate, some systems also offer a preview of future trajectories using audible, visual signals through a screen or tactile signals through a seat.
However, the effectiveness of these methods requires sufficient cognitive resources to understand and interpret these signals correctly.
Other systems propose reducing the intensity of perceived movements by damping strong, repeated and difficult-to-anticipate accelerations, or even programming gentler trajectories. This last method might notably be achievable by autonomous vehicles.
With these inventions, will we one day be able to significantly reduce motion sickness? Nothing is less sure. Indeed, different forms of movement can make you sick: a solution for seasickness will not limit car sickness, and vice versa. Certain movements (roller coasters, plane loops, zero gravity flights, etc.) are so brutal and unusual for the body that even the most advanced technology would prove ineffective.
Motion sickness is a defense reaction of the body that has developed over thousands of years. Like most natural phenomena, and despite considerable technological progress, this cannot be reversed with the snap of a finger!
The most efficient solution remains and will undoubtedly remain to make efforts to accommodate these situations. If we estimate that around 5% of individuals do not succeed at all, the others might benefit from more regular exposure to these disturbances, which we know help the brain to better assimilate the movements involved. game. This is, for example, what happens in the absence of gravity.
In this context, the solutions mentioned in this article might help you get used to it more quickly and easily.
* William Emond, doctoral student in carsickness mitigation, University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard.
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