![\"Women](\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/pufins-at-sea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/791\/2022\/06\/seasickmeds-300x225.jpg\")
Motion sickness is caused when your brain has difficulty interpreting the signals it receives from the motion <\/span>sensing parts of your body; like your eyes, joints, muscles, and inner ear.\u00a0 Your brain cannot determine if you are in motion or stationary, and reacts with making you feel sick.\u00a0 If you have ever experienced motion sickness before, you are WELL aware of what this feels like.\u00a0 For those lucky ones that have never had the pleasure, some of the most common symptoms are dizziness, cold sweats, headaches, pale skin, rapid breathing, irritability, an inability to concentrate, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n How does my body handle these confusing inputs?\u00a0 Well just ask my mother, who had to have an ample supply for Dramamine on hand for all of our family car trips from the mid-80\u2019s to the late 90\u2019s.\u00a0 So the answer is not well.<\/p>\n But I am not alone in this on the ship.\u00a0 A large group of us have been talking about what the best medicines are to take, etc.\u00a0 It was a major point of discussion in our pre-cruise meetings with the crew.<\/span>The bottom line is all on board want everyone to be as safe as possible and to not feel embarrassed if you get sea sick.\u00a0 It happens a lot during these research cruises.\u00a0 The main concern is if you do get sick, that you don\u2019t end up super dehydrated.\u00a0 Extreme cases of seasickness can be a serious health concern and would result in the ship having to return to port.\u00a0 A situation that no one wants.<\/span><\/p>\n Some are using simple methods such as ginger candies or acupressure seasick bands.\u00a0 A friend who came to see us off in Wood Hole swears by electronic \u201cwatches\u201d that give you a little shock in the pressure points on your wrist to combat feeling sick.\u00a0 A little bit of fresh air, or a light snack may do it for others.\u00a0 Most of us are relying on medicinal interventions to help.\u00a0 Oral medications such a Dramamine or Bonine are popular, though more are taking Bonine as it does not make you as drowsy.\u00a0 I am relying on the big guns, or the seasick patch.\u00a0 This subdermal patch is placed on the skin behind your ear and delivers scopolamine to the wearer for a 72 hour period.\u00a0 Although there are some side-effects of using these medicines, in general they are much preferable to being violently ill for hours of the day.<\/p>\n Group check-ins show that we are all okay so far, with some people feeling pretty awful the first 48 hours.\u00a0 We have been blessed with calm seas so far, but this could change quickly if the weather deteriorates.\u00a0 Some large storms are currently forecast in the Atlantic next week, so many are really hoping the weatherman is wrong.\u00a0 Time will tell.\u00a0 Until then, wish us all smooth sailing and calm seas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"Two](\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/pufins-at-sea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/791\/2022\/06\/seasickpatch-300x225.jpg\")
![\"Picture](\"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/pufins-at-sea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/791\/2022\/06\/calmseas-300x225.jpg\")