Motion sickness
Nausea caused by motion or perceived motion / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Motion sickness occurs due to a difference between actual and expected motion.[1][2][4] Symptoms commonly include nausea, vomiting, cold sweat, headache, dizziness, tiredness, loss of appetite, and increased salivation.[1][5] Complications may rarely include dehydration, electrolyte problems, or a lower esophageal tear.[2]
Motion sickness | |
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Other names | Kinetosis, travel sickness, seasickness, airsickness, carsickness, simulation sickness, space motion sickness, space adaptation syndrome |
A drawing of people with seasickness from 1841 | |
Specialty | Neurology |
Symptoms | Nausea, vomiting, cold sweat, increased salivation[1][2] |
Complications | Dehydration, electrolyte problems, lower esophageal tear[2] |
Causes | Real or perceived motion[1][2] |
Risk factors | Pregnancy, migraines, Ménière's disease[2] |
Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms[2] |
Differential diagnosis | Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular migraine, stroke[2] |
Prevention | Avoidance of triggers[2] |
Treatment | Behavioral measures, medications[3] |
Medication | Scopolamine, dimenhydrinate, dexamphetamine[3] |
Prognosis | Generally resolve within a day[2] |
Frequency | Nearly all people with sufficient motion; roughly one-third highly susceptible[3] |
The cause of motion sickness is either real or perceived motion.[2] This may include car travel, air travel, sea travel, space travel, or reality simulation.[2] Risk factors include pregnancy, migraines, and Ménière's disease.[2] The diagnosis is based on symptoms.[2]
Treatment may include behavioral measures or medications.[3] Behavioral measures include keeping the head still and focusing on the horizon.[6][7] Three types of medications are useful: antimuscarinics such as scopolamine, H1 antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate, and amphetamines such as dexamphetamine.[3] Side effects, however, may limit the use of medications.[3] A number of medications used for nausea such as ondansetron are not effective for motion sickness.[3]
Nearly all people are affected with sufficient motion[2] and most people will experience motion sickness at least once in their lifetime.[8] Susceptibility, however, is variable, with about one-third of the population being highly susceptible while most other people are affected under extreme conditions.[2] Women are more easily affected than men.[9] Motion sickness has been described since at least the time of Homer (c. eighth century BC).[10]