Q: I love to travel, but I get terrible motion sickness. How can I avoid getting ill?
A: The Transderm Scop patch really helps. Th dime-size patch sticks behind your ear and releases a chemical that temporarily reduces nerve-fiber activity in the inner ear, thus helping the wearer sustain his balance. A patch works for about three days; a box of four costs around $35, but you’ll need a prescription. Still, I’ve got almost 10,000 hours as a pilot and have flown both F-15s and F-16s, but theres still no guarantee that I won’t get sick. The best thing I recommend is to fly, boat, or ride on a full stomach. It may sound counterintuitive, but there is a much better sense of relief with losing your lunch than with dry heaving.
E-mail your questions for Dr. Bob Arnot to dr.bob@mensjournal.com.
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This article originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Men’s Journal.
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July 13th, 2009 at 6:21 am
Sometimes, my husband and I can even get motion sickness from traveling by car. We tried not to eat too much before long journey driving to ensure that we would not throw up or feeling nausea in the car.
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