Vertigo during travel

Introduction

Vertigo during travel comes generally under Motion Sickness. ‘Vertigo’ is derived from the Latin word with the meaning “to turn.” It is a sensation of unstable. This can be described by a patient by saying that they feel confused, lightheaded or unstable. It usually occurs while traveling, especially by car, or train, which can be considered under motion sickness with different complaints. It varies from person to person. Body send messages to the brain via., motor nerves, causing dizziness or imbalance of body with heavy sensation in head, or nausea. Motion sickness disappeared itself quickly without any medication, and many people have feeling before the commencement of the vertigo because it only appeared while traveling or other specific activities.

Causes

Body has its own self-defence mechanism to maintain balance of the body through sensory nerves which send by many parts of the body to the brain, for example, eyes for vision, inner ears for hearing, legs and feet for walking. Any imbalance in any of these signals can cause motion sickness. For example, if a person travel in airplane, causes turbulence which results in vertigo or nausea or even vomit too.

Symptoms

Motion sickness usually presented as a problem related to stomach like all gone sensation which causes vertigo along with nausea. Other symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Vertigo
• Loss of or trouble maintaining your balance
• Headache
• Cold sweat
• Dizziness
• Increase in saliva production
• Pale skin with shallow breathing

General Measures

• Take adequate rest before traveling.
• Drink plenty of liquid as well as avoid alcohol to avoid dehydration, headache, and anxiety which can cause motion sickness.
• Eat little quantity of food before traveling as it increases the chances of nausea and vomiting.
• Breathe fresh air and along with it, do a meditation by focusing on an object to divert your mind.

Homeopathic Management

“Like cures like” is the principle in which homeopathic system of medicine is based. It means the symptoms related to patient must be similar to the symptoms of the medicine.The remedies are selected specifically according to person’s symptom. Here are some homeopathic remedies that are usually prescribed homeopaths for motion sickness.

1. Argentum nitricum: The Person experiences dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, especially if the person is excitable and anxious. The person is always in a hurry, both physically and mentally. The person may also feel claustrophobic.
2. Borax: The symptom which comes under Borax is a great fear of downward motion, such as during the landing of an airplane or coming down from hill. This downward motion causes anxiety, uneasiness, sorrow and confusion.
3. Cocculus Indicus: This is the most important and top-ranked medicine for motion sickness. Nausea and Vomiting , especially, from ridding in a carriage, boat or rail car or even looking at them is a keynote of this remedy. The person may feel extremely weak and uneasiness with loss of appetite with metallic taste in mouth. Symptoms may be worse on continuous moving about or from lack of sleep. This remedy is mainly used for car or seasickness, which was indicated when he/she watches moving objects may increase the severity of nausea and dizziness.
4. Kali Bichromicum: This remedy is prescribed especially in the cases of seasickness. It may be used in cases of severe nausea and dizziness which increases from standing. He/ She may feel weakness and pain in body, especially on the face or head. The vomitus may be bright yellow color.
5. Nux Vomica: When the person suffered from nausea with a terrible or severe headache in the region above the neck or over one eye. A patient likes warmth and want warm food, tobacco, and coffee. There may also be bloating of abdomen and regurgitation with nothing coming up with desire to vomit. This medicine is generally prescribed when the person feels nausea with the feeling of becoming unconsciousness, along with easily affected by even slight movements. Along with nausea and vomiting, a patient is generally constipated or suffering from indigestion.
6. Petroleum: This medicine can be used when there is persistent nausea with the feeling of emptiness in the stomach, which get better after warmth and eating food. There may be profuse salivation which means discharges in the mouth. The person may have complaints which get worse with light, noise or when attempting to sit. This medicine can also be used when person experiences nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, cold sweat, eating disorder or extreme hunger along with a feeling of being confused and angry.
7. Rhus Toxicodendron: This medicine is indicated especially in air sickness when a patient is suffering from nausea and vomiting with a loss of appetite. The person may have a sensation of drowsiness on attempting to sit and may have a severe headache, especially in the region of forehead and scalp may feel sensitive to touch. Dryness of the mouth is also present with unquenchable thirst.
8. Tabacum: This medicine is indicated when a patient is suffering from nausea and vertigo with a very pale face and all gone sensation in the pit of the stomach(epigastrium) along with palpitations. These symptoms associated may or may not be with a cold sweat, yellow-green vomit. Symptoms get better by closing the eyes and breathing fresh and cold air and increases with any movement of the body. A patient has severe headache, feel as if struck by a hammer which increases by noise and light.
9. Aconitum Napellus: This medicine can be used when patient has excessive restlessness and fear especially of death, predict date and time of death too. When there is fear and restlessness along with dryness and a great thirst for cold drinks.

Conclusion

Motion sickness occurs because of anxiety and sensory messages transferred to the nervous system is faulty. This sensation of vertigo is sometimes caused by an inner ear problem. This can be managed by the body itself or require medication too if it leads to any severe complaints. Homeopathic remedies are useful in cases of motion sickness such as Cocculus indicus, Nux vomica, Tabacum, etc if given on the complete picture of disease presented by the patient.