Natural Solutions for Motion Sickness, Dizziness, and Nausea

I think it all started with the Tilt-A-Whirl.

That was my first experience with motion sickness.  I threw up my cotton candy, and I haven't been able to stomach it since.  The cotton candy nor the Tilt-a-Whirl.  

Of course, with most things, if left untreated, they get worse over time. 

Eventually I became motion sick in the car unless I sat in the front seat and looked out the front window the whole time. 

So I knew I had to do something, especially with a destination wedding cruise on the books.  I found some things that not only worked, but seem to have permanently changed my motion sickness.  

In Chinese medicine, the main causes of nausea and dizziness are either (1) a Spleen Qi imbalance, which can lead to Dampness, or (2) it can come from Liver Wind.  "Wind" is one of the "6 evil Qi".  

We often find that people with dizziness or motion sickness need to address their immune system function.  While we're assessing the underlying cause, we also look at digestion and adrenal function as well.  

“Sea-Bands” (available at most drug stores)

One particularly rocky night when I was on a cruise, I went to the over-priced shop on board and picked up some “sea bands”.  They actually did help.  The problem was that I couldn’t take them off.  As soon as they came off, I felt sick again. 

The next cruise we took, I prepared in advance.  I took some ginger chews, my trusty sea bands (still had them), and Gui Pi Tang (“tonify the Spleen pills”) - a Chinese herbal preparation.  Much better!  I only had to wear the bands on really rough seas.  

Herbs

Peppermint and ginger help with an occasional upset stomach and nausea.  It's usually one or the other that helps the most, depending on if you're hot-natured (use mint) or cold-natured (use ginger). 

Other Chinese herbs help with relaxing the Liver.  For this, I use herbs like Schisandra or Rehmannia.  Both support the adrenal function ("Kidney" in TCM), which is the "mother" of the Liver.  

For nausea, you can use Tangerine Peels to make a tea, or eat some citrus fruit.  Other herbs I would add in for nausea would be Ginseng (provided you don't have anxiety or insomnia or are pregnant) or Astragalus, which tonifies Qi.  

Another helpful "herb" (not an herb but homeopathic formula), is Hyland’s motion sickness homeopathic remedy (either it works or it doesn’t, depending on your body’s constitution).

Food Cures

If you're sensitive enough, you may notice that certain foods make you feel worse.  For me, it was consumption of caffeine and alcohol that triggered motion-sickness episodes. 

Carbonated water with lime, or just hydrating in general, can be helpful.  

Foods high in nutritional value, especially trace minerals, are grounding.  Think - seaweed, fish, whole grains, and root vegetables.  

Other Methods

Use your eyes to focus on one spot (a “drishti” in yoga); sit and breathe for a few minutes.  

Of course, acupuncture helps!  The Sea-Bands work by pressing on acupuncture points that help with dizziness and nausea.  The real thing – real needles going into the acupoints – is even better with longer relief.