How to kind of survive sea sickness

For the first 24 years of my life, I thought that I was generally not seasick. This perception changed when I took up sailing more seriously. Having spent seven weeks at sea during the past few years with dozens of people, I gained some experience in how to deal with severe forms of motion sickness. 

Broadly, it seems that ca 1/10 of people are those who never become seasick. They just swing through the storms with a smile and take seasickness as an incomprehensible issue. Ca 1/12 are those who become extremely sick, throwing up non-stop for several days. The rest of the people are somewhere in the middle.

I have noticed that the earlier seasickness hits the harder it is. The longer you stand on your feet the briefer the sickness, usually.

The first symptom to look after is becoming sleepy. The following symptoms are feeling cold, nauseous, vomiting and having digestive issues like diarrhoea. Is there a chance to avoid these?

Yes and no. As you can probably see, I am quite sceptical about saying that any of the following methods will save you completely. They can ease your sufferings but none of them alone will heal you.

1. Laying down has been the most effective method so far. The interval between vomiting can be reduced significantly when laying down when compared to staying on your feet or sitting. Most people do not become seasick while they sleep so sleeping is a good option as well. Our crew has become seasick in bed in rare cases, especially when the bunk is in the bow.

2. When possible, stay at the aft (back). The bow (front) is where the ships are most affected by the movements of the sea.

3. Move to higher levels, also on the deck if the weather allows. Outside is always better than inside. Nonetheless, in a storm, staying inside ensures safety.

4. Breath fresh air. Having more oxygen in your blood will make you feel better. Breathing fresh air is something that gives an immediate response. Sadly, it does not give a long-lasting solution. Breathing in engine vapours will certainly make you feel worse.

5. Find an activity that keeps you engaged. Although this advice may seem a bit rude "How do you imagine me working, I am DYING here!?" keeping your mind busy actually leaves less space for thoughts about how sick you feel. For example, engage yourself in a conversation with a fellow sufferer and ask how they are doing. 

6. Look at the horizon. Motion sickness is triggered by conflicting information from your eyes and the centre of balance. Horizon is the only steady point to look at.

7. Eat your stomach full before departure but not too much. Avoid eating any foods that can make you feel weird. Have just the right amount of food that keeps your gut full. If it is half-full the fluids in your gut will shake together with the ship´s movements and it will definitely not make you feel better. It is also important to eat a full meal before the seasickness can kick in because it may be your last meal in a long while and you really need to save those calories. 

8. When you are already feeling sick and had thrown up, try to eat small snacks, for example, a dry cookie for the beginning. It may take a while but eat it. When this goes down, try an apple. Throwing up food for extended periods of time (one day or longer) can make you really weak. An empty stomach may also make you feel sicker. I found a good solution for myself eating at nighttime between sleeping. This was the only chance that my body absorbed the nutrients that I tried to offer. Avoid fatty foods like chocolate. Although chocolate may seem like a good nutrient-rich option it has too much fat in it. I once throw up as soon as I touched it. Starches like pasta, bread, cookies or cereal will be the best option in this situation. Some people know that you should avoid tomatoes, mushrooms and aubergine before heading to a wavy sea. Usually, you will understand instinctively what your body needs.

9. Drink water. For obvious reasons because you lose a decent amount of fluids. 

10. Avoid working in weird positions, especially in those where your head is lower than your body. Too much confusion for your brain does no good.

11. Ginger has never seemed to work for me. I have tried it, maybe it would have been worse without it but god knows. I still feel sick always. Many people find that it makes them feel even more sick. Maybe making you throw up is the way how it´s supposed to work. Vomiting is the best relief after all. 

12. I have tried anti-nausea medication, not sure if it worked either. As with ginger, I don´t know how bad it would have been without it. You can definitely try some pills but don´t expect a tremendous effect.

13. Some people have found that herbal pills (like eucalyptus, different herbs etc.) help ease their digestion and this could help a lot. 

And I think this is the end of the list. After all, adaption is the best cure. Waving shouldn't have a large effect after a few days anymore when compared to the first or second day at sea. However, the adaption only lasts while you are at sea. After returning to land you have to adapt your body again.