Seasickness is a real scourge. It affects anyone, at any time, on a regular or occasional basis, whether you're a seasoned yachtsman or a freshwater sailor. Insidious, it provokes a terrible sense of unease for the person affected, and a feeling of helplessness for the crew, unable to help the sick person. There are many ways to avoid seasickness, and we have prepared a special report on the subject: understanding and combating seasickness .
Today we're bringing you a new tip that's affordable and requires very little equipment. Chris, from the Sailing Britaly vlog, shares this very simple but effective idea, which he has already been able to put into practice and verify when working on cargo ships in the North Sea, in 10 m waves, with a sick crew...
Seasickness, an inner ear imbalance problem
Seasickness is linked to an imbalance in the inner ear. Contradictory signals are sent to the brain, creating a conflict between what we perceive and what we feel.
In fact, the rocking movements we feel when we're on a boat disrupt the information sent to the balance center, located in the inner ear. Our eyes see our environment moving, but our bodies are not. There is therefore an imbalance between the movement felt by the inner ear and what our eyes see.
Earplugs to combat seasickness
To combat seasickness simply and effectively, Chris recommends using earplugs! This technique forces the brain to ignore the information sent to it by the inner ear, thus preventing seasickness.
Only one earplug should be used, to be inserted in either ear. By doing this, the brain will become disoriented and think there's something wrong with the way your ears work. It will then ignore the signal sent by the inner ear, concentrating on the signals sent by the eyes and registering that there is movement all around. It will then think that your body is also moving, which should stop the seasickness.
Earplugs can be found everywhere âeuros on the Internet, in pharmacies... âeuros and are affordable for everyone!
Find out all about this trick in the video below. Sailing Britaly follows Chris (English) and Rossella (Italian) on their 30 m sloop. During their voyage, they share their tips and advice with their community.
