Grehan
Well-Known Member
+1
And being at sea, one sometimes does run short on sleep.
Seasickness.. When is it too much?
- Thread starter Nostrodamus
- Start date
And being at sea, one sometimes does run short on sleep.
Nostrodamus
Well-Known Member
So shall we say everyone has the potential to be se sick and all the potions and bands out there are not cures but may delay the onset or help in some way.
We also know the effects can be devastating to the patient and although they do not require constant care they need regular monitoring and trying to make them take at least liquids.
I do or don’t know if part of the symptoms can be like depression but I have people certainly who were not bothered if they fell in or what happened to them. They refused to go below and were a danger to themselves and those who had to watch them all the time.
I have heard of people bursting blood vessels in their eyes from vomiting.
One of the things I originally asked is
In severe cases would you change plans and head for the nearest land?
If you were still a long way from land would you consider calling for help?
We also know the effects can be devastating to the patient and although they do not require constant care they need regular monitoring and trying to make them take at least liquids.
I do or don’t know if part of the symptoms can be like depression but I have people certainly who were not bothered if they fell in or what happened to them. They refused to go below and were a danger to themselves and those who had to watch them all the time.
I have heard of people bursting blood vessels in their eyes from vomiting.
One of the things I originally asked is
In severe cases would you change plans and head for the nearest land?
If you were still a long way from land would you consider calling for help?
Victoria Sponge
Well-Known Member
Rigger Mortice
N/A
In severe cases I would certainly be prepared to head for land. I have certainly seen people completely debillitated with sea sickness.
I would however be extremely reluctant to call for outside help; there would have to be a secondary health reason for me to want to do that. In any event, in my experience, seasickness sets in pretty quickly rather then well into a trip so the head for land option is usually the easiest......but I don't know about the situation with blue water sailers who are days or weeks at sea.
On a different tack, but same subject. Why is it that, when people are seasick, they always apologise? We don't feel the need to say "sorry" if we are ill with anything else do we?
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Grehan
Well-Known Member
Ah, you auld rip, you !Yes, a devil for seasickness!
Sorry for that, just couldn't resist it.
ReggieK
Well-Known Member
Because you feel that you are letting everyone down. There is a big embarrassment factor. Especially if you have read the B.S. from Nauticalnomad
prv
Well-Known Member
There is definitely a strong mental component to seasickness - I can think myself into feeling ill in harbour (by way of experiment) and vice-versa these days I can usually (but not always) think myself out of it. Similarly, sailing on youth voyages on Stavros gives a sample size of a dozen or two in Green Watch to observe in the first couple of days, and those who try to carry on do much better than those who hang themselves over the rail and give up.
However, it is far from true to say that it is all in the mind. It is a real problem with physiological causes and can require much more than just a positive mental attitude to rectify.
It can help, by giving something to concentrate on, but it's not guaranteed. Never worked at all for my mum - if you tried it, you'd better give her a bucket.
Again, not always. We've had people on Tall Ships Youth Trust trips who've been sick for days, albeit most get better some time on the second. But Seasick Steve, a volunteer deckhand, can take the best part of a week. He carries on working through it, even swabbing rendered sheep fat onto the topgallant mast 80 feet above the deck, but he'll be dead white with patches of yellow, looks like death, and vomiting every few minutes.
Last I heard he was joining another square-rigger to sail non-stop from Cape Town to Ireland, on the grounds that he'd get the maximum time at sea per day of misery acclimatising.
The best example of that I had was a very confident American, announcing to all and sundry how much he was looking forward to working aloft, how great he was going to be at it, and (obviously) how immune he was to sea-sickness. Less than an hour out of harbour, we went up to break out a topsail, and given his confidence I put him towards the outer end of the yard. As soon as we rolled slightly, he promptly froze, and then emptied his stomach all over the bridge below (fortunately the wind took most of it away). He did get down ok (it wasn't a proper freeze) but he didn't go up again!
My grandad used to do that on cross-channel ferries when it was very rough. He had a cast-iron stomach and took great amusement in going around waving greasy sausages and bacon at people
Pete
alan_d
Well-Known Member
I would have to agree. Motion sickness is a well-researched subject with a wealth of good-quality factual information readily available online, but you wouldn't think so reading the mixture of anecdote, garbled half-truths and bigoted dangerous nonsense found in this thread.
I would suggest that anyone wanting to find out the facts puts Motion Sickness in a search engine and selects from the range of authoritative articles that will be thrown up, sorry, churned out, um - presented.
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-Known Member
To save us the time could you kindly short list the 'garbled half-truths' so that we may all benefit?
fireball
Well-Known Member
I don't believe it is a concious mental obstacle ...
I get seasick - I wish I didn't - but I do - so I have to put up with it - certainly on short journeys.
I know some of what makes me seasick - it is tilting my head forwards or someone else being sick.
I (usually) know in plenty of time when I'm going to be sick .... I can delay the event a little - but as sea sick sufferers know - you often feel much better afterwards - I certainly do - so if I know it's going to happen I'll trigger it early. Concentrating on the horizon can help - but helming is often the best delaying tacktick - because you're a) usually facing the right way, b) have a modicum of control over how the boat handles and c) can see what is coming. However, I've been sick whilst on the helm - so it isn't a cure.
I suppose I'm lucky in that I don't worry when I'm sick - I just get on with it, then sip water until I feel better. I don't believe I'm depressed in the slightest - although I do know a few who really do get down in the dumps when they are sick.
Being seasick isn't necessarily a hazard ... it depends how you treat it - the hazard is to the person being sick - in that they'll dehydrate quickly.
I've tried the mental 'I'm not going to be seasick' - it doesn't work for me - because I believe it is not entirely a concious mental phenomenon - it is part physiological as the brain subconsciously tries to deal with the input from your various senses.
I don't find the bands work either ... I think the drugs do have an affect - usually on making me sleepy - so I try to avoid them.
Seasickness isn't nice for anyone - even the pros can suffer - but after 24hours or so your body can adjust. A positive mental attitude does help - but will not always prevent the event.
What doesn't help is others on the boat asking if you're ok or if they can get you a bowl or if you want to go a lie down - that just makes the whole thing worse! Some seasick sufferers may need caring for - if they're not going to be in the way the lying down securely in the cockpit and close the eyes gives a reasonable amount of relief.
Seajet
...
I once took an old school friend out for a weekend, and it blew up to a 6 on the nose on the Sunday return trip.
It was very clear he wasn't enjoying it, so I offered if he could take Monday off work we could go into Cowes, which was close by, and he readily agreed.
As we motored up river, him still hanging over the side most of the time, the radio was on, " There are 4 mile tail-backs on the M4 ".
His very heart-felt comment was, " Lucky b***d's !!! I'd LOVE to be in a traffic jam!
It was very clear he wasn't enjoying it, so I offered if he could take Monday off work we could go into Cowes, which was close by, and he readily agreed.
As we motored up river, him still hanging over the side most of the time, the radio was on, " There are 4 mile tail-backs on the M4 ".
His very heart-felt comment was, " Lucky b***d's !!! I'd LOVE to be in a traffic jam!
alant
Well-Known Member
"Being seasick isn't necessarily a hazard ... it depends how you treat it - the hazard is to the person being sick - in that they'll dehydrate quickly."
Unfortunately, it can be, since it depletes the crew/watch numbers, with higher workload placed on the rest. On a boat in inshore waters, it might not matter.
However, offshore/ocean it can.
Even more of a hazard in that situation, if the 'seasickness' is caused by a bug, which then fells other crew. Difficult to determine which 'sick' is sea & which is 'other', unless discharges from other orifice as well.
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fireball
Well-Known Member
In some cases - but not all ... I manage to continue to skipper for the remainder of the trip - including nav and taking my turn at the helm. I'm sure I'm not the only one who shrugs it off ...
So - yes - it _can_ be a hazard - but it isn't always - the main hazard is to the victim - dehydration ... it is tempting to go Nil-by-mouth ... I just ensure I'm sipping a little (plain water) often - and keep on doing so - even after I feel better.
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-Known Member
Out of interest I did put Motion Sickness into Google and looked quickly for answers on the Bupa website which said amongst other things..........
"Causes of travel sickness.
Although travel sickness isn't fully understood, research suggests that it's caused by movements when travelling, such as tilting and shaking, which can confuse your brain.
Normally, your vestibular system, which is located in your inner ear, keeps track of your body, head and eye movements. This helps you to change position and control your balance. However, during travel, the motion your vestibular system senses doesn't match what you see. This conflict between the senses is thought to cause travel sickness. Anyone can get travel sickness and no one knows why some people are more sensitive than others".
Doesn't really sound from this as if it's purely 'mind over matter' imho.
Being seasick can be a hazard to the boats safety as others are more than likely having to care for the unwell who may have a poor state of mind too.
I'm not convinced that some posters here have experienced either having to look after a member(s) of crew who are very seasick, or have experienced severe syptoms of seasickness themselves.
"Causes of travel sickness.
Although travel sickness isn't fully understood, research suggests that it's caused by movements when travelling, such as tilting and shaking, which can confuse your brain.
Normally, your vestibular system, which is located in your inner ear, keeps track of your body, head and eye movements. This helps you to change position and control your balance. However, during travel, the motion your vestibular system senses doesn't match what you see. This conflict between the senses is thought to cause travel sickness. Anyone can get travel sickness and no one knows why some people are more sensitive than others".
Doesn't really sound from this as if it's purely 'mind over matter' imho.
Being seasick can be a hazard to the boats safety as others are more than likely having to care for the unwell who may have a poor state of mind too.
I'm not convinced that some posters here have experienced either having to look after a member(s) of crew who are very seasick, or have experienced severe syptoms of seasickness themselves.
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fireball
Well-Known Member
I have always been seasick - and I have been quite miserable when suffering at times but it's been better recently - and I put that down to my mental attitude towards it ... and my determination to overcome it.
No - I'm fortunate not to have suffered - or been with anyone else suffering extreme sickness - the worst (where I've been skipper) was my brother who turned a shade of green - lay down on the lee side, closed his eyes and dozed for the majority of the trip - till the waves calmed down.
alant
Well-Known Member
Rehydration, other than by proprietary remedies, is best done with a solution containing salt + sugar.
Plain water, will not repair damage.
"You can make an inexpensive homemade rehydration drink. Measure all ingredients precisely. Small variations can make the drink less effective or even harmful.
Mix:
1 quart (950 ml) water
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) table salt
3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 g) sugar
If available, add ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) salt substitute, such as "Lite Salt".
from WebMD.com"
Fantasie 19
Well-Known Member
Has anyone ever tried these???
Kind of interested - I read they were standard issue in the French Navy so there must be something in them - I know how they are supposed to work, just wondered if anyone had practical experience.....
Kind of interested - I read they were standard issue in the French Navy so there must be something in them - I know how they are supposed to work, just wondered if anyone had practical experience.....
Gwylan
Well-Known Member
mal de debarquement
Well I know what it's called now. and I've got a bad case.
After 5 weeks away yesterday and today have not been any fun at all.
Still feel faintly queasy. Might it be that the peanuts I ate with the 6 G&T were off?
Well I know what it's called now. and I've got a bad case.
After 5 weeks away yesterday and today have not been any fun at all.
Still feel faintly queasy. Might it be that the peanuts I ate with the 6 G&T were off?