Seasickness: The Sea Makes You Dizzy

Seasickness has a lot to do with Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. In fact, you can blame seasickness for the development of this scientific revolution. How? You will find out later. First, you have to know all about seasickness.

Have you ever experienced dizziness and vomiting while on board a ship or a boat? This condition is called seasickness. It is not a disease; it is just a normal response of your body to certain external factors effecting your senses when you travel.

Seasickness is a type of motion sickness. It occurs when your brain receives different conflicting signals from your body and your sensory organs. For example, when you are inside a ship's cabin, your eyes tell your brain that you are not moving because you don't see any movement --- nothing inside the cabin moves. However, your ears tell your brain otherwise as you hear sounds of rolling motion, the engine and the sea waves slapping the sides of the ship. Your body also sends signals to your brain that you are actually moving because you can feel it. The parts of your brain responsible for balance also malfunction because it is not used to the stable, level environment. As your ears send signals that you are moving, your eyes scream that you are not. Thus, your brain gets confused and seasickness is triggered.

Seasickness is a very common condition among travelers. It affects people in varying degrees. Some can adapt easily to it, tolerate it and eventually control it. Some, especially those used to traveling, handle it really well. Others have tough times fighting it.

To avoid or fight seasickness, you have to keep yourself busy and keep your mind occupied. If you keep on thinking that you feel dizzy, you will surely feel dizzy even longer. Divert your attention to the things outside the ship. So that your eyes send signals that you are actually moving, look outside and see that the ship is in motion. You can keep your sight out on the horizon or the sea waves. Try to look for and glue your eyes on fish or islands along the way. However, do not look through binoculars longer than a glance. The key here is to enjoy your trip and stay outside, if not look outside. Avoid looking at a compass, reading a book or any activity that will have you staring at just one point.

Eat lightly. Having an empty or a full stomach can trigger seasickness. You should also stay warm and comfortable. Have enough sleep.

So how is seasickness related to the theory of evolution? Charles Darwin was aboard the ship Beagle from 1831 to 1836. The travel took five years to complete during which Darwin developed the theory. Two thirds of which, though, was spent by Darwin exploring on land where he collected several specimens, which would later be used as evidence of his theory. Again, most of Darwin's time was spent on land instead of the sea because of one thing. Yeah, you guessed it right. Darwin suffered from seasickness.