Seasick- falling prey to the repetitive, vomit-causing motions

Speaking from experience, there's nothing worse than motion sickness: whether you're in the car, on the boat, or at the amusement park. Our Camper media crew member Hamish Hooper seems to agree with me on this one: "I am on a precipice not sure which way I will go- downhill fast into seasick hell, or break through to happy days and feel alright"("Day 3 tricky times ahead"). Seasickness is a good example of how different organ systems interact with each other and demonstrates the power of your nervous system as well as sensory receptors.

 The trouble begins with our sense of equilibrium- what provides us with the sense of balance and position in space. The receptor for this sense is called the vestibular apparatus- a structure located in the inner ear ("Equilibrium Sense." 224). When there's too much movement or when the visual input from the eyes don't match the movements felt by the vestibular nerves, the vestibular apparatus sends a signal to the vomiting centre in the medulla oblongata (lower half of the brain stem that controls involuntary movements). The medulla oblongata then sets off reactions in the gastrointestinal tract, abdominal muscles, and diaphragm to cause vomiting ("Motion Sickness." 1977). In summary, the signal was first received and transferred by the nervous system, and then it triggers the automatic reaction- vomiting, in the gastrointestinal system. Other organ systems affected by this sense of imbalance include the musculoskeletal system and the respiratory system- but that's not all. It is amazing how this little signal which originates from the inner ear is powerful enough to trigger vomiting, sweat, heavy breathing, excessive salivation, and pale skin.

There are ways where seasickness could be prevented or at least the symptoms could be reduced. Keeping your eyes on the horizon is a good way to treat seasickness because the visual input would match the signals that your vestibular apparatus receives, making your body less confused (Marks and Stöppler). With that said, it's also a good idea to avoid reading or focusing your eyes on a fixed point where nothing seems to be moving. You could also treat motion sickness with medications such as promethazine, dimenhydrinate, meclizine, buclizine, cyclizine, scopolamine, and diphenhydramine ("Motion Sickness." 1978).

Through the examination of this strange sickness that even experienced sailors fall prey to, we begin to understand the interactions that take place between the different parts of our body. Involuntary responses that we are not aware of take place all the time- although sometimes they can be unnecessary and quite troubling. We do know that Hamish Hooper is not the only one that's feeling sluggish as the rest of the crew don't look that well either.

References

Anatomy of the ear. N.d. Photograph. Virtual Medical CentreWeb. 25 May 2012. <http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/uploads/VMC/TreatmentImages/2191_ear_anatomy_450.jpg>.

"Day 3 tricky times ahead." CAMPER WITH EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND IN THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE. CAMPER, 22 eb 2012. Web. 25 May. 2012. <http://www.camper.com/en/day-3-tricky-times-ahead>.

"Equilibrium Sense." The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology. Ed. Bonnie Strickland. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 224. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 May 2012.

Marks, Jay, and Melissa Stöppler, eds. "Motion Sickness." MedicineNet. MedicineNet, Inc., n.d. Web. 25 May 2012. <http://www.medicinenet.com/motion_sickness/page3.htm>.

"Motion Sickness." Magill's Medical Guide. Ed. Brandon P. Brown, et al. 6th ed. Vol. 4: Kinesiology - Parasitic diseases. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 2011. 1977-1979. Salem Health. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 May 2012.

Parker, Steve. Brain: Injury, Illness, and Health. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2003. 18. Print.