Motion Sickness: What Causes It and How Vestibular Rehabilitation Can Help

If you’re prone to motion sickness, you’re not alone – most people experience motion sickness at some point, and certain environments can make it especially common. Despite its prevalence, motion sickness can interfere with your vacation plans, road trip, or even your daily life. Fortunately, a Doctor of Audiology can help you achieve relief using the latest therapies for hearing and balance.

What is Motion Sickness?

Motion sickness is a phenomenon where you suddenly feel dizzy, nauseous, and warm. It might strike when you’re on a boat, plane, or amusement park ride. It may also strike when you’re going about daily activities like watching a movie or going for a run. Some people are more prone to getting motion sickness, but it can occur for virtually anyone, even if you’ve never experienced it before.

What Causes Motion Sickness?

Motion sickness is actually linked to the inner ear. Normally, your body maintains balance and situational positioning through a variety of senses – a system called the vestibular system. This includes the inner ear where fluid moves around as you turn your head. Receptors in the inner ear track this fluid movement and report it to the brain, helping it understand your position in the space around you. Motion sickness can occur when the brain receives conflicting or confusing information from the inner ears, eyes, and muscles all at once. This muddled feedback can cause you to feel sick, sweaty, and dizzy, especially if your brain can’t quickly make sense of what’s going on.

Vestibular Rehabilitation for Motion Sickness

Vestibular rehabilitation remains one of the most effective ways to treat vestibular disorders like motion sickness or vertigo. Normally, your body is able to compensate for vestibular disorders, but at a much slower pace than we’d like. Vestibular rehabilitation helps accelerate this process, helping the brain relearn vestibular functions and transfer them to some of its other senses. With ongoing therapy, vestibular rehabilitation can help you learn to adapt to the mixed-up signals of motion sickness and reduce the symptoms that come with it. Our Doctors of Audiology are some of the foremost experts in the greater New York City area when it comes to healing and balance. We can help you get started with vestibular rehabilitation and our many other industry-leading therapies.

Schedule an Appointment

Struggling with motion sickness and balance problems? Our Doctors of Audiology are here to help. Schedule an appointment today by calling or contacting us through our online form.