Motion sickness is a very prevalent ailment that primarily affects women and young children. Although it isn’t a major problem in regular life, it can make things difficult when you have to travel by vehicle, bus, train, airline, or boat. Researchers are now discovering that CBD, a natural hemp substance, can help with motion sickness. It could be a beneficial alternative for folks who become queasy with unusual motion because it is safe, effective, and causes far less sleepiness than traditional drugs.
Why do we suffer motion sickness and what causes it?
When your internal signals are thrown out of balance, you may experience motion sickness, which is an extreme feeling of dizziness and nausea. Although we commonly refer to motion sickness as “car sickness,” it encompasses much more than vomiting. On top of nausea and vomiting, those who suffer from it will have wooziness, dizziness, excessive salivation, cold sweats, and headaches.
Car, bus, airline, or train travel—situations in which your body moves in a way it isn’t used to—are the most common causes of motion sickness. We don’t know why certain people are more likely to feel this way than others, although it appears to be more common among young children, pregnant women, and women in general. So, what is it about being in a moving car that makes you feel nauseous? To comprehend how motion sickness works, you must first comprehend how our bodies maintain balance. Many sensory organs in your body are constantly delivering data to your brain. They tell it where you are, how fast you’re moving, how your limbs are positioned, and which way gravity is pulling you.
The issue is that these sensory organs aren’t always in agreement. When you’re reading a book in a car, for example, your eyes are telling your brain that your body is motionless. Your inner ears, on the other hand, are notifying you that you are moving. Motion sickness develops when the brain receives conflicting messages—at least in persons who are prone to the disease.
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What can you do if you’re experiencing motion sickness?
It’s typical and nearly expected for a child to get motion sickness. After all, their sensory organs must become accustomed to a wide range of perplexing situations. Adults, on the other hand, may have more severe motion nausea. For example, it may prevent certain people from driving a car, taking the bus or train, or even flying. Motion sickness can be alleviated with a few simple techniques. When commuting by car, for example, attempt to glance towards the horizon line so that your eyes and inner ear both register the same impression of motion. It may also be beneficial to close your eyes completely.
Natural therapies might be quite effective as well. Chewing on ginger sweets or stems, for example, can help you feel less sick. Peppermint is also beneficial, so chewing mint-flavored gum or inhaling peppermint essential oil drops can help.
Finally, you can acquire motion sickness relief through over-the-counter or prescription medications. The majority of these are antihistamines, a type of medications that can help with allergic reactions. They can alleviate a lot of motion sickness if taken an hour before travelling in any moving vehicle. However, you must exercise extreme caution when using them; they frequently cause drowsiness and may prevent you from safely driving or performing your job.
Cannabinoids are another viable therapy option. The cannabis plant and its derivatives have been used to cure nausea for hundreds of years. Scientists are currently studying the effects of one specific chemical, CBD, on motion sickness.
Is CBD useful for preventing motion sickness? The findings of the study are as follows:
ECS has been demonstrated to play a key function in regulating nausea and vomiting in studies. Scientists looked at the effects of a medication called dexamethasone on motion sickness in a 2014 study (Dexamethasone alleviates motion sickness in rats in part by enhancing the endocannabinoid system). They already knew the medicine was effective, but they needed to know how. Motion sickness lowers the endocannabinoid system, according to the researchers. Drugs like dexamethasone, on the other hand, improved its performance. They came to the conclusion that those who were experiencing motion sickness needed something to stimulate the ECS, which would help to alleviate the symptoms. And what better way to get the endocannabinoid system going than with phytocannabinoids, which are plant-derived chemicals that bind to the CB1 receptors that control nausea and vomiting?
In a 2011 review of studies on the effects of cannabinoids on nausea and vomiting, researchers discovered that both THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis) and CBD (the nonpsychoactive molecule in cannabis) had a lot of promise in alleviating various types of nausea.
So yet, no clinical trials have been conducted to determine the usefulness of CBD in treating motion sickness in humans. However, research on other animals reveals that CBD can halt nausea by stimulating the ECS, which can be suppressed by motion sickness.
CBD for pain
Motion sickness causes more than just nausea and vomiting. Another key factor is pain, particularly headaches. As a result, the fact that CBD can help with all types of pain makes it effective for treating that aspect of the condition.
What is the best way to consume CBD for motion sickness?
Most motion sickness medications must be taken at least an hour prior to the nausea-inducing activity, such as a car ride or a flight. Things are a little different with CBD. Some CBD products start working right away. Smoking or vaping CBD, or putting a CBD transdermal patch, for example, can provide practically instant nausea relief. CBD in other forms takes longer to enter your system. If you’re taking CBD capsules or edibles or putting CBD drops under your tongue, you should do it 30 minutes to an hour before you’re likely to become motion-sick.
Because motion sickness is a rare occurrence, you don’t need to take CBD every day to feel better. It also implies that you can use a somewhat higher dose. When using CBD for the first time, it’s always a good idea to take it slowly. It’s typically adequate to start with five or ten milligrammes to evaluate how your body reacts. If you’re not experiencing any negative side effects (such as increased hunger or diarrhoea), gradually raise the dose until you achieve the desired results. Of course, you’ll need to speak with a health professional that is familiar with CBD to receive a dosage suggestion that is appropriate for your size, age, and condition.
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Will CBD make me tired as well?
CBD is a relatively safe drug with little adverse effects. However, consuming CBD appears to have the potential to cause fatigue and lethargy. It’s important to remember that these are only side effects. While some people may experience them, the great majority of CBD users will never have to worry about being fatigued. When compared to antihistamines, which are commonly prescribed for motion sickness, CBD will make you feel a lot less drowsy. Drowsiness is to be expected after using antihistamines.
Is it true that CBD makes you sleepy? It’s possible, but it’s quite unlikely—and far more avoidable than taking antihistamines.
Final Words
CBD may be an useful cure for motion sickness due to its impact on a biological system that regulates nausea. So yet, there haven’t been any studies that truly confirm its effectiveness in treating that condition. People who have motion sickness can absolutely give it a try and see how it works for them, as it has low adverse effects and a high potential for efficacy.
