Guidelines to Prevent & Treat AirSickness While Flying

Airsickness is a particular type of motion sickness that is common for many new pilots. For new pilots, it can happen often early during flight training sessions, as your body adapts to the flight movements. If you are one of those new pilots who experience airsickness while flying, try not to get discouraged. Many people experience it while flying, but the good news is that it can be overcome. Let us begin by understanding the cause of airsickness.

The Cause of Airsickness:

Airsickness is the reaction of your body while it’s trying to interpret different signals. While flying, your central nervous system senses the movement whereas your brain interprets no movement or a lack of movement based on what your eyes see.

While flying, your eyes tend to adapt to the movement as if you’re not moving. However, your inner ears sense movements in upward, downward, left and right directions. It reacts to the movement in association with gravity and informs your brain what it is sensing. This creates a conflict of signals that confuse the body. When this happens, you might feel nausea along with a range of other symptoms.

Symptoms of Airsickness:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Disorientation
• Chills
• Queasiness
• Headache
• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Increased Salivation

Some pilots are more susceptible to airsickness than others. For instance, as I mentioned above, training pilots that are new to the flying environment. Moreover, pilots that are not flying the plane such as flight instructors might also be susceptible to airsickness. This could happen because their attention is not towards flying the aircraft but rather on the student. It has been observed that focusing on flying duties can relieve or in some cases even prevent airsickness from occurring.

Listed below are things that could make you susceptible to airsickness: 

• Fatigue
• Medication
• Illness
• Alcohol
• Stress and Anxiety
• Emotions
• Anxiety

Tips to Prevent Airsickness:

• Don’t fly on an empty stomach and ensure that you don’t eat immediately before you fly.
• Eat a diet that is nutritious, low in fat and sodium.
• Keep hydrating yourself from time to time.
• Start by flying a series of short duration. This will allow your body the time to adapt to the flight movements.
• Before you get into the plane, relive any anxieties you might have about flying by going through your training. Showing up prepared can greatly reduce stress.
• Certain studies suggest that natural remedies such as the use of ginger and pressure therapy might help with airsickness. There is no harm in trying it out.
• If you are a student pilot then have a word with your flight instructor about your options. For instance, you could begin by taking straight-and-level cross-country flights instead of scheduling lessons on steep turns. This could help your body adapt to the flying experience.

Tips to Alleviate Airsickness: 

• Open the overhead air vents to ensure that you get fresh air. Focus the airflow on your face and cool off by loosening your uniform.
• Keep your head as still as possible and look at the horizon at a fixed point.
• If supplemented oxygen is available, use it.
• If you are a pilot who is not flying and have the required skill sets, request to take control of the plane. By focusing your attention on flying your mind will be taken off from feeling sick.

By following the guidelines mentioned above and with enough, you have a great chance of overcoming any kind of motion sickness. However, If you are a student pilot who has a severe case of airsickness, talk to your aviation medical examiner about your options. They might be able to offer you the best possible solution.

About the Author:

Captain Sameer Dogra is a commercial airline pilot from India with nearly 24 years of flying experience. His career in the aviation industry has seen him play various roles such as Check Pilot, Instructor, and Examiner. With his extensive knowledge and flying experience, he aims to provide relevant information and insightful tips to anyone aspiring to pursue a career as an airline pilot.