We are used to seeing them smiling in a carriage, but for Her Majesty and for the Duchess of Cambridge it is a sacrifice. At fault is their motion sickness.
Very common in children, yet it does not spare adults. It can be kept at bay, even with medication if necessary.
If Britain were a Republic, gossip would certainly have a marginal impact on national newspaper sales, because everything that revolves around the royal family becomes news, even certain details that may seem insignificant to a typical reader. The latest news is that Queen Elizabeth and Kate Middleton, bound by a very relaxed relationship, are both suffering from motion sickness. A coincidence, of course, in which there are even those who wanted to read a common destiny, and yet it is a very widespread condition, even among ordinary mortals (like me, to start with) who move with less noble means!
“To cause the disorder is an excessive stimulation of the vestibular apparatus during movement, especially oscillating and undulatory,” explains Dr. Luca Malvezzi, specialist in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Humanitas Clinical and Research Center – IRCC – Milan. “The neurological system receives a signal that is collected by the eye and processed by the vestibular system, but in this case the two operations do not occur simultaneously, but offset by a few thousandths of a second from one another. This gives rise to the typical symptoms of the disorder: nausea, vomiting, general malaise, subjective dizziness, the need for air and sweating, to which somatisation is often added”, continues the expert.
Children are the most prone to motion sickness, so much so that with the habit of travelling and the most common means of movement, it tends to disappear (many, for example, suffer from it as children and have no problem as adults, however…
“The disturbance can recur even after some time in particularly critical conditions, as in the case of ship trips. However, there are small tricks and strategies that help prevent the onset of symptoms, especially at this time of year, when many are ready to go on vacation”, Dr. Malvezzi reveals.
“It is wrong to believe that one should stay on an empty stomach, but it is also not advisable to give in to excesses. Salty snacks such as crackers help to buffer the gastric juices and reduce the impact of neuro-vegetative symptoms. In general it is always advisable to ventilate the passenger compartment of the car, travel on the front seats, plan breaks on the way to move in the open air and travel in the direction of travel if you choose the train.”
Another practical tip? “Avoid bending over a book or a video game. To distract yourself, it is better to look outside and look for a point on the horizon.You can also ask your trusted pharmacist for galenic preparations with scopolamine”.
