怎樣克服旅行期間暈動病的折磨(2)
'There may be sort of a general classification that people who are susceptible to motion sickness have,' Dr. Stoffregen said. 'Maybe they just move differently in general.'
施托夫雷根指出：“易患暈動病的人或許可被大致歸爲某種類型，那就是他們身體的移動可能通常都和別人不一樣。”Max Levine, an associate professor of psychology at Siena College, studies behavioral and alternative motion-sickness treatments. In a recent experiment on about 50 individuals, half received capsules with ginger root and the remainder got a placebo. Then the individuals were seated in a chamber and exposed to a rotating device called an optokinetic drum that induces motion sickness.
錫耶納學院心理學助理教授麥克斯•萊文(Max Levine)研究了針對暈動病的行爲療法和替代療法。在最近一個大約包含50名受試者的實驗中，他安排了一半的人服用生薑膠囊，其餘的人則服用安慰劑。這些人隨後被安排坐在一個房間內，接觸一種名爲視動性眼震儀的旋轉裝置，此裝置可引發暈動病。'The folks who got ginger beforehand ended up doing much better both in terms of the symptoms they developed and in terms of the physiological reaction that they had in the stomach,' he said.
萊文稱：“就他們出現的症狀及胃部產生的生理反應來說，事先服過生薑膠囊的人的表現要好得多。”
Recent behavioral experiments have found that cool compresses or gel packs placed on the forehead are somewhat effective at controlling physiological changes, such as abnormal rhythmic stomach activity that generally accompanies nausea, but didn't significantly reduce nausea. Listening to one's favorite music as a distraction showed improvements in symptoms including nausea, as well as in physiological changes, Dr. Levine said. Now, Dr. Levine is studying how deep breathing and relaxation may aid in motion sickness.
近期的行爲實驗發現，敷在前額上的冷敷膜和冷敷凝膠袋對控制某些生理反應有一些效果，比如通常還伴有噁心症狀的胃部間歇性異常反應，但它們並不能大幅減輕噁心症狀。萊文說，聽自己最喜歡的音樂來分散注意力可改善惡心症狀以及引發其他生理變化。目前他正在研究深呼吸和放鬆對治療暈動病有何幫助。Doctors say a common misperception is that traveling on an empty stomach helps. Wrong. It's better to eat a light meal beforehand, especially one high in protein.
醫生指出，一個常見的誤解是空腹旅行有助於緩解暈動病。這其實是錯誤的。最好是事先吃些清淡的食品，尤其是蛋白質含量高的食品。In a 2004 study in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 18 individuals completed three trials. In one, they had a protein drink before exposure to a device that induces motion sickness. In a second trial, they had a carbohydrate drink, and the third time they had nothing. They fared best after the protein drink. Protein 'really tends to get the stomach into that slow normal rhythmic activity more so than fats and carbohydrates,' Dr. Levine said.
在一項發表於《食物藥理學與治療學》(Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics)雜誌的2004年的研究中，18名受試者完成了三個實驗。在第一個實驗中，他們在接觸可引發暈動病的裝置之前先飲用了蛋白質飲料；在第二個實驗中他們飲用的是碳水化合物飲料；而在第三個實驗中則什麼都沒喝。實驗表明，他們在喝過蛋白質飲料後的感覺最好。萊文說，蛋白質確實會比脂肪和碳水化合物更能讓胃部產生緩慢的間歇性正常活動。Children over age 2 seem more prone to motion sickness than Adults. Some experts think children's extra-sharp senses may make them aware of even a slight mismatch. Adults in their golden years seem to experience motion sickness less often─perhaps because of habituation.
兩歲以上的兒童似乎比成年人更易患暈動病。有些專家認爲，這或許是因爲兒童的感覺格外敏銳，能感覺到哪怕是不起眼的不一致現象。處於黃金年齡段的成年人發生暈動病的情況則更少見一些，這大概是因爲他們已經習慣了。Women have a greater tendency than men to get motion sickness. Some experts believe this is because women also are more prone to getting migraines, and migraine sufferers have a higher rate of motion sickness. Or women may simply report motion sickness symptoms more often.
女性比男性更容易患暈動病。有些專家認爲這是因爲女性也更容易得偏頭痛，而偏頭痛患者患暈動病的機率也更高；但或者這也只是因爲女性比男性更經常報告自己的暈動病症狀。Doctors say prescription drugs and over-the-counter options like Dramamine are the best treatment option, though some can cause side effects. Such drugs work by suppressing the central nervous system's response to nausea-producing stimuli. They reduce symptoms for many people but aren't universally effective.
醫生認爲，處方藥和茶苯海明等非處方藥是治療暈動病的最佳藥物，儘管有些藥品會引發一些副作用。此類藥品通過抑制中樞神經系統對造成噁心的刺激物的反應而發揮作用。它們可以減輕許多人的症狀，但並不是對所有人都有效果。Some travelers rely on homeopathic remedies such as ginger or acupressure wrist bands. Sujana Chandrasekhar, director of New York Otology in New York City, said they aren't universally effective, but are 'worth trying.'
有些旅行者則藉助生薑和指壓防暈腕帶等順勢療法來治療暈動病。紐約市紐約耳科醫院(New York Otology)的主任蘇查娜•錢德拉塞克哈(Sujana Chandrasekhar)說，這些療法並非普遍適用，但是“值得一試”。There are behavioral tips for preventing or minimizing symptoms. Cynthia Ryan knows them all. The 45-year-old Portland, Ore., resident has suffered from motion sickness since she was a child commuting to school along winding roads, her barf bag in hand. Now the executive director of the Vestibular Disorders Association, Ms. Ryan says individuals with vestibular disorders are prone to motion sickness.
有些行爲方面的小技巧也可預防暈動病的症狀或將症狀減到最輕。現年45歲、家住俄勒岡波特蘭的辛西婭•瑞安(Cynthia Ryan)就瞭解這些技巧。瑞安從孩童時期起就深受暈動病之苦，那時她每天要坐車沿着彎彎曲曲的道路往返學校，手裏總是拿着嘔吐袋。她現在是前庭系統疾病協會(Vestibular Disorders Association)的常務理事，她說患有前庭系統疾病的人也更容易患暈動病。Her rule of thumb is to always be the driver. 'I almost never let somebody else drive,' she said. 'And if I do, I sit in the passenger seat.' Even when sitting as the front passenger, Ms. Ryan says she does deep-breathing exercises and tries to focus on a fixed point on the road in front of her. 'I can't participate in conversations,' she said. 'I can't read. Sometimes someone will pass me a smartphone and say, 'Can you read me the directions?' And I'll say, 'Not unless you want me to throw up in your car.' '
她的經驗就是總是包攬司機工作。她說：“我幾乎從不讓別人開車，就算別人開，我也要坐在副駕駛座位。”她還說，即便是坐在副駕駛座位上，她也要做些深呼吸運動，儘量把注意力放在前方路面一個固定的點上。她說：“我不能和別人說話，也不能看書。有時候有人會把智能手機遞給我說，‘你能給我念念路線嗎？’我會回答，‘不能，除非你想讓我吐在你的車裏。’”Watching television TV or reading in a car is a no-no. 'Face forward in the vehicle to be as alert to what's happening outside the vehicle as the driver would be,' Dr. Chandrasekhar said. 'You want to try to match your eyes to what's going on and to what your inner ear is feeling.' experts say: Just close your eyes and sleep.
在車內看電視或看書也絕不可行。錢德拉塞克哈說：“坐在車內面朝前方，像駕駛員一樣警惕車外的狀況。你要做的是，儘量讓你眼睛所看到的與所發生的、以及你內耳所感受到的情形相符。”而專家的建議是：只要閉上眼睛睡覺即可。
