Cybersickness Is Real, But So Is Relief

The emergence of the COVID -19 pandemic has forced people to spend most of their lives, including work, entertainment, and personal contact, online. All this screen time has taken its toll as more and more people of all ages report symptoms of “cyber disease.

Cyber sickness

” Cyber sickness was a phenomenon even before the pandemic, but it was mainly studied in the context of emerging virtual reality games. According to a 2020 study by Kay Stanney and colleagues published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, cybersickness is a form of motion sickness characterized by nausea, disorientation, and oculomotor disturbances.

Instead of the body moving while the perception is that it should be still, such as in the experience of being on a boat and looking at a fixed horizon. In a virtual world, the body is still, but the senses perceive movement, whether through video games, zoom meetings, or just endless scrolling.

Fortunately, the dizziness and discomfort that comes from too much screen time can be alleviated by some of the same strategies that work for other types of motion sickness.

Sea-Band bracelet

For example, the Sea-Band bracelet is designed to naturally relieve motion sickness symptoms through acupressure. Sea-Bands have pins sewn into them that apply gentle, even pressure to the P6 acupressure point (Nei-Kuan). Studies have shown that pressure on this point relieves nausea that accompanies motion sickness.

“Because the bands do not use any medication, they do not cause any of the side effects associated with anti-nausea medications and can be worn on any wrist whenever you feel nauseous,” the company’s website states. Sea-Band bracelets can be used by anyone, adults or children, and usually have an effect on symptoms within five minutes of being put on, the company says.

Sea-Bands are latex-free, washable, and reusable, and can be used in combination with other anti-nausea medications. Sea-Bands can relieve not only nausea and dizziness associated with motion sickness and cybersickness but also nausea after surgery, nausea associated with chemotherapy, and nausea associated with pregnancy. And Sea-Band products are HSA- and FSA-approved, so they are covered by many health insurance plans. For more information, visit sea-band.com.