Motion sickness cure soon to come in a smartphone app?

A new technology that cures the symptoms of seasickness is well on its way to being created, and the anti-seasickness device might come in a smartphone app.

For those who dream of traveling but are held back by their tendency to have motion sickness, there is a new technology that would help solve that dilemma. In the study published in Neurology, researchers have discovered a way to deliver a "shock" to the brain to help ease the symptoms of seasickness.

Researchers from Imperial College London have reported that a technology that could send an electric shock to the brain could help get rid of motion sickness symptoms. Lead researcher Qadeer Arshad said that the new technology may be available within five to ten years and that it may be easily accessible for everybody. The team is also hopeful that it could be integrated as an app in a smartphone.

The anti-seasickness device, which has no name yet, will send a small amount of electric current to the brain to repress the brain signal that affects motion control, Tech Times reports.

There is no definite cause for motion sickness. According to WebMD, it can be caused by an uncoordinated balance-sensing system in the body which consists of the eyes, inner ear, and sensory nerves. When the system senses that the body is in motion but the other parts of the body don't, it can cause the person to feel headache, nausea and vomiting. However, motion sickness will go away eventually after the motion stops.

"From other studies we also have evidence that stimulating the brain in this way can enhance attention and concentration. This aspect is of great interest to the military and we imagine that other groups such as students and people who spend long periods playing computer games will also want to try it out," Dr. Arshad explained via Science Daily.

He added that the amount of electric currents in the device is safe and will have no effects from short-term usage.

Professor Michael Gresty, an expert on motion sickness and a collaborator in the study, said the device is useful for people with motion sickness who will go on long bouts of trip but do not want to take motion sickness tablets as it tends to get them drowsy. This is especially useful for cruise ship workers who need to stay alert and awake for their job.

"We are really excited about the potential of this new treatment to provide an effective measure to prevent motion sickness with no apparent side effects. The benefits that we saw are very close to the effects we see with the best travel sickness medications available," Dr. Gresty said in an article published on the Imperial College London website.