Sound Medicine -- July 19, 2003

Hosts Barbara Lewis and Dr. Steve Bogdewic talk to physicians and researchers about:

A primer on motion sickness

An incest survivor's advice for doctors

Helping children deal with divorce

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A primer on motion sickness

Those family summer vacations: it's a hot, crowded car. How far can you go until someone becomes carsick? With summer vacation season in full swing, we've invited our inner ear expert Dr. George Hicks to explain the ups and downs of motion sickness. He is a specialist in the field of otology and neurotology and is assistant clinical professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Dr. Hicks explains that our sense of balance is controlled by our eyes, inner ear, and muscles and joints. Two things cause motion sickness: unfamiliar acceleration and conflicting input between vision and inner ear. So if you're reading in the car, your eyes say "stable" but your inner ear says "moving." Motion sickness is most common in children between 3 and 12. Many people can adapt to the conflicting input, he says, and the sickness will dissipate, for instance as on an ocean cruise. He advises people (even children) to take motion sickness medication, not to eat greasy foods before or while traveling, and to look at the horizon while in the car.

Resources:

Discover the technicalities behind the human balance system.

Parents: Learn how to help your children with motion sickness with these tips from ParentCenter and Kids' Health.

The Midwest Ear Institute, where Dr. Hicks practices, offers patient information on dizziness and motion sickness.

An incest survivor's advice for doctors

Marilyn Van Derbur excelled at everything. Born to a wealthy, successful family, the former Miss America was a dynamic motivational speaker at the top of her field. So when she went public with the news that she was a victim of incest from the ages of 5 to 18, shock was the general response. Her book, Miss America By Day, is filled with hope and challenges for incest survivors and filled with advice for physicians who, if they had only recognized signs, might have helped her as a child.

Van Derbur explains how she repressed the horrible nighttime events in order to cope and how she unconsciously excelled in school in order to compensate. She says shame is the most common and difficult to overcome feeling among incest survivors. She also lists common physical symptoms that doctors should be aware of, including chronic insomnia, night terrors, body pains from muscle clenching, eating disorders, and odd cuts on the body. She advises doctors to ask, "were you physically violated as a child?" just as they might ask, "have you had chickenpox?" Over time, and with trust, the incest victim may be able to confide in her physician. A doctor should NEVER discuss a confession of incest with anyone but the survivor.

Resources:

Find Van Derbur's book Miss America by Day at her Web site.

Indiana author Kelly Vates offers excellent online resources for incest survivors.

The Google search engine also lists popular resources for incest survivors, including support groups and survivor stories.

Helping children deal with divorce

Helping kids sort through their emotions at the time of divorce can help lessen damaging effects down the road. The Children of Divorce program in Columbus, Indiana, arms its young participants with coping skills and teaches them to find the positives in a negative situation. Parents learn how to keep kids out of the middle of conflict and help their children communicate honestly. Today we meet Linda Emmert, who works with parents in the program, and Karen Decker, who works with children.

Decker says kids feel insecure, frustrated and angry. Younger children regress, perhaps withdraw. Older kids may do more poorly in school or act out destructively. The Children of Divorce program helps children identify and deal with feelings by allowing them to vent, by listening to them and teaching them them to to talk to their parents more productively. Parents should stick to routines, spend time with their kids, and demonstrate their affection with hugs and kisses.

Online resources:

Parents can be very influential on how divorce affects their children. Here are some tips on making children's lives easier when parents divorce.

More advice about helping children cope with their parents' divorce.

Suggested books for parents:

What to Tell the Kids about Your Divorce, Darlene Weyburne, New Harbinger Publications, 1999.

Fighting Fair for Families, Fran Schmidt and Alice Friedman, Grace Contrino Abrams Peace Foundation, 1989.

Why Did You Have to Get a Divorce? And When Can I Get a Hamster? A Guide to Parenting Through Divorce, Anthony E. Wolf, 1998.

Helpful books for kids:

At Daddy's on Saturdays, Linda Wahvoord Girard, Albert Whitman & Company, 1987.

Dinosaur Divorce, A Guide for Changing Families, Laurene Krasny Brown and Marc Brown, Little, Brown and Company, 1986.

Children's librarians and school counselors are good resources for parents needing materials on children and divorce.

Is there a medical topic you'd like us to cover? Reach us by email: soundmed@iu.edu
or by phone:
(317) 274-4848.

Of the five distinct taste sensations humans have -- sweet, salty, bitter, sour and savory -- few people enjoy a sour taste. But there is one distinct group of people who go for the sour. Who is most likely to enjoy the taste of raw lemons?

A. Small children
B. Adolescents going through puberty
C. Pregnant women

Find out!

We may bat our eyelids to charm someone or wink to signal discreetly, but the involuntary action of blinking is a reflex. Why do we blink?

Find out!

Though there are various patches and over-the-counter medications available to reduce motion sickness, you also can try these tips to help make travel this summer more comfortable.

• Sit facing forward. This keeps the motion sensed by your eyes and ears the same.
• Find a place with the least amount of movement. For instance, the front seat of a car or in the center of a plane (i.e. the aisle seats over the wings).
• Try to get plenty of fresh air.
• Look at the distant scenery or far away at the horizon. This will fool your eyes into thinking you are not moving. Looking at nearby scenery will make you more dizzy.
• Don't read.
• Play word games rather than board games or cards.
• Listen to the radio, sing or talk to divert your attention from the sick feeling.
• Avoid strong odors.
• Avoid heavy, fatty, spicy or greasy foods 24 hours before traveling.
• Hunger pangs also add to the symptoms of motion sickness, so have a light meal high in carbohydrates within three hours of travel.
• Have small snacks, such as crackers, often during the trip.

Resources:

What's Motion Sickness? from KidsHealth.org

Dizziness and Motion Sickness from the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery