Feeling nauseous while you’re gaming is a common experience, as it is a form of motion sickness. When your brain experiences a conflict of reality, you can sense the disconnect taking place with your eyes and inner ear. Symptoms like nausea can develop as a result.
The same type of sensory conflict can be experienced while traveling in a long car ride, flying, or going on rollercoasters. Some people experience sensory conflict while traveling via boat. In order to restore balance to your eyes and inner ear, you have to do your best to include third-person perspectives so that your field of view changes, and you can focus on something that promotes stability between these parts.
Beyond these changes, you may also find that medication can help reduce your symptoms. Talk to your doctor to determine whether motion sickness medications are an appropriate solution for your gaming-related nausea. For more information on anti nausea medications, why you feel nauseous while gaming, and what to do to stop it, continue reading below.
Gaming Nausea Is Treated With Anti Nausea Medications.
Gaming nausea can be referred to as “simulation sickness,” as it references the conflict of signals occurring between the eyes and inner ear. Gaming can result in nausea because of this sensory conflict, where your vestibular system (responsible for detecting balance) is aware that you’re still. You are visually seeing movement in front of you, which confuses the brain, making the body react with nausea. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you may be a candidate for anti nausea medications. Speak with your healthcare provider to learn more.
Talk To Your Doctor About Prescriptions.
When you’re playing video games, your avatar is moving, giving you the visual sensation that you are also moving. If your brain perceives that you are still, yet moving, this may cause conflict between your brain and inner ear and result in sensory conflict and resulting nausea. Luckily, there are ways to manage gaming-related nausea, such as taking anti nausea medications. Always talk to your doctor before beginning any medication.
Take Preventative Actions.
In addition to taking anti nausea medications, you can take actions to reduce symptoms on your own. For instance, taking breaks by stepping away from your game every few minutes or so may give you a chance to give your eyes a break so you can reorient your senses. Additionally, taking a break to get outside can give you fresh air and the ability to readjust and restore balance. Moreover, focusing on a fixed point, even in your game, can give your brain a focal point to return to, to promote balance and reduce symptoms. An unmoving object in your game may be a good option if you’re looking for a point of reference to stare at during your game time.
Adjust Your Game Settings.
Adjust your gaming settings to promote more stability for yourself. Narrowing the field of view may reduce nausea. You can also turn off the screen bob. By reducing these effects and taking anti nausea medication, you may be able to help your brain find balance without symptoms.
Playing your games in the third person may also prevent nausea while you’re gaming. In this way, your brain can have more awareness that you’re the person sitting and not the character moving about through your game. With this awareness, you can maintain balance and prevent the uptick of nausea and related sensory conflict symptoms.
Keep Your Environment Well-Ventilated And Dim.
Make sure that you’re playing in an environment that is supportive of your senses. Keep your lighting dim so that you do not experience as much eye strain. Keep the room well-ventilated to keep oxygen flowing to support brain health. With these changes, alongside anti nausea medications, you may find relief from your symptoms.
Ask Your Doctor About Over-The-Counter Options.
If you’re still experiencing symptoms while gaming, talk to your doctor to see if anti nausea medication for motion sickness and anti nausea medicines may be right for you. You may also be advised by your provider to try over-the-counter medications such as Dramamine to keep symptoms at bay prior to gaming.
Limit Your Game Time And Change Your Perspective.
When your center of gravity is disturbed, you may experience sensory conflict, which can result in symptoms like nausea. Anytime we experience a first-person perspective that is in visual conflict with it, we are in a position to potentially experience nausea symptoms. You can help avoid these symptoms by adjusting your perspective and limiting the amount of game time you give yourself. With these lifestyle changes and anti nausea medications, you may find relief from your nausea and related motion sickness symptoms.
Avoid Other Triggering Situations.
If you know that you are vulnerable to motion sickness and related symptoms, you can try to avoid as many situations as possible that subject you to these symptoms, as well as find out whether anti nausea medications are right for you. You may experience less nausea when you limit your screen time. When you scroll on your device, you can disrupt your center of gravity, which may contribute to nausea.
Likewise, don’t read while traveling in a moving vehicle or while flying to protect against sensory conflict. Keeping up with consistent waking and bedtimes and taking anti nausea medications as prescribed by your doctor may also help reduce feeling disoriented while gaming, as your body is more in tune with its circadian rhythms and you may be less inclined to play late at night, when disorientation may be more likely to occur.
Speak With Your Doctor And Do What You Can.
Your brain’s concept of reality is disrupted when you are visually moving but physically seated. Symptoms like nausea can crop up as a result. To protect yourself from these symptoms and to reduce them during game time, ask your doctor about anti nausea medications for motion sickness, and do what you can to reduce exposure to the situations that bring on these symptoms.