OK so here's my situation I have about 1000TT and I have been struggling with nausea for the past 3 years of flying. Sometimes on and off. I don't believe it is motion sickness due to the fact that I've done countless spins / stalls / spirals / unusual attitudes you name it and haven't felt any nausea. It even happens on perfect SKC no turbulence days straight and level.
I believe it is a "thinking" problem since it has been happening so much I just assume that it is going to happen again on the next flight and I believe it is triggering this. Now it seems like every flight I do I get nauseous for the majority of the flight.
I've tried bracelets and ginger pills and no luck.
I am seriously reconsidering my career I picked based on what I am feeling right now. At this point I don't remember what it is like to fly without this feeling
If anyone has any tips / guidance that would be greatly appreciated.
Could it be some ventilation problem? I find a lot of planes I fly feel "stuffy," and having the vents open helps.
What kind of aircraft are you flying? Is it always the same one?
I fly 172s, and tend to fly with the upper vents open regardless of temperature just to get fresh air, because I get a stuffy feeling once in a while.
Does it change with temperature? I used to get nasty vertigo in the wintertime when I'd be bundled up outside, then walk indoors and begin to overheat.
I also used to get airsick as a ppl doing hood work in the summer, only when I was hot.
No idea what relationship temperature has on nausea, but I regardless I don't get it anymore after flying full time.
Another thing- are you commonly congested up?
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Last edited by DanWEC on Wed Feb 18, 2015 4:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
What type of aircraft do you typically fly? Do you get seasick easily? Does this happen to you in other circumstances? Can you read a book as a passenger in a car without getting nausea? I've had colleagues that encountered similar problems in the past. Maybe talk to a doctor about it, might be some inner ear situation that can be sorted out.
One other thought - how often do you fly? I knew one fellow who would get air sick initially (to the point of throwing up) but after flying consistently for a week or two, would get over it. Ultimately he decided not to continue with the career because even after a break of a few weeks he'd get airsick again.
I would say it'd be best to talk to a doctor - maybe it's an inner ear thing. But, also be prepared that it may affect your medical status while things are being investigated.
thanks for all the support guys! I normally fly about 3 to 4 hours a day in the Piper Seminole with it being winter we normally run the heater and that really limits the fresh air. But I've experienced these issues both on calm summer mornings with the vents open and in the winter with no circulation.
I can read in the car with no issues and I have never actually been physically sick in an airplane. I believe what is fueling this is maybe something to do with the ears (I did have numerous infections as a kid) I was suppose to get tubes put in a few years back. Every morning I wake up feeling congested and ears plugged. I've also noticed if I keep my mind of it goes away. I had a small emergency a few days back and I don't recall ever feeling nauseous during that time because I was so busying with other things.
My other speculation is that I may have developed a slight fear of flying from feeling like this for so long.
It could be a kind of phobia. Perhaps you felt sick once, and it has just turned into a worry about being sick, which then causes the nausea. It happens quite often with conditions like depression, anxiety, chronic pain, IBS, etc -- basically your brain gets caught up in a vicious cycle of symptoms and worry reinforcing the problem. It might be worth trying a few techniques to see if you can re-train your mind not to worry about the nausea. Get a therapist if you need to. Maybe look into CBT.
It might also be worth looking into what you eat or drink before you fly, in case that is contributing.
Oh and definitely get the ears checked out. It's probably not a good idea to have constantly plugged ears when flying.
I once started getting this, I freaked out because I found it so odd having an issue like that...It started from flying tired one day and doing bunch of stalls and spins in a 152. I felt like cr@p...hot sweat and nausea, when I got back I got so worried I will have it again, that I think I got it again the next flight and so on! Then I figured, that it could not just come out of nowhere at around 200hr mark. I decided to experiment, and calmed down, switched from 152 to 172, no sickness since. I guess it is just something you have to not think of getting before flying. And in anyway if you feel unfit to fly prior to flight, do not fly! Especially is you're single pilot ops. If you're in YYZ area I can recommend a great CAME, may be some reassurance will go a long way??
Years ago I read about a study that discovered that the part of the brain that triggers nausea during motion sickness is the same part that triggers nausea due to poisoning. Some people have found success in treating motion sickness by frequently eating small amounts before the nausea sets in. In theory, this will keep your brain from thinking it is being poisoned.
I doubt this would work for everyone, but it seemed to work for a friend of mine who was having similar issues to yours early in his career.
Benign blah blah vertigo makes you as dizzy as a sh*thouse rat (my first boss used to say that!) and the vertigo will make you feel sick. You get it everywhere not just in the air. I am an expert now...
None of us are doctors so go see one. See a GP and let them refer you. Don't tell anyone until you get it sorted. No point in continuing with a path that makes you feel awful and no point in continuing down a path that might cost you your medical and your livelihood if there is something that can't be fixed. Get it checked out.
Forgot to add: break a leg!
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