Final descent for motion sickness

(UND) –

Jennifer Watney, aerospace physiologist and registered nurse, is ready to help people affected by motion sickness. Photo by Adam Kurtz/UND Today.

It’s a familiar group of symptoms for many people, the feelings of dizziness, nausea, difficulty concentrating, and sometimes even vomiting, when riding in a boat, airplane or the back seat of a car. But a program new to UND can help put a stop to those feelings.

The UND Department of Aerospace Physiology is now offering a motion sickness desensitization course. This course, over the last few months, has successfully treated UND students and certified flight instructors employed by the University. Now, program administrators are making this program available to anyone in the region who experiences motion sickness.

“People don’t need to live with this condition anymore,” said Thomas Zeidlik, director of Aerospace Physiology. “We have a tried-and-true program and the latest equipment to help anyone overcome this condition. We’ve used this program for our students and flight instructors, now we look forward to making it available to anyone in the region.”

According to Zeidlik, the motion sickness desensitization course was developed by the United States Air Force, for crew members working in the backs of airplanes with no windows. Many of them suffered from air sickness, so flight surgeons developed this program using a spatial disorientation trainer. The program has been used around the world, since its development in the 1990’s.

The program makes use of a UND spatial disorientation trainer. It exposes people to motion, and they are taught different ways to adapt in a safe and controlled environment. The program takes about three hours total over a three-day period. The cost of the course is $400.

The program is being administered by Jennifer Watne, aerospace physiologist and registered nurse. People wanting to use this service can contact Watne directly at jennifer.watne@und.edu or 701-777-7195.