Motion Sickness (Kinetosis)

Kinetosis (synonym: motion sickness; ICD-10-GM T75.3: Kinetosis) is motion sickness caused by severe irritation (unusual movements) of the organ of equilibrium.

Different forms of kinetosis can be distinguished:

  • Land sickness – possibly also Mal de Débarquement syndrome (French Mal = disease and French.Debarquement = leaving a ship): compared to simple land sickness, Mal de Débarquement syndrome lasts longer than 48 hours.
  • Air sickness
  • Space sickness
  • Sea sickness
  • Other triggers may include:
    • Roller coasters
    • Adventure cinema
    • Computer games (gamer’s sickness), driving and flight simulators (simulator sickness).

Susceptibility to kinetosis varies from individual to individual. The driver of the vehicle, ship, etc. is rarely affected.

Sex ratio: women are more often affected than men. A hormonal influence is suspected, since in pregnancy and in the premenstrual phase (before menstruation) the susceptibility is stronger.

Frequency peak: The maximum incidence of kinetosis is around the age of 12. Babies rarely suffer from this condition because their vestibular organ is not yet fully developed. Children under two years of age and people over 50 years of age are equally rarely affected.

The prevalence (disease incidence) for increased risk is 5-10%. 5-15 % of the population are considered insensitive and around 75 % are considered “normally” susceptible (in Germany).45 % of sufferers feel better after taking placebos (dummy medications), which suggests that psychological influences also play a role.

Course and prognosis: The course of kinetosis varies from individual to individual. The intensity, duration and frequency of passive movement are important for the development of the disease. As a rule, the symptoms disappear spontaneously (of their own accord) in over 90% of those affected as soon as the movement has ceased, after one to three days.

The condition is harmless in itself, but under certain circumstances it can become very dangerous if the affected person has cardiovascular disease. In such cases, the course is much more severe.