Words: Dr Joette CALABRESE
Remember the old commercial that warned, ‘It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature’? Well, the advertiser may have been hawking margarine [which you know you’ll never find in my home], but the sentiment remains true just the same.
Cybersickness is much the same as seasickness, except your body is not actually moving [It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature].
Watching reels, or fast-paced videos, on an electronic device, playing video games with whirling graphics, and even scrolling through Word documents too quickly for too long can result in inner ear confusion. We all know how sensitive our inner ears can be. The slightest disruption can result in nausea, dizziness and vertigo that can last long after the electronics are put to sleep.
A Case In Point
One of my team members — we’ll call her Debbie to protect her privacy — experienced exactly these symptoms.
Debbie initially assumed a physical ear problem caused her vertigo. She felt it from the moment she woke up until she went to bed. Driving was even a bit difficult as the road wavered in front of her.
However, she felt no symptoms of an ear infection, so she was hesitant to employ the protocol for otitis media without knowing more. After all, homeopathy is medicine. We don’t take it willy-nilly.
At first, Debbie didn’t put it together. She worked on long Word documents all day long. Adding insult to injury, Debbie would play a game on her phone to relax at night [not something I would advise, as you know]. She didn’t realise she was only making her symptoms worse.
Then, Debbie came across an article on cybersickness containing information on precisely what she was experiencing: cyber vertigo [sometimes called digital vertigo].
Vertigo: A Confused Inner Ear
Debbie’s constant, fast-scrolling was simply too much for her inner ear to adjust. The bright colours flying across the screen of her ‘relaxing’ game triggered a perfect storm of misinformation.
You see, her eyes were feeding her inner ear errant information that great movement was occurring. However, her body remained still, not offering confirmation of the movement, or the ability to balance her equilibrium.
‘Don’t Do That’
After reading the article, Debbie realised the old doctor joke had come home to roost. You know the one. The patient says, “Doctor, my arm hurts when I do this.” The doctor says, “Then, don’t do that.”
So, Debbie stopped scrolling at the speed of light and slowed her work pace to allow her eyes and inner ears time to catch up. She stopped playing her game and instead turned to lofty ways to relax, such as listening to inspiring music, or podcasts on ancient history.
I also suggest that those suffering from cybersickness nurture their equilibrium by looking at distant, natural vistas. It’s helpful to exercise visual perspective. Attempt to find a vista with an obstacle in close range, such as a tree in front of a pasture, or a dune in front of an ocean view.
Cocculus Indicus
Unfortunately, the damage was done. The mere cessation of the offending habits did not turn her condition around, so she turned to homeopathy. The chosen homeopathic remedy was Cocculus indicus 30C, twice daily, until very much better. It worked in short order, perhaps within two weeks, or so.
Once she was much better, Debbie stopped taking the medicine. However, she keeps it on hand in case another immersive Word project triggers the condition again. If that happens, she will begin the Cocculus schedule again, halting again when the symptoms abate.
You can sure bet she works with her Cocculus at the ready.
Pass on this good news of Practical Homeopathy.
