Cybersickness: Our Body’s Brilliant Way of Saying ‘Put the Device Down’

Cybersickness
Before I begin this week’s pre-planned blog post, our hearts go out to the victims of the California fires. The devastation is unthinkable. So many people are in shock and suffering great loss and grief. I offer these links to previous blog posts that can be of aid to those in need:

Homeopathic Remedies for When Disaster Strikes: Survivalist Guide to Homeopathy Free Infographic
Shock: Homeopathy Shock and Burns
Burns: Ready, Aim … Oh, No! Fire!
Smoke inhalation: Where There’s Fire, There’s Smoke
Shock, Grief and Anxiety: Practical Homeopathy® for Angst and Anxiety in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene
PTSD: A Salute to Ignatia Real Medicine for Post-Traumatic Stress and More

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 of cybersickness

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 realize 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 colors 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 realized 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 more 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. Plus. 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 remedy was Cocculus indicus 30, 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.

In fact, annual subscribers to my Mighty Members private enclave might appreciate their once-a-year downloadable eBook bonus even more now. (If you’re unfamiliar with them, these eBooks contain every blog post I’ve written, organized by year, back to 2013.) You can imagine Debbie scrolling through each eBook — comprising hundreds of pages — while compiling them for me. You can bet she works with her Cocculus at the ready.

(As an aside, let me mention these free eBooks are another good reason to consider joining our Mighty ranks. Imagine having a searchable copy of all my blog posts stored on your computer. You can access them even if you have no internet. Plus, they’re printable, too.)

Screen addiction

Of course, avoiding excess screen time is a good place to start. Modern society spends entirely too much time attached to their screens. At a member’s request, I discussed screen addiction last week in my Memo to Mighty Members.

Perhaps I’ve not mentioned this, but when you join my Mighties, you’ll receive access to all my past Memos, with a searchable index to help you find conditions and medicines that pertain to your family and loved ones.

So, if you’re interested in the homeopathic medicine to consider for screen addiction, join today and search for Memo to Mighty Members #241.

But if conquering the addiction fails to alleviate existing cybersickness, turn to Practical Homeopathy®. Debbie can attest that Cocculus indicus 30 has been shown to right the ship.

Pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®!

Warmly,

P.S. And remember — all my Mighties qualify for a 10% discount on course purchases. If you need assistance getting your discount, email [email protected] for more information.