close 
Managing cybersickness: Symptoms and remedies
September 2021 | Reading time: 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Read about the symptoms of the ever-pervasive cybersickness and how you can avoid suffering from this modern-day affliction.
With society’s extensive dependency on digital screens nowadays, cybersickness is a very common problem. Cybersickness is a collection of symptoms caused by prolonged use of computers, TV, smartphones, or other digital devices with a screen that involves being stationary for a long time.
There are three primary categories of cybersickness symptoms: oculomotor issues, disorientation, and nausea. The oculomotor issues are caused by the nerve that facilitates eye movement being overtaxed and leads to headaches, fatigue, and eye strains. Disorientation includes vertigo and feeling dizzy. Other symptoms of cybersickness like blurred vision and trouble concentrating can correspond to more than one category.
The symptoms of cybersickness occur when your brain receives contradictory information from your senses. When you view screens for a period of time, your body remains stationary, but your eyes see motion.
The symptoms of cybersickness
Cybersickness is commonly likened to motion sickness due to both causing similar symptoms. Although they are two very completely different things, they are alike in that some people do not need much incitement to experience them, while others hardly ever feel them.
Nausea
If you happen to experience nausea when looking at a screen for an extended period of time, it might be a sign of cybersickness. For people who suffer from cybersickness, nausea is the first symptom they experience.
Eyestrain
Constantly looking at digital strains puts a lot of pressure and stress on your eyes. Blurry vision, dry eyes and irritation are all indications of cybersickness.
Headache
Staying in one position for too long can lead to pain in the shoulder, neck, and back. When that is combined with eyestrain, headaches are only a step away.
Dizziness
As you scroll past the contents on your screen, your eyes tell the brain that there is ongoing motion. But your body’s vestibular system and proprioceptive system do not sense any movement. Resultantly, the brain receives contradictory signals. This leads to feelings of light-headedness and dizziness. This sort of disorientation can also leave you having trouble concentrating.
Other symptoms may have you feeling flushed, sweating excessively, and feeling drowsy.
Remedies for cybersickness
If you begin feeling cybersickness symptoms, immediately step away from the screen and rest. Avoid looking at screens until the symptoms have abated completely.
However, the best solution is to take preventive measures. You may be able to avoid cybersickness in the first place by doing the following:
- Cut down the amount of time you spend in front of screens
- Every once in a while, focus your eyes on a stable object away from the screen
- Avoiding using multiple screens simultaneously
- Take frequent short breaks to rest your eyes and change positions
- Slow the speed of your scrolling
- Do not consume heavy foods before long periods of screen usage.
Usually, you do not have to see a doctor for cybersickness, but if you believe you are experiencing frequent bouts of cybersickness and they have become much too intense, do consult with your GP.
Read: Non-surgical Cosmetic Treatments
While cybersickness symptoms can be lessened or altogether terminated, it is still important to look after your overall wellness. VIVO Body Studio’s Lymphatic Vacuum Massage can help you with it.
Related Articles
Top 3 Recreational Aspirations for Over 30’s
In the hustle and bustle of life, we often forget to make room for recreation and leisure, leading to increased...
Are Disney Films Responsible for Poor Millennial Body Image?
In recent years there has been a lot of outrage regarding the appearance of characters in Disney films. Many people...
Black Friday: Where, When and Why
What's the DEAL with Black Friday? Our treatments are 50% for Black Friday (see prices), but what exactly is it,...
Are the ‘healthy’ fizzy drink options any good?
There are countless ‘healthy’ fizzy drink options in the market, but do they actually offer any benefits over their full-fat...
Staying fit over 60
At around 60 years old, you may find it a difficult task to maintain the active lifestyle that you had...
How to prevent skin damage in the winter
The festive season of baubles, presents, and merrymaking may be the worst for your skin, but it does not have...
The Best Fitness Trackers
Which fitness tracker is right for you? We live in a society that is becoming ever more obsessed with health...
How much tea is too much tea?
Drinking tea offers numerous health benefits, paired with a few adverse effects as well. We take a look at how...
Embrace the Life You Love: Tips for Cultivating Your Ideal Lifestyle
Define Your VisionThe first step in embracing the life you love is to define what your ideal lifestyle looks like....
Embrace the Lifestyle You Deserve: Tips for Living Your Best Life
Simple Steps for Living Your Best Life Living your best life starts with intentional choices. From defining your priorities to...
Preparing for non-surgical blepharoplasty
While you consider whether you could benefit from a blepharoplasty treatment, read about preparation, aftercare, and what to expect. Plasma...
Spices to naturally boost the immune system
A brief look at four everyday spices that go a long way in helping the body stay healthy and strong....Fill out the form below or click here to arrange a callback at a specific time.
Quick Contact
"*" indicates required fields
Happy Customers
1,796 Reviews and Counting
Mobina carried out this treatment and she is v knowledgable, professional and attentive throughout. I’ve got my next appointment booked & can’t wait to see the results after that session.
I would highly recommend this treatment and Mobina.
