Mal de Mer and More

For years I have used Sea-Bands (http://www.sea-band.com/) to prevent motion sickness – and they really worked. All I did was slip on the stretchy wristbands and make sure the white plastic button on the inside of the bands was positioned to push on the Nei-Kuan acupressure points on the inside of my wrists. Voilà! No more leaning over the side of the boat.

The only drawback is that the bands don’t hold up very well. With age, they stretch – especially if they get wet – so that the button doesn’t stay in place, rendering them ineffective.

Since Mr. Nausea is not my favorite traveling companion, I was glad to discover PsiBands (http://www.psibands.com/) that operate on the exact same drug-free principle, but are made of latex-free medical grade synthetic rubber. Not only are they waterproof, but they are also fully adjustable (like a watchband).

PsiBands were invented by two young mothers who were looking for a way to control the effects of morning sickness. They are also recommended to control the nausea caused by chemotherapy and anesthesia.

PsiBands are available nationwide at more than 5,000 Rite Aid locations, as well as other chains such as REI, Longs Drugs, Pharmaca, and Drugworld stores. Online, they are available through Amazon.com and Drugstore.com. Price varies per retailer, but ranges from US$14.99 – 19.99.

Psi is pronounced “sigh,” as in breathe a sign of relief – which is just what you’ll do when you wear them.

Simply Gargle

I'm really not into "lifting" things from restaurants, but more than once - when struck with a sore throat on the road - I've had to "borrow" a salt shaker from a dining table. Nothing soothes that my-tonsils-are-on-fire feeling like a little NACL gargle.

Now some ingenious folks have come up with single-dose plastic pouches of salt water rinse that promise to 1) heal my throat and 2) keep me from being arrested.

The product is called Simply Gargle Salt Water Rinse. It's sold at RiteAid, Walmart, and all the usual suspects. There's a list of retailers at http://www.simplygargle.com/. In addition to salt, the on-the-go remedy also contains antioxidants and astringents, such as vitamin C, grape seed extract, sage extract, rosemary extract, and rosehips extract. They aren't giving it away, but when I'm traveling I'd pay almost anything to feel better -- even $6.99 for 12 doses. Free samples are available via the website.