Mal De Debarquement Syndrome
What Is Mal De Debarquement (mdds)Mal de debarquement syndrome is a rare condition that typically begins after a person has been traveling for a long period, on a boat or plane. Some reports suggest that even short travel distances have inflicted this condition on some. It is important to state that onset is not limited to boat or plane travel as symptoms can begin after exposure to other motion events. In many cases a person cannot even pin point a significant motion event at all which leads to the thought that symptoms can be triggered spontaneously. Less typically the condition may begin with an attack of vertigo.
It is common for people to experience travel sickness, such as nausea, especially for motion intolerant individuals during a long journey. However, people who develop mal de debarquement syndrome (mdds) not only can feel nauseous but they have a very real sensation of rocking or bobbing and being pushed and pulled. These symptoms last long after the journey has finished leaving the effected person in a disconcerting state of disorientation. Sufferers commonly describe their experience as feeling like they are on a boat. Many people have experienced sea sickness and have felt like they have "sea legs" for a few of hours after a cruise, but for mal de debarquement sufferers these disabling symptoms can last months or even years with absolutely no relief. There is currently no cure for this particular condition. Symptoms of mal de debarquement syndrome are :
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The intensity of the many symptoms can fluctuate from hour to hour or day to day. Some may find the symptoms a little more tolerable during morning time but for no apparent reason the symptoms intensity will gradually increase as the day progresses. This increase may be the result of a number of factors such as the amount of concentration or activity one has expelled during the day or stress levels and fatigue. Some report an increased rocking sensation with dark rooms, bright lights, illness, busy patterns, shops and supermarkets, busy places, crowds. The concentration required to complete household chores such as ironing, working on computers, decorating all appear to up the intensity. Sleeping is often disturbed because of the constant sensation of rocking and swaying. For some the symptoms decrease over time, but not always.
One very common trait is that a Mal de debarquement sufferer seems to find relief from his/her symptoms during car rides, train travel or other steady motion activities. Some will go as far as saying they feel normal driving their car or being a passenger in a moving vehicle but once the car comes to a halt(at a traffic light) the false sense of motion instantly reappears. Symptoms not typically associated with Mdds include:
Here is a great interview I found with a young mdds sufferer called Amy Stewart (just click the link). She describes her life with mdds. I feel that what she talks about can be related to many of the various vestibular disorders. She mentions how a cinema trip caused overwhelming disorientation. I personally have experienced the same fate after visiting the cinema. I had a very bad time trying to make it out of the building and across the car park,it was one of my most frightful experiences to date. All of the various conditions I have written about on this site seem to mimic one another strongly. I have been diagnosed with MAV but I can certainly relate to each and every symptom on the Mdds list. For a time I believed I was experiencing Mal de debarquement syndrome(I sometimes still wonder) as I suffer constantly having only ever found some relief in a moving vehicle. The trouble is I have never been on a cruise and my condition started with an acute spinning vertigo attack that left me with nystagmus which as far as I know is not associated with this particular condition. That being said I was informed by the MdDS Foundation that Mal de debarquement syndrome may begin with a spontaneous attack of vertigo and a long period of travel is not required. |
Videos are shared with the kind permission from the mddsfoundation. You can find many more videos and info about this topic if you visit the mddsfoundation.org Youtube channel or website.
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