Sick on skis

If you're off on a late skiing trip, don't forget to take the pills with you.

Skiing can make you sick - literally. Ear surgeon Rudolf Haeusler at the University of Bern, Switzerland, has discovered that many of the rhythmic movements used can trigger dizziness, nausea and actual vomiting.

'It's basically a form of motion sickness caused by the conflicting sensory stimuli characteristic of skiing,'says Haeusler, quoted in New Scientist. Slaloming produces rhythms similar to those on a boat, skiing downhill and changing direction frequently can induce sickness.

This is all compounded by the lack of definition in a view of white snow which confuses the visual system. Wearing tight boots and rapid pressure changes in the ears on fast downhill runs also affect balance. It affects about one in 20 skiers.

The bad news? Alcohol makes it worse. The good news? Ordinary motion sickness remedies cure it.