Feeling dizzy and nauseous on the slopes? You might have ski sickness

Some skiers experience lightheadedness and disorientation while skiing downhill. Common symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, and in more severe cases, vomiting. This little-known condition, known as ski sickness, is akin to motion sickness and seasickness. Here’s what we know.

At the start of this year’s ski season, the weather conditions were poor. It was a “white day”–thick fog blanketed the slopes, reducing visibility to just a few yards. The flat light and fog made it nearly impossible to distinguish shapes, apart from the occasional gate pole. The boundary between snow and sky had vanished, disrupting my spatial awareness and making it difficult to gauge my direction, speed, and angle to the ground.

As we continued our descent, my ski companions developed nausea, while I felt faint and repeatedly lost my balance. Even after leaving the slopes, my dizziness and fatigue persisted for several hours. We had all experienced ski sickness, a physiological reaction similar to motion sickness. Why do some skiers experience these symptoms?

Ski sickness: a form of motion sickness

It is important to distinguish ski sickness from acute mountain sickness, a condition caused by reduced oxygen availability at high elevation, regardless of weather conditions.

Ski sickness is a variant of kinetosis, the medical term for motion sickness and seasickness. Its symptoms include dizziness, drowsiness, and pallor (so-called “neurovegetative” symptoms), which can escalate to nausea and, in severe cases, vomiting.

Susceptibility to kinetosis–and by extension to ski sickness–varies greatly from person to person.

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The causes of ski sickness

Two main theories help explain the phenomenon: sensory mismatch and postural instability.

The first theory suggests kinetosis results from a neural mismatch. The central nervous system continuously integrates and processes sensory information from the eyes, inner ear, and proprioceptive tissues (which help detect body position and movement). By processing this data and comparing it with past experiences, the brain estimates the body’s position, movement, and orientation in space.

However, when sensory information is limited or unusual, the brain’s internal estimate of movement may not align with the actual forces acting on the body. This sensory conflict causes the brain to struggle to interpret movement accurately. If the conflict persists, it can lead to symptoms of kinetosis.

Over time, as the brain adapts to the mismatch, motion sickness symptoms typically subside.

The second theory suggests that repeated postural instability triggers kinetosis. When balance is thrown off, the body makes rapid reflexive adjustments–such as extending a leg to prevent a fall–to regain stability. However, if balance is repeatedly lost, for example when skiing or sailing, the brain may perceive these strategies as ineffective, leading to motion sickness symptoms.

Although clinical research on ski sickness is limited, both theories offer valuable insights and both suggest that impaired motion perception is the root of the cause, making orientation and balance more difficult.

Distorted perceptual feedback while skiing causes a mismatch between expected and actual sensory inputs, increasing the risk of kinetosis and potential loss of balance.

Skiing on unpredictable terrain, such as moguls or uneven slopes, exacerbates the difficulties–especially in foggy conditions where poor visibility further distorts perception. Skiers with visual impairments (such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism) may be particularly susceptible to ski sickness.

Additionally, immobilizing the feet and ankles in ski boots reduces somatosensory awareness (the perception of body movements).

At the same time, repeated changes in atmospheric pressure from continuous ascents and descents can disrupt the inner ear’s perception of movement.

Aggravating ski sickness factors

However, not everyone experiences kinetosis equally. People prone to seasickness or carsickness are more likely to suffer from ski sickness, as are individuals with a history of migraines, vertigo or inner ear disorders.

External factors are also liable to worsen ski sickness symptoms. For instance, visibility conditions (terrain relief, slope steepness and obstacles) play a crucial role in helping skiers orient themselves in space and adjust their posture to maintain balance. Reduced oxygen levels at high altitudes may also impair sensory perception, resulting in reduced spatial awareness and difficulties adapting to visual cues.

Skiing technique too can contribute to motion sickness: gliding with minimal body movement may send mixed signals to the brain, and slaloming can make the symptoms even worse. When repeated turns (occurring every 0.5 to 5 seconds) fall within a certain frequency range (0.2 to 2 Hz), the brain struggles to differentiate between translational and rotational movement based on inner ear signals. In some cases, the brain misinterprets these movements as the Coriolis effect–the sensation of spinning uncontrollably. This phenomenon occurs when the head moves in one direction while the body turns in another–a common posture during ski turns–making it difficult for the brain to accurately interpret body rotation.

Psychological factors can also increase susceptibility to ski sickness. Skiers who feel uneasy, stressed, afraid of falling, or who suffer from a fear of heights, may be more prone to symptoms. In such cases, maintaining confidence and a positive mindset is crucial. Additionally, it is important to recognize that adverse weather conditions can contribute to the onset of symptoms.

There is some speculation that alcohol consumption and smoking may worsen ski sickness, as well, by dilating blood vessels, which can interfere with inner ear function.

Treatments for ski sickness

While many remedies for kinetosis are known to help, there is no universal solution. Each individual responds differently to treatments, and while most people gradually adapt over time, some may need to consider additional interventions to mitigate the effects.

Ski sickness can be alleviated through improved proprioception, also known as “sensory cueing”. Vision correction, addressing myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism with prescription glasses or contact lenses can enhance depth perception, while specialized ski goggle lenses can improve terrain visibility in foggy conditions.

Somatosensory perception (awareness of body movements) can be improved with acupressure wristbands, similar to those used for other forms of kinetosis, which help enhance proprioception.

While few solutions exist for vestibular motion perception (inner ear balance), research suggests that bone-conductive vibration to the inner ear can slow the onset of other types of motion sickness.

Some people may turn to medication for symptom management. Vestibular suppressants, such as scopolamine, can help reduce inner ear dizziness and migraines. Additionally, antihistamines like dimenhydrinate and cinnarizine may alleviate nausea but can cause side effects such as drowsiness or blurred vision.

William Emond ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.