Disembarkment syndrome is a type of health issue that sometimes affects people who travel by air or on water. Sometimes referred to as Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, the condition essentially involves an inability to readjust to walking on land after leaving a ship or airliner. The severity of the symptoms associated with this ailment may be somewhat mild and fade very quickly, or be more severe and persist for some time after the disembarkment takes place.
The symptoms of disembarkment syndrome are much like the discomforts that some travelers experience when first boarding a ship or airliner, in that the body is attempting to adjust from a relatively stable walking environment to one in which there is some degree of constant motion occurring. Just as passengers may take a little time to adjust the swaying of a ship as it moves through a large body of water, those same passengers may find that it takes some time to re-acclimate to being on land. During this period of adjustment, the former passengers may experience a form of motion sickness that is based on the lack of motion underfoot rather than the constant motion that is usually the reaction known as seasickness. The individual may have difficulty standing and feel somewhat dizzy until the brain is able to adjust to the new circumstances.
Other symptoms may also be manifested as the result of disembarkment syndrome. Some travelers will experience fatigue after leaving the ship or airliner. Others may feel that their bodies are swaying even when they are not. Still others may find that the quality of vision is temporarily blurry. With severe situations, the sense of vertigo may be so strong as to bring on nausea and possibly vomiting. There is also the possibility of feeling disoriented, making it difficult for the individual to focus on participating in a conversation or even being able to speak coherently.
The severity of the disembarkment syndrome may be somewhat slight or very pronounced. It is not unusual for some passengers to experience a short period of difficulty walking on land after being at sea for some time. While there may be some amount of vertigo present during this period, a mild case can normally be managed with relatively little distress, possibly by lying down until the sense of still being in motion passes. More severe manifestations of disembarkment syndrome may require treatment by a physician, with the treatment often focusing on managing the symptoms until the body and brain have the chance to adjust.