A Band To Ease Queasiness

A new drug-free, battery-run device offers an alternative treatment for morning sickness, reports CBS This Morning Health Contributor Dr. Dave Hnida of CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver.

While the cause of morning sickness is still a mystery, doctors now know that it usually ends after the first trimester. For some women, it can be so severe that they require hospitalization. Treatment options are limited. Anti-nausea drugs can be effective, but aren't recommended.

A new option developed for women is an electronic device that appears to help ease queasiness. Called the ReliefBand, the device is worn like a wrist watch and sends a low level electrical impulse through the skin, which, in theory, travels to the brain, overpowering the signal causing the nausea.

The band can be worn until nausea goes away, and then removed.

Woodside Biomedical of Carlsbad, Calif., which developed the device, says it also can be used for nausea due to motion sickness or chemotherapy. In October 1998, the Food and Drug Administration approved the band for prescription use for these conditions.

ReliefBand is now available by prescription only for pregnant women suffering morning sickness. It is also available by prescription for chemotherapy. The cost for a reusable version will be about $140, while a disposable version will cost about $75.

In February, the FDA approved the band for over-the-counter sales for motion sickness. Woodside Biomedical expects the band to be available over the counter by mid-summer.