
Motion sickness is a condition that occurs when there is a conflict between what your eyes see and what your inner ear senses. This can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, cold sweats, headaches, and increased saliva production. It can be triggered by various types of travel, including car, bus, train, plane, boat, or amusement park rides. While it is not life-threatening, motion sickness can make travelling unpleasant. It is more common in children, pregnant women, older people, and those who suffer from migraines, and it may be genetic. To prevent or relieve the symptoms of motion sickness, individuals can try to avoid certain triggers, such as sitting in the back seat of a car, take motion sickness medication, choose the right seat, get plenty of air, avoid heavy meals, and drink plenty of water.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Movement | Movement you see is different from what your inner ear senses |
Symptoms | Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, cold sweat, headache, increased saliva production, shallow breathing, pale skin, irritability |
Causes | Conflict among senses, inner ear problem, Parkinson's disease, migraine headaches, genetics |
Treatment | Medicine, acupressure, ginger, peppermint, acupuncture, distraction, lying down, staying hydrated, eating small amounts of food frequently, avoiding smoking, music, looking at the horizon |
What You'll Learn
Motion sickness symptoms
Motion sickness is an uncomfortable condition that can make travelling unpleasant. It occurs when there is a conflict between what your eyes see and what your inner ear senses. This can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms, including:
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pale skin
- Headache
- Cold sweat
- Increased saliva production
- Shallow breathing
- Fatigue
These symptoms can strike without warning and can get worse quickly. They usually go away once the motion stops, but in some cases, they can last for several days. If your symptoms persist or are particularly severe, it is important to consult a doctor.
Motion sickness can occur in any moving vehicle, including cars, buses, trains, planes, boats, and amusement park rides. It is more common in children, pregnant women, older people, and people who suffer from migraine headaches. It may also be genetic or triggered by an inner ear problem, such as fluid buildup or an ear infection.
To prevent or alleviate motion sickness, there are several strategies you can try:
- Choose the right seat: Opt for the front seat of a car or bus, a window seat on flights and trains, or the midpoint of a boat.
- Get fresh air: Open a window, turn on the air conditioner, or go outdoors if possible.
- Look at the horizon: Focus on a stationary object in the distance or the horizon to help stabilise your visual stimulus.
- Lie down: Lying down or reclining your seat can help reduce head movements and alleviate motion sickness.
- Avoid heavy meals: Eat light, plain, and easy-to-digest foods before and during travel. Greasy, spicy, or acidic foods can worsen nausea.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water and avoid alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, which can contribute to dehydration.
- Distract yourself: Listen to music, engage in conversation, or try acupressure techniques to take your mind off how you're feeling.
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Triggers and causes
Travel sickness, or motion sickness, is caused by a mismatch between the movement you see and what your inner ear senses. This conflict of senses causes dizziness, nausea, and sometimes vomiting. It can occur in any mode of transport, including cars, buses, trains, planes, boats, and amusement park rides.
Triggers
Travel sickness can be triggered by various factors, including:
- Being in the back seat of a car, unable to see the horizon
- Not getting enough fresh air in the car
- Reading while in a moving vehicle
- Riding on a speedboat
- Waves and bumps during travel
- Consuming heavy, greasy, or acidic foods before or during travel
- Caffeinated drinks
Causes
The root cause of travel sickness is an imbalance between what you see and what your body senses. For example, when a car is moving forward, your eyes see the surrounding environment moving past, but your body remains stationary. This disconnect between your senses confuses the brain, leading to the unpleasant symptoms of travel sickness.
Additionally, travel sickness may be caused by an issue with the inner ear, such as fluid buildup or an ear infection. It is also more common in older people, pregnant women, children, and those prone to migraines. There may also be a genetic component to travel sickness.
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Treatment and prevention
Motion sickness is a common ailment that can be prevented or treated to keep your travels pleasant. It happens when your brain gets conflicting information from your body, eyes, and inner ear. Avoiding situations that cause motion sickness is the best way to prevent it, but this is not always possible when travelling.
Preventative Measures
- Choose a seat that faces the direction you are heading in.
- Sit in the front of a car, bus, or boat.
- Opt for a window seat on flights and trains.
- Try lying down, shutting your eyes, or looking at the horizon.
- Stay hydrated by drinking water.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
- Eat small amounts of food frequently.
- Avoid smoking.
- Distract yourself with music or conversation.
- Suck on flavoured lozenges, such as ginger or peppermint candy.
Medical Treatment
If preventative measures are not effective, there are medications that can be used to treat motion sickness. It is recommended that you consult a healthcare professional before taking any medication.
- Over-the-counter antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl).
- Prescription antihistamines such as scopolamine (Transderm Scop, Scopace, or Maldemar), which comes in the form of a pill or skin patch.
- Cyclizine (Marezine, Marzine, Emoquil).
- Meclizine (Antivert, Bonine).
- Promethazine (Phenadoz, Phenergan, Promethegan).
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When to see a doctor
Travel sickness, or motion sickness, can cause dizziness, nausea, and vomiting when the movement you see is different from what your inner ear senses. While it can be prevented without medicine, by sitting in the front of a car or bus, choosing a window seat on flights and trains, lying down, shutting your eyes, sleeping, or looking at the horizon, for example, it can still be a nuisance and impact your ability to travel.
- If you are travelling internationally, it is recommended to visit a travel medicine specialist or a doctor familiar with travel medicine four to six weeks before your trip. They can advise on inoculations, destination-specific food and water hygiene, and other safety tips. This is especially important if you have a weakened immune system, are pregnant, or are a senior citizen, as you may be more vulnerable to diseases and infections.
- If you are already taking medication for another condition, consult a doctor to understand how to manage your medication schedule while travelling, especially if you will be crossing time zones.
- If you are travelling with children, it is important to speak to a healthcare professional about medicines and correct dosing for motion sickness, as some medications are not suitable for children.
- If you are prone to motion sickness and have tried non-medicine strategies without success, consult a doctor about taking medication to prevent or treat motion sickness. Drowsiness is a common side effect of these medications, so it is important to discuss this with a healthcare professional before taking any new medicines.
- If you are travelling to a country where diseases that are not common in your home country are a problem, visit a travel medicine clinic to ensure your vaccinations are up to date. This is crucial advice for those travelling to areas where infectious diseases and illnesses are prevalent.
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Natural remedies
Travel sickness, or motion sickness, occurs when the movement you see is different from what your inner ear senses. This conflict of senses can cause dizziness, nausea, sweating, and vomiting. It can happen in any mode of transport, from cars to boats, and even on amusement park rides.
Choose the Right Seat
Sitting in the front of a car, bus, or boat can help reduce motion sickness. On a train or plane, choose a window seat and face the direction you are travelling in. Sitting near the wing of a plane or at the front of a boat can also help.
Look at the Horizon
Focusing on a stationary object in the distance, such as the horizon, can help to ease nausea by providing a visual stimulus that matches the movement your body feels.
Stay Hydrated
Drink plenty of water or carbonated beverages like seltzer or ginger ale. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, as these can contribute to dehydration and make nausea worse.
Eat Light Snacks
Eat small, frequent meals or snacks to keep your blood sugar stable. Opt for easy-to-digest foods like crackers, toast, or ginger candies. Avoid heavy, greasy, or spicy foods, as they are slow to digest and may worsen nausea.
Get Some Air
Open a window or go outdoors to get fresh air, which may help alleviate motion sickness. If you can't do this, turn the air vents towards you or use a fan to blow air on your face.
Distract Yourself
Listen to music, start a conversation, or do deep breathing exercises to take your mind off how you're feeling. Avoid reading or looking at your phone, as focusing on something up close can make your symptoms worse.
Try Natural Remedies
Some natural substances that may help with motion sickness include:
- Ginger: Found in candies, tea, capsules, tablets, crystallized root, or ginger ale.
- Peppermint: Found in candies, gum, mints, or tea.
- Black horehound: Found in candies or lozenges.
- Chamomile: Found in tea or supplements.
- Licorice root: Found in lozenges.
Acupressure
Stimulating the Nei Guan (P6) acupressure point on your wrist may provide quick relief from nausea. You can do this by placing your index, middle, and ring fingers on the inside of your wrist, with your index finger just below the crease. Apply firm pressure for a few seconds or until your symptoms subside. Alternatively, you can purchase acupressure wristbands, often called "sea bands," which are said to stimulate this point.
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Frequently asked questions
Travel sickness, or motion sickness, is a conflict between your senses. It occurs when the movement you see is different from what your inner ear senses. You may have travel sickness if you experience dizziness, nausea, vomiting, a cold sweat, a headache, or increased saliva production.
Travel sickness can be triggered by travel in a car, bus, train, plane, or boat. It can also be triggered by amusement park rides or virtual reality experiences.
There are several things you can do to prevent or relieve the symptoms of travel sickness. These include sitting in the front of a car or bus, getting plenty of fresh air, drinking water, eating small amounts of food frequently, and avoiding smoking and alcohol.
Common medicines that treat travel sickness include Benadryl, Dramamine, and scopolamine. These medicines work best when taken one to two hours before traveling.