How to Avoid Motion Sickness

Have you ever felt sick while travelling long distances? If you feel discomfort, dizziness, nausea & vomiting, you need to know how to avoid motion sickness. Many people feel sick when travelling by car, bus, sea and especially by air. Even a well-planned holiday can turn into a very bad experience if you suffer from motion sickness.

However, there are remedies to prevent it and treat it for the long term as well. Let us discuss motion sickness . . . its causes, symptoms and remedies.

What is Motion Sickness and its symptoms?

When you feel a mild nausea when travelling by bus, car, airplane or boat, you are having mild motion sickness. People often tend to ignore these mild signs of motion sickness. However, it is important to treat it at its initial stage only because it can lead to a more severe level if left untreated. At the severe stage of motion sickness, the person can have sweating and their stomach can feel twisted and then lead to intense vomiting.

It does not stop with vomiting; you can experience the worst scenario in the form of dehydration and it will leave you tired. You can have a lack of sleep and a sore throat.

Causes of Motion Sickness

Motion sickness is actually caused by a simple disturbance in the inner ear. The movement in the vehicle or the swell of the sea and turbulence in air cause this disturbance. This is the inner ear—the centre of all turbulence. Due to movement, it loses its sense of balance and equilibrium and the sense of spatial orientation.

How to avoid motion sickness

You can avoid motion sickness if you know you are prone to it or if you are suffering from it. The remedies for motion sickness depend upon the severity of the symptoms. Moreover, when you start your journey on the road, the best thing is to carry the over-the-counter drugs available to treat this sickness. Below are a few tips for how to avoid motion sickness

1. Road Travel Tips to Avoid Motion Sickness

When travelling by road, always look in the direction of motion. Avoid eating greasy and spicy food just before your journey. Also, do not travel on an empty stomach; have something to eat which you can digest easily. If you vomit on an empty stomach, things will go worse as you will have stomach cramps due to bile action.

Even after all these precautions, if you end up having motion sickness, try these tips.

2. Car Travel Tips to Avoid Motion Sickness

To bring the body back into equilibrium with the motion of the vehicle, try to focus at a distant point. You can look at the horizon or scenery. When travelling by car, sit on the front seat and look at the distant scenery. Drinking liquids can make you feel much better. You should carry different drinks including water, soda and electrolyte liquids during your travel.

3. Air Travel Tips to Avoid Motion Sickness

When travelling by air, sit on the window seat and the one that is over the wings. Look outside the window. In addition, do not read when travelling. One thing you can do is to breathe fresh air once in awhile to reduce that clogged feeling when travelling by road. When travelling by a plane, make sure you stay hydrated.

4. General Tips to Avoid Motion Sickness

There is a medication called the Scopolamine skin patch that is applied behind the ear to allow it to absorb into the skin. It is applied four hours in advance of the motion activity. Biobands are clinically proven wristbands that are quite effective for motion sickness.

Furthermore, if you know you always feel motion sick, you should carry a barf bag to avoid mess when travelling. These are some easy tips to avoid motion sickness. In case of severe symptoms, you should visit a doctor.