It’s hard to focus on having fun when all you can think about is that queasy feeling in your stomach. Some people are prone to motion sickness, some never have it and a lot of people are fine most of the time, with an occasional episode. Here are some ways to stop motion sickness while traveling.
What Is Motion Sickness, Exactly?
It’s a series of symptoms in response to motion that may include nausea, sweating, dizziness, headache, and occasionally hyperventilating. Not everyone has all the symptoms and when present, can vary in severity. It’s been studied and researchers believe it is caused by a disconnect or incongruence of the information your brain is receiving from your various senses. For example, your inner ear is telling your brain one thing while your eyes are telling it something different.
If you know or suspect it may be a problem for you, there are some steps you can take to reduce your chances of having an issue with it.
Steps to Stop Motion Sickness
Change (or pre-arrange) your position to minimize motion. The center of an airplane over the wing experience less motion than the front or rear of the cabin. Selecting seats in this area may help. On a cruise ship, a cabin closer to the water line experiences less motion than one further up.
Take it easy with eating and drinking. Having a big meal or over-consuming alcoholic beverages can cause problems on a good day. Add in the motion miscues and you have a recipe for an uncomfortable trip.
Distract yourself to keep your mind off things – otherwise, engage your brain with media or conversations to keep you from fixating on how your stomach is doing flips.
Sensitivity training (not the kind your HR department offers). You don’t need to ride roller coasters for hours upon end. If you can, before your big trip, expose yourself to small durations of things that make you feel sick (riding in a car for instance) and then stop. Gradually work your way up to longer durations to desensitize your brain to the impact of motion.
The power of suggestion. This is a little tougher if your seatmate is complaining of motion sickness but ideally, you feed your brain with positive thoughts. Think, “I don’t get seasick,” to avoid a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Pressure points. You’ll see bracelets for sale with a bead on them that activates a pressure point and purports to reduce motion sickness. We haven’t seen a lot of evidence that they actually work (sorry). If they make you or your significant other feel better it may provide a bit of a placebo effect. Hey, if it works for you, it works for you.
Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) is a brand name antihistamine (like what you take to keep your allergies in check). It has an impact on motion sickness. The trick with it is that you should take it 30 – 60 minutes before you start to travel since it’s less effective once symptoms start.
It can make you drowsy, so skip the booze and leave operating heavy machinery to others while you’re using it. Avoid OTC medications that are also antihistamines (allergy medications or itch creams are some examples). If you have any underlying medical conditions or medications you’re taking, talking with your doctor about interactions is a great idea.
When all else fails, ride it out. Motion sickness generally resolves on its own after a bit of time. Hopefully, you’re not too green along the way. Happy travels!
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