Most of us are familiar with the unpleasant symptoms of travel or motion sickness – the nausea, dizziness, and a general feeling of unwellness. It’s a common problem that can occur in all forms of transport and it’s caused by your brain receiving conflicting information between what your eyes see and what your inner ears sense. Here are a few preventative measures to try out when you're next in transit.
Avoid any food or drink that may even slightly upset your stomach before travelling. This includes strong spicy or fatty foods and any alcohol. The last thing you want when you’re feeling nauseous is to have a belly full of food and drink that will worsen your condition.
Ginger is believed to be a natural herbal remedy for upset stomachs, so perhaps have a hunt for some ginger candies or flavoured tea.
If you have the option, sit facing the direction of travel. Consider which seat you can sit in to experience the least motion – the middle of an airplane or bus and lower level cabins on ships are often the calmest areas. Being next to a window or having a flow of fresh air will also help to ease the feeling of nausea.
Try to distract your, or your child’s, attention away from the feeling of travel sickness by listening to songs or talking. Focus on things in the horizon rather than what’s inside the vehicle. Lead topics of discussion away from the feeling of sickness and perhaps bring out a few travel games that don’t require reading, such as battleships or 4 in a row.
Don’t read or watch screens whilst you’re moving, as this will increase your sensory input and amplify your symptoms.
Special travel accessories can be purchased for those that suffer from motion sickness. Anti-nausea wrist bands work by applying pressure to the Nei Kuan acupressure point which helps to alleviate your symptoms. Over-the-counter medication can also be purchased to suppress nausea during travel, but we recommend you talk to your local pharmacist about which is most suitable for you or your children before taking them.
If the distractions, ginger, and travel accessories don’t work, try having a nap. Put on an eye mask to block out the light and pop in some ear plugs or listen to some tunes through your headphones. This will all help to reduce your sensory input, alongside helping the time to fly. You’ll be at your destination and out of the car or boat before you know it.
Browse our Holiday Shop for more accessories and distraction methods.
