Travel sickness, or motion sickness as it is often called, can affect people travelling by road, rail, sea and air. It is believed that, for those susceptible to motion sickness, the brain gets confused by the signals it is receiving from the inner ear and the eyes regarding whether or not the body itself is moving. Not able to decipher this conflicting information, the brain sends out signals which cause a feeling of nausea and often, actual vomiting.
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Although a large number of children seem to suffer travel sickness, especially when travelling by car, the majority appear to grow out of it by the time they reach their mid/late teens. For others, it is a problem they have to consider every time they plan to do any form of travelling. The same symptoms can be bought on by fairground rides which spin and roll quickly. Luckily, there are steps you can personally take to minimise the possibility of motion sickness. And there are non-prescription medications and aids, which can be bought over the counter, as well as prescription treatment for more severe cases.
Try A Little Self-Help
Close your eyes and practise changing your breathing to slow, regular, deep breaths. This seems to be quite successful for many, and can be practised at home in preparation for your next trip.
If travelling by car try to sit in the front passenger seat, or the middle of the back seat. Don’t look out of the side windows just the front one. Have a window open enough to allow in fresh air. Don’t try to read. Your eyes trying to follow the print as the book moves about will trigger nausea. If your children are the sufferers, try to keep them occupied with songs or games such as ‘I Spy’, or get them to count the number of cars they see of a particular colour. Don’t have a large meal before starting your journey, but keep nibbling on your favourite snacks while you travel. Take regular breaks on a long journey. It can help keep sickness at bay and gives the driver the chance to recharge the batteries at the same time.
If travelling by train, try not to look at the world flashing by through the window, instead focus on something inside the carriage. If travelling by boat position yourself near the middle and as close to water level as you can get. Contrary to popular believe don’t try to concentrate on any land or island you can see, your eyes will be moving up and down as the boat does. Again, try to concentrate on something inside the boat rather than outside.
Motion Bracelets
For many, buying a motion bracelet has solved all their travel sickness problems. For others they seem to have no effect whatsoever. The bracelet sits around an inch up from the inner wrist putting light pressure between the two tendons in the arm. The same effect can be achieved by using the fore and middle fingers of one hand, to put light pressure between the tendons of the other. Known as ‘the sixth point on the Pericardium Pathway’ by Chinese acupuncturists, it is the pressure point used to cure feelings of nausea. If your motion sickness symptoms are so severe they put you off travelling, it may well be worth seeking advice, and possible treatment from a qualified acupuncturist.
Vitamin B6
There is a large range of motion sickness medication available from chemists and specialist drug stores. Treatments range from tablets to patches and the already mentioned bands. The majority seem to work successfully for some, and make no difference for others. Vitamin B6
appears to fall into this category. Originally tested to alleviate morning sickness, it is commonly used as a motion sickness treatment, with varying degrees of success. Nonetheless, for some sufferers it might be worth a try.
Ginger Extract
The one the majority of sufferers seem to have success with. Ginger can be taken as a tablet or liquid. Check the amount of ginger in the product. Some only contain trace amounts of ginger and it would seem the more ginger the product contains, the greater the chance of effective treatment.
