I get very sick in the car, what should I do?

What to do if you get seasick in transport: bus, car

Everyone’s vestibular system is different, but what to do if you get motion sickness in a car or bus, and the ride is long. It’s even worse when the trip makes your child sick.

To help you, we have found all the recipes, secrets, exercises and other folk remedies that can be used to prevent motion sickness. These are 35 effective ways that will definitely save you on the road.

1. Matches or toothpicks

To prevent motion sickness on the road, you need to hold a toothpick or a match in your front teeth (a match, of course, is safer, but not with gray inside). This action will distract you from focusing on the process of motion sickness, which will reduce the manifestation of symptoms.

A great way to combat motion sickness is cold (an ice pack for the head and neck). You can simply attach a cold bottle of water.

You can also place ice packs wrapped in a terry towel on the solar plexus and base of the skull and hold for 15 minutes.

Cut a sour apple into slices and bite lightly when you feel nausea and other unpleasant symptoms of motion sickness.

An effective remedy for motion sickness is ginger. It slows down the movements of the stomach walls.

Take a ginger root, peel it and cut off a small piece, sucking or chewing it lightly as you ride. You don't have to swallow ginger root if you don't like the taste.

5. Ginger powder

Another way is to consume ginger in powder form. There is a ready-made one, or you can prepare it yourself by simply grinding ginger root. You need to take it in a volume of one gram an hour before the trip.

6. Acupressure

Acupressure massage can help relieve motion sickness symptoms. For example, use circular motions, pressure, or rubbing on the ears, palms, and wrists.

7. Acupressure over the upper and lower lips

Acupressure helps a lot.

1. Press your index finger on the dimple above your upper lip until you feel pain. And massage in a circular motion without moving your finger from the selected point. That is, you do not need to rub, but move your finger along with the skin above the lip.
2. Then you need to do the same by pressing on the point immediately under the lower lip.

8. Point under the earlobe

Another point is under the earlobe. When you feel that you are still seasick, you need to quickly press this point for several minutes.

9. Apple-ginger drink

And this is a recipe from the famous doctor Komarovsky: cut two apples into cubes, grate a little fresh ginger and pour a couple of glasses of boiling water over it. The drink should be drunk chilled, preferably with ice.

10. Tea with mint and ginger

Take with you on the road tea with mint or ginger, still water, adding lemon juice. Sour drinks are refreshing and suppress nausea.

11. Pickles

An excellent solution to the problem of motion sickness is pickled cucumber. Only you don’t have to eat it, but suck it during the trip, when nausea begins.

12. Anti-sickness bracelet

There is a motion sickness bracelet on sale. Its action is based on acupressure - pressing on certain points that affect the corresponding organs. The bracelet affects a point on the wrist that is associated with the digestive organs.

There are also bracelets for children. They do not contain any medications, are comfortable and are perceived by the child as a toy. In rare cases, the bracelet may cause sweating and slight swelling of the wrist. In this case, you should temporarily remove the product from your hands.

13. Tea with lemon and mint

Brew tea (1 teaspoon of mint per 1 cup of boiling water). It needs to be infused for half an hour. When traveling, drink it with lemon as a snack.

14. Cover your navel with a bandage

An interesting and unusual method. Before traveling, you need to cover your navel with a white adhesive plaster (crosswise) so that it is completely covered with the plaster. Incredibly, it really helps with motion sickness.

15. Wine with salt

Prepare a wine drink. Dilute 1 tsp. table salt in a glass of water and add the resulting salted water to 100 ml of dry red wine. This product should be used immediately before the trip.

16. Elastic wrist bandage

And this is the way of sailors. Wrap your wrists with an elastic bandage. Because of this, a pressure difference is created, which prevents the occurrence of motion sickness symptoms. In addition, the bandages will affect a point on the wrists that will prevent nausea.

17. Item in left hand

Another folk method that does not require special preparation. Simply, before the bus starts moving, hold a small round object (pebble, ball) in your left palm and do not open your palm during the entire trip.

18. Bite your tongue

This method also helps - bite the tip of your tongue and hold it. Of course, this method is only for adults or teenagers, and, moreover, the road must be free of bumps and potholes.

19. Saltine crackers

Take saltine crackers on the go. At the first sign of nausea, start sucking on them one at a time.

20. Lower your head between your knees

And now - one effective exercise.

• If you start to feel sick, but there is no vomiting yet, then lower your head between your knees, in this position, breathe slowly and deeply.
• Another option is to tilt your head between your knees, lower. Then raise it sharply after 5 seconds. Repeat the procedure several times.

21. Oat infusion

A good recipe for motion sickness is an infusion of oats. The preparation is simple: pour 1 tablespoon of oats with a glass of boiling water, let it brew for 30–40 minutes, strain. 3-4 days before the trip, start giving your child one quarter glass 2 times a day.

22. Spinach juice

Juice from fresh washed spinach is prepared using a juicer. Just like the previous recipe, start giving it to your child 3-4 days before or drink it yourself one quarter glass 2 times a day.

23. Swallowing movements

During the trip, it is advisable to swallow as often as possible: the ideal solution would be a cold drink, which you need to drink in small sips, or mint candy (it has been scientifically proven that mint suppresses the feeling of nausea, and sucking movements will lead to swallowing).

24. Sing loudly

Another unusual way to get rid of motion sickness from one German professor is songs. If your child complains about feeling sick, try to distract him - for example, sing a song with him. You need to sing loudly and cheerfully.

25. Citrus

Citrus fruits are a good way to relieve nausea: suck on an orange, tangerine, lemon slice or lemon, or put a lemon peel on your cheek.

26. Essential oil

Drip peppermint essential oil onto a napkin and sniff during nausea attacks. A more convenient option is to put a cotton ball with drops of oil in a special aromatherapy pendant and put it on your neck. You can use different essential oils: peppermint, chamomile.

27. Dry brew

Also, during the trip, chewing dry green tea will help against motion sickness.

28. Honey with essential oil

For a child, you can use the following recipe: mix 1 teaspoon of honey with a drop of peppermint essential oil. Let the baby suck this sweetness in his mouth and then drink it with cool water.

29. Ammonia

Take a cotton swab and moisten it with ammonia, smell it.

30. Drinking in small sips

To drink, use still mineral water or sour juice - you need to drink in small sips.

31. Breathing exercises

If during the trip you feel unwell, dizzy or suddenly nauseous, take several deep breaths through your nose and long exhalations through your mouth, then imitate a yawn several times by inhaling through your mouth.

32. Shake your head

Another exercise for motion sickness is shaking your head. Shake your head from side to side ten times. Just not too intense! If you feel dizzy, just shake your whole body slightly.

33. Lollipops

You can use a time-tested method - lollipops. They really help cope with motion sickness, but only if it is mild.

Regular chewing gum helps some. But if you start chewing it on an empty stomach, you may get motion sickness even faster. This happens because chewing gum promotes intense secretion of gastric juice.

35. Medicines

When motion sickness occurs, nausea occurs as a result of signal transmission from the vestibular apparatus to the central nervous system. In this regard, the main task of drugs for motion sickness is to prevent such a signal.

• Vertigohel. A German drug that is not directly intended against motion sickness, but is quite often used for quite serious illnesses that are accompanied by vomiting, nausea and dizziness.
• Avia-More. A Russian homeopathic medicine that is aimed at reducing the irritating effects of the vestibular apparatus on the body. Used for symptoms of nausea, vomiting and other symptoms that are directly related to movement by any type of transport, it is a good preventive measure. Sold in the form of granules and caramels. The shape of the caramel clearly indicates that the drug can be used not only by adults and children.
• Dramamine. Croatian drug, which is prescribed for nausea, dizziness and other symptoms of various origins. Although in most cases this drug in tablet form is recommended for preventive use by patients suffering from symptoms of motion sickness in transport. It can be taken by children from one year of age. It should not be forgotten that the drug enhances the effects of antidepressants, sleeping pills and alcohol.
• Meclozine. This antihistamine from an American manufacturer is aimed at preventing vomiting. There are side effects, which, strangely enough, are expressed in the same symptoms that they are struggling with: vomiting, dry mouth, drowsiness.
• Validol. The drug contains only natural ingredients. This is valerian, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart, which is also known to our parents, and a solution of menthol in a specific valerian ester, which has a sedative effect, eliminating nervousness and irritability, and, in addition, an antispasmodic and coronary dilatator effect. In some cases, the drug is indispensable, such as motion sickness in transport (also during seasickness), and toxicosis, as it relieves nausea. But patients with high blood sugar should treat the medicine with caution.

Behavior in transport that prevents motion sickness

Here are some simple tips to deal with car nausea while driving.

1. If possible, sit in the front seat or in the middle of the back row so you can see the road in front of the car. Keep your eyes on the road through the windshield, not the side windows.
2. When driving, keep your head straight - secure its position using a pillow or headrest.
3. Ask the driver to turn on the air conditioning with the recirculation mode turned off.
4. It is advisable to sleep.
5. Do not use a smartphone, tablet, or game console with a screen that is on your lap. The same applies to books. Reading in a car very often leads to motion sickness.
6. Do not sit against traffic in vehicles.

How to prepare for your trip

1. It is necessary to remember that before absolutely any trip (going out to sea, flying on an airplane) you should not drink a lot of water or eat heavily.
2. Alcoholic drinks must be completely avoided before or during the trip! Even so-called “weak” drinks are subject to exclusion. These are beer, shakes, champagne, low-alcohol cocktails, dry wines.
3. Before your trip, practice positive self-hypnosis. To do this, master the basics of auto-training.
4. Half an hour before your trip, it would be great to drink something soothing. For example, valerian tincture or tablet, peppermint tea, motherwort tea, or another sedative, preferably of herbal origin, if you do not have any other medications prescribed by your doctor

Exercises for the vestibular apparatus

Perform these movements 1-2 times a day, starting with 1-2 minutes and gradually increasing the time of gymnastics to 5-10 minutes. At first, the movements should be slow and smooth, then they should be complicated by accelerating the tempo. At the beginning of classes, perform each exercise 2–4 times, later increase to 12–16.

1. Starting position: stand straight with your arms at your sides.
   Tilt your head forward, then back. Make a rotational movement with your head to the right and left.
2. Starting position: stand straight, arms bent at the elbows, resting on your waist.
   Turn your torso to the right and left, tilt forward and backward.
3. Starting position: as in the second exercise.
   We rotate the body around its axis (2–4 turns to the right and left). Keep your head straight or tilt it towards your shoulder.
4. Starting position: as in the second exercise.
   We jump on the floor or on a trampoline (low, medium, as high as possible) on two or one leg while simultaneously rotating the head.

What to do if you get motion sickness in the car

An article about what to do if you get motion sickness in the car. Causes of seasickness, methods of overcoming it. At the end of the article there is a video about what to do if you get motion sickness.

The content of the article:

• “Seasickness” - causes and symptoms
• Medicines against kinetosis
• What to do if you get motion sickness in a car
• How to reduce the risk of seasickness when driving in a car
• If the child is rocking
• Hidden syndrome
• Video about what to do if you get motion sickness

All people are susceptible to motion sickness in transport, land, water or air, to a greater or lesser extent. Some people struggle with this disease all their lives, suffering even from traveling on a city bus, while others are completely unaware of it until they change one type of transportation to another. Secondary reasons may be different, but the main one is the concern of the vestibular apparatus about the position of our body in space.

“Seasickness” - causes and symptoms

For the first time, a person encountered motion sickness syndrome while on board a ship, hence the name. However, in our time, “seasickness” most often occurs not at sea, but on roads.

Motion sickness syndrome, or kinetosis in medical terminology, is the body’s reaction to rhythmic, continuous movements that the body senses.

The vestibular apparatus located in the inner ear is responsible for this disease. Its functions are to analyze information coming from outside and, based on the data received, control the position of the body in space.

But when a person gets into a car or on a ship, a conflict between sensations and reality occurs. The position of the body indicates that the person is sitting/standing, but other sensations convince the vestibular system that it is moving. Such a discrepancy provokes a malfunction of the organ, causing symptoms of motion sickness.

There are 4 forms of kinetosis:

1. Nervous kinetosis. The symptoms are:
   • dizziness;
   • headache, heaviness;
   • state of drowsiness;
   • general weakness.

2. Gastrointestinal form. Symptoms:
   • soapy taste in the mouth;
   • nausea;
   • vomit;
   • increased sensitivity to odors.

3. Cardiovascular form. Symptoms of the initial stage:
   • lost heart rhythm;
   • high blood pressure;
   • cardiopalmus.

4. Mixed form. This type of motion sickness is the most common and represents a combination of two or all forms of kinetosis.

Symptoms of long-term motion sickness:

• decreased blood pressure;
• shallow breathing;
• the pulse becomes slow.

For people with heart disease, traveling long distances while experiencing symptoms can be dangerous.

Science has not fully studied the action of the vestibular apparatus; only the general principles of its functioning and the main ways to combat the consequences of this functioning are known. Medicine has not even come to a definite conclusion whether the manifestation of kinetosis is a deviation from the norm or a natural reaction of the body.

Medicines against motion sickness

Medications are quite effective in combating the disease. Many of them are made on the basis of natural ingredients, for example, with mint extract. But almost all drugs have side effects - they cause lethargy and drowsiness. This allows you to lull the vigilance of the vestibular apparatus.

Medicines are suitable for one-time trips and trips, but you won’t take them every day. And the rhythm of life in our time involves the daily use, if not of a personal car, then at least of city minibuses. Therefore, whether you want it or not, you will have to look for other ways to combat this disease.

What to do if you get motion sickness in the car

The first thing you should do is find out the reason. There can be two of them: some specific ailments or the general condition of the body.

If the symptoms of kinetosis are too intense and clearly manifest themselves even during short trips, then you should undergo a medical examination. Some diseases (for example, gastrointestinal) can cause severe motion sickness even in elevators, not to mention while traveling in a car.

The second reason is more prosaic - the general physical condition. Sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, overeating, etc. - all this leads not only to a general depressed state, but also to malfunctions of the vestibular apparatus.

How to get rid of motion sickness syndrome? Here are some important ways:

Healthy lifestyle

Yes, a hackneyed rule that has already set everyone’s teeth on edge. However, this did not reduce its effectiveness. If comfort while traveling in transport is more valuable to you than bad habits, you should start denying yourself them.

Motion sickness syndrome provokes:

• smoking and alcohol;
• fatty, sweet, heavy foods;
• passive lifestyle;
• constant presence in a stuffy room (poorly ventilated office, workshop).

It doesn’t have to be fanatical, but 10 minutes of morning exercise, regular walking and replacing a few extra bottles of beer with fruit juice have never caused serious “damage” to any lifestyle.

Vestibular apparatus training

The vestibular apparatus can and should be trained. Numerous observations have confirmed that people who initially suffered from motion sickness, with constant travel or flights, got used to the new condition and the symptoms disappeared.

To “pump up” the vestibular apparatus, you should pay special attention to coordination and balance exercises. Dancing (especially the waltz), aerobics, carousel rides and other active activities where you need to spin or make sudden movements have a good effect on the state of the body. This is why you should take your children to attractions - such entertainment will help reduce the risk of motion sickness in the future.

If you don’t have the time or desire for such entertainment, you can do simple exercises at home:

Eye training

The simplest thing you can do is make circular movements with your eyes. Up and down, left and right, in a circle. This exercise can be done several times a day and anywhere.

Head rotation

You can perform it standing or sitting on a chair. Looking forward, raise your head up, then move it to your right shoulder, then to your left and up again. Repeat several times, then do the same in the other direction. You can also perform circular movements with your head.

Turns in place

The most effective exercise for balance and coordination. All you need to do is stand in one place and make a few revolutions around your axis. You can start with one or two turns and increase their number as you get used to it.

All of the above will help, if not completely get rid of seasickness, then reduce the intensity of symptoms and turn car trips into a less painful process.

How to reduce the risk of motion sickness in a car while traveling

In addition to the long-term preparation of your body described above, you can also resort to short-term methods.

Have a good rest

A good 8-hour sleep has a beneficial effect on the body and improves well-being. It is especially important to get a good night's sleep before long trips.

Avoid drinking alcohol, limit smoking

If you do not want to lead a completely healthy lifestyle, then at least on the eve of a long trip, give up alcohol and excessive smoking. And of course you shouldn’t drink alcohol while traveling.

Don't overeat

It is best to get into the car 30-60 minutes after eating - the food should be light and in no case greasy. You should also avoid sweets and carbonated drinks.

But breakfast/lunch should be nutritious enough so as not to feel weak.

Eliminate odors during your trip

Avoid wearing perfumes or heavily scented creams or deodorants. And ask other fellow travelers not to do this. Even the faintest smell of cream in the car can cause a headache or nausea. Not to mention harsh or overly sweet perfumes, which even make people resistant to motion sickness feel ill.

This also applies to car fragrances.

Open the window

After smells, the enemy in the car becomes stuffiness and stale air. Be sure to open the window slightly, even if it is cool inside.

Sit in the front seat

And look ahead, concentrating on the road, closer to the horizon or just in the distance. If you can't sit next to the driver, still try to look ahead through the windshield or concentrate on something in the cabin.

Find something to do

Something exciting and active, if not for the body, then for the brain. For example, a game, an interesting conversation, or, in extreme cases, exercises for the wrists - at least something that will help distract the sensory organs from the “non-standard” situation and make it possible to concentrate on something specific.

But under no circumstances should you do relaxing things, such as reading or playing calm music. This will only make the situation worse.

Listen to rhythmic music

One that will take over not only the mind, but also the body. Aggressive rock or fast dance tunes are ideal.

Drink enough (just enough, not too much) fluids

Take plain water on the road, you can add mint infusion or drops to it. Mint has the property of eliminating nausea and the urge to vomit. You can also stock up on mints.

Choose the right clothes

Any discomfort to the body aggravates the symptoms of motion sickness. Therefore, make sure that you are not cold, much less hot. Bring a jacket or cardigan in reserve that you can put on or take off if necessary.

Carry an acupressure bracelet with you

If you are prone to seasickness, then it would be a good idea to buy a special bracelet. It creates pressure on a specific point on the wrist (the so-called pericardial point-6), thereby reducing the intensity of headaches and nausea during movement.

If the child is rocking

The vestibular apparatus and its functioning are fully formed by the age of 13-15. Therefore, children, especially small ones, are very often susceptible to motion sickness.

The methods of dealing with symptoms in children are the same as in adults - fresh air, light food, nothing sweet or carbonated, no odors. Find something to do for your child or try to get him to sleep if possible. In a dream, a person is not susceptible to motion sickness (this is also true for adults).

Instead of pure water, your child can be given diluted apple juice. If he doesn't mind, add a little mint or ginger to the drink. It's also a good idea to stock up on mint candies. In addition to the mint effect, the lollipops will force the child to swallow regularly, which also eliminates nausea and the urge to vomit.

Hidden motion sickness syndrome

It often happens that a person finds out about his tendency to seasickness by switching to another type of transport or even changing his car. This often happens even among experienced sailors who, for example, spent their entire lives on a fishing boat, and then, once on the liner, suffered more than land passengers. This fact only confirms that the vestibular apparatus needs to be trained.

In the auto world, this happens if you change cars or roads. For example, in a car with poor shock absorption, where the passenger constantly shakes, or when driving on city streets, a person feels fine. But a high-speed highway and a new car, in which movement is not felt, instantly put people into a state of kinetosis, seemingly not susceptible to this illness.

Drivers often suffer from hidden seasickness. While a person is driving, he is completely focused on the process of driving, the commands to the receptors of the vestibular apparatus are received “correctly” and correspond to his actions. But as soon as the driver moves into the passenger seat, a classic conflict of sensations and reality occurs - I see and feel something completely different from what I do.

In most cases, you can get rid of this disease, or at least reduce its intensity. But a certain number of people are endowed with, so to speak, chronic motion sickness syndrome. And nothing can be done about it. The problem most likely lies in a violation of the development of the vestibular apparatus, but medicine does not yet have accurate information on this issue.

Video about what to do if you get motion sickness:

Motion sickness in the car: why and what to do?

Motion sickness in vehicles is a fairly common problem that affects people of any age. Nausea and dizziness can ruin the experience of any trip, even the shortest one. Why do these symptoms occur, and what to do if you get carsick?

Why do you get motion sickness in the car?

Regular motion sickness in the car can indicate a variety of problems in the body. However, most often the pathology is caused by a malfunction of the vestibular apparatus. Thus, the most common causes of motion sickness are:

• discrepancy between the information the brain receives from sensory and visual organs. In simple words, a person sees movement outside the window and is aware of the fact of moving in space, but the muscle tissue is at rest, which causes a mismatch in the general data in the brain. The nervous system begins to “panic”, sending impulses to the body. As a result, a person experiences breathing problems, his heart rate increases, sweat appears and a feeling of nausea appears;
• hereditary factors. Often the cause of motion sickness lies in a hereditary predisposition. If the child’s parents suffered from this pathology in childhood, then there is a high probability that the baby will experience similar problems. Usually in this case, motion sickness goes away on its own by the age of 12-13, but sometimes a problem with the vestibular system bothers a person throughout his life.

In addition, motion sickness in transport is observed in people with a poor sense of balance. In this case, you can cope with the problem through special training. In addition, there are a number of predisposing factors. These include:

• sudden vibrations while the car is moving - this includes sudden braking and acceleration, as well as driving on an uneven surface;
• eating disorders - fatty foods, alcohol or soda drunk shortly before the trip can cause the problem;
• chronic diseases - pathologies such as gastritis, stomach ulcers or cholelithiasis cause an increase in receptor sensitivity. People with such diagnoses may experience symptoms of motion sickness even with minor changes in the movement of the car;
• disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system - in this case, the situation can be stabilized by taking certain medications;
• optical disturbances - a rapid change of picture outside the window leads to overexcitation of the nervous system, as a result, the perception of information in the brain is impaired and the person experiences characteristic symptoms;
• pregnancy - in this case, symptoms of motion sickness can appear both throughout pregnancy and at its individual stages. Usually, after childbirth, a woman’s condition quickly stabilizes.

In addition to the above, very often people with psycho-emotional disorders suffer from motion sickness. In any case, if you have this pathology, you need to see a doctor who will prescribe adequate treatment to eliminate the pathology.

What to do if you get motion sickness in the car

To cope with embarrassment and prevent motion sickness in vehicles, you can use the following tips:

• if you are a passenger, try to take a seat next to the driver. Looking at the road through the windshield will reduce the likelihood of motion sickness;
• if you feel nauseous, try to distract yourself, for example, you can sing a song or start a conversation with other passengers;
• Drink as much clean drinking water as possible. Under no circumstances take food or alcohol with you on your trip;
• try to fix your head in one position. Special horseshoe-shaped pillows are very suitable for this purpose;
• Try not to look out the side window. If you cannot control yourself, hang curtains on the windows;
• Make sure that the car is not stuffy. If necessary, turn on the air conditioner or open the windows slightly;
• try to sleep. This is one of the most effective ways, of course, if you are not a driver. During sleep, your vestibular system will “rest” with you;
• stop reading and watching movies or videos on your phone or tablet. Constantly flashing a picture before your eyes will speed up the process of motion sickness;
• bring candy with you. In addition to candies and caramel, pickled cucumbers or a slice of lemon are a great way to cope with motion sickness. They need to be sucked during the trip.

To avoid motion sickness, listen to your body. In addition to the methods listed above, you can use medications. For example, tablets that are taken 30-40 minutes before the expected trip will relieve you of nausea and dizziness for several hours.

What to do if you get sick in the car and feel sick

In order to neutralize the feeling of nausea and dizziness, it is necessary to coordinate the work of all nodes of the vestibular apparatus. For example, to neutralize the constant flickering of a picture before your eyes, you can use a special mask or curtains on the windows. It is very important to understand what exactly causes an attack of motion sickness. If the provoking factor lies in a strong or unpleasant odor, you can ask the driver to open the window slightly.

If the feeling of nausea takes you by surprise, you can try the following tips:

• Take ascorbic acid. If you know you are prone to motion sickness, carry it with you at all times. If there is none, then you can replace it with lemon, green tea or apples;
• Eat gingerbread cookies. Ginger is an excellent remedy for motion sickness. You can take it not only in the form of cookies, but also as tea, as well as in the form of marshmallows. However, this remedy is not suitable for people with individual intolerance;
• Move your feet. Since the main cause of motion sickness lies in the inconsistency of the information received by the brain, at the first urge to feel sick, you can try to depict movement. To do this, start moving your legs and moving your body back and forth.

If none of the listed methods helps and the symptoms intensify, then you need to stop the car and get out onto solid ground. This is the only thing that will help in a difficult situation.

What to do if you get motion sickness in the car?

Are your wife and child sick in the car? There are 11 ways to avoid this problem!

Neurologists have proven that this unpleasant phenomenon is based on... information conflict - a discrepancy between the information going to the brain from various sensors of the human body. All troubles arise due to a malfunction of the vestibular apparatus. This organ is responsible for keeping us firmly on our feet and responds to changes in the position of the head and body in space.

The vestibular apparatus is located in the cochlea of ​​the inner ear, in the semicircular canals filled with fluid - endolymph. Sensitive hairs on the walls of the canals respond to vibrations of this fluid and the movement of microscopic otolith crystals. When you change your body position or move, these crystals irritate the hairs, and the signal goes to the brain.

Most people have a sufficiently trained vestibular system and they do not experience difficulties either in the air, or in the sea, or on land. Motion sickness affects 5–10% of the population.

We recommend reading these articles:

Why is motion sickness called seasickness?

It's very simple: people first encountered this phenomenon during sea voyages. That's where the name came from.

We offer you eleven ways that will help you when traveling by car.

1. Choose the right place

The best place in the car is the front seat next to the driver. Here the vibrations are felt the least and, accordingly, there is less motion sickness. In addition, an excellent view through the windshield opens, helping the body establish a more correct relationship with the moving landscape. It has been noticed that there is even less motion sickness in the driver’s seat. Invite your wife to drive instead of you (of course, if she has a license).

2. Place the chair in the down position

In this case, you minimize the amplitude of head vibrations that cause kinetosis. In addition to this, try to fix your head by pressing it against the headrest. An inflatable neck pillow can be an excellent solution.

3. Stop reading on the go

You should not read books, chat on a mobile device, or work with a laptop. Otherwise, you will increase the conflict between fixed visual sensations and the body's responses to movement in space.

4. Don't look out the side windows

You need to look in the direction of travel, at the strip of highway approaching you. Try to follow the conditional mark, placing it 50 meters in front of you.

This recommendation should be followed when driving on a mountain road, when motion sickness associated with changes in altitude and frequent turns creates additional stress on the body.

Why did you get motion sickness in the car and what to do about it?

Good day, dear readers. Probably each of you has experienced motion sickness at least once in transport. Finding yourself in such a situation, the question arose of what to do when you get motion sickness on the road. In this article we will talk about the reasons why a person begins to get motion sickness, how it manifests itself, how it should be dealt with, and how to prevent it.

Classification

In medicine, motion sickness syndrome is called kinetosis. According to statistical data, the population of the entire planet is familiar with this condition. In most cases, it causes seasickness for small passengers.

There are four forms of this condition in total.

1. If nervous kinetosis occurs, then the presence of general weakness, constant drowsiness, pain and heaviness in the head, and dizziness are noted.
2. In the gastrointestinal form, the following may be present: nausea, possible vomiting, a taste of soap in the mouth, increased sensitivity to various odors.
3. In the presence of a cardiovascular form, the following is noted: an increase in heart rate, an erratic rhythm of the heart muscle, an increase in blood pressure.
4. Mixed form. Combines two or all three of the above forms of kinetosis.

Possible reasons

Let's figure out why you get motion sickness in the car, and what may precede it.

1. Failure in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus with the presence of abnormalities in one of the parts of the brain.
2. The result of slight movements of the human body while driving in a car. These movements are noted by the cochlea, while visually the individual does not observe any special changes. The opposite situation may also occur, when the individual practically does not stagger, while he observes how objects move outside the window. Based on these data, we can come to a conclusion regarding the cause that influences the occurrence of motion sickness, namely: the inconsistency of information entering the brain (visual and sensory). Roughly speaking, panic begins in the brain, unconscious functioning of the autonomic system is observed, resulting in rapid heartbeat, fears, and nausea.
3. The presence of a hereditary predisposition.
4. An underdeveloped or untrained balance organ.
5. The following factors may also be at play:

• the appearance of sounds that excite the ear;
• presence of various fears;
• increased air temperature;
• drinking alcohol the day before;
• the presence of odors that repel, for example, tobacco smoke;
• lack of good ventilation in the car;
• the appearance of apathy as a result of emotional stress or fatigue;
• pregnancy.

Characteristic manifestations

The presence of symptoms such as:

• increase in pressure;
• dizziness that becomes more intense;
• severe weakness;
• attacks of nausea followed by vomiting, as a result of a severe headache;
• At the same time, paleness of the skin may be observed;
• loss of appetite;
• the appearance of apathy or the opposite effect - excitement.

What to do if you get seasick

If an adult gets motion sickness, then it is possible to find out what exactly provoked these sensations. We'll talk about how to deal with them later.

1. If you feel nauseous, try to distract yourself, for example, sing a song or start talking to someone.
2. Try to fix your head. It is best to use special pillows.
3. Take lollipops or chewing gum with you to freshen your breath. A slice of lemon, which needs to be sucked during the trip, also helps prevent motion sickness.
4. Take ascorbic acid. If you are aware that you have a predisposition to motion sickness, then you should always carry ascorbic acid next to you. Due to its absence, you can use green tea, lemon or apples.
5. Eat ginger cookies or drink ginger tea if you don't have an individual intolerance.
6. Try to move your legs, as one of the problems may be that the picture seen by your eyes does not match the position of your body, which is motionless.
7. If the nausea still does not go away and it is possible to stop the car, then do so. Sometimes you need to feel the solid ground under your feet and feel the fresh air.
8. You can also resort to the use of medications:

• Vertihogel is a drug that helps resist nausea, vomiting, and saves from dizziness;
• Dramamine – fights dizziness and nausea;
• Avia-sea is a remedy that helps to weaken the effects of the vestibular apparatus, effective in the presence of nausea or vomiting;
• Ginger is a dietary supplement that prevents the development of motion sickness;
• Meclozine is an antihistamine that prevents vomiting.

What to do if you constantly get motion sickness on the road

1. Train your vestibular system. It is necessary to resort to balance and coordination exercises. For example, you can go dancing, ride a carousel, or aerobics.
2. Eye training. Learn to make circular movements with your eyeballs down, up, left, right, in a circle. Do this exercise several times a day.
3. Head rotation can be done both sitting and standing. Looking forward, you need to raise your head up, then move it to your right shoulder, to your left, and lift it up again. Repeat these steps in a circle several times . After this, move on to exercises directed in the other direction. Then start moving your head in a circular motion.
4. Turns in place. You need to stand in one place and then turn around yourself. In the initial stages, this can be literally two turns. It is worth gradually increasing their number.
5. It is also very important to lead a healthy lifestyle.

How to prevent kinetosis

1. If you are sitting in the passenger seat, try to be as close to the driver as possible. It is believed that if you look out the windshield, the likelihood of developing motion sickness will decrease.
2. It is not recommended to sit with your back to the traffic.
3. If possible, open the window and listen to rhythmic music.
4. It is not recommended to eat heavily or drink alcohol before going on a trip, or drink a lot, especially soda.
5. If you are sitting near a side window, try not to watch what is happening behind it.
6. If you are not a driver, you can try to sleep.
7. It is important to ensure that there is no stuffiness in transport.
8. You should not watch movies or play on a tablet or phone while driving, as flashing pictures can cause motion sickness even faster.

Now you know, if you start getting motion sickness, what could have preceded it. When choosing the appropriate way to get rid of this condition, it is worth considering what exactly triggered its development. Remember what to do if you already feel seasick, and what can be done to prevent the occurrence of kinetosis.