Dizziness, nausea, and vomiting are only a few of the things motion sick people experience when they hit the road. To help you prepare for your next travel, here are some tips to help manage motion sickness symptoms:
What Is Motion Sickness?
Going on a road trip may sound exciting to most people, but others do not easily welcome the thought because of the discomfort they feel. While the symptoms can easily ruin your time on the road, it helps to understand what causes motion sickness to also find the most comfortable way to deal with it.
Motion sickness is experienced by people when they are in a moving vehicle — whether it’s on a plane, a car, or a boat. It is estimated that 1 in every 3 persons are highly susceptible to motion sickness. If the vehicle moves erratically, perhaps due to turbulence or rough winds at sea, anyone can also experience getting motion sick.
Signs and Symptoms
Motion sickness symptoms can include:
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The dizziness, nausea, and vomiting are effects of the movement sensed from the inner ears, eyes, joints, and muscles. This is likely to happen if you are doing certain activities like reading a book or scrolling through your mobile phone while inside a vehicle. The eyes are focused on something still but the inner ear senses motion.
Some individuals may suffer a progressive case (though rarely) which will need the help of a physician whose expertise is the diagnosis and care for ear, balance, and nervous system. However, the good news is, most cases of motion sickness can be cured with simple remedies or by training the mind.
How to Keep Motion Sickness From Spoiling Your Trip
You don’t have to be afraid of the next scheduled road trip because you can conquer the discomfort and symptoms. Here area few things you can do to make your time on the road more fun and less nauseating:
- Rest well before a trip
According to Sleep Foundation, sleep is when the mind and body recuperate from the stresses of the day. The feeling of excitement and the stress of preparation can contribute to the feeling of restlessness before a road trip. Sleep will help your body recharge so you will have the energy for the hours on the road.
- Request for the front seat
You need to sit where you can look at the road ahead so that the brain can anticipate movement. The front seat is the best place for this. It can offer a better view of the outside and allows your eyes to perceive the movement your ears do.
In other vehicles, you can ask to be seated in the forward car of the train, on the upper deck of the boat, or in wing seats where you can look out into the distance.
- Minimize swaying
Swaying is one of the culprits of motion sickness. As much as it is encouraged to sit in front, the next best seats to take are the ones in the middle. Sitting in the back keeps you from seeing outside and exposes you to more erratic movements. The middle seats are where the centre of gravity is located; turns are smoother, if not unnoticeable.
- Avoid reading or browsing
Being too focused on a book or screen makes you feel more disconnected from the movements of the vehicle. Put your book or phone down when travelling.
- Do not eat too much before or during a trip
If you are headed for a long drive with friends, you tend to munch on snacks and drinks. Avoid eating large quantities at all costs. Feeling too full will only contribute to nausea.
- Avoid greasy and strongly-flavoured food
Food with too much oil and extremely strong flavours can trigger nausea so skip them on your list of road trip munchies. You can bring more fruits, especially sweet-scented ones to naturally keep dizziness at bay.
- Equalize sensory cues
It helps to know different techniques to gain equilibrium and this is where the amenities of the vehicle is also most crucial. You will have to lean a car’s seat at a comfortable angle so that you will be more relaxed. Ample legroom and comfortable seats in chartered buses can help motion sick people to relax.
- Breathe some fresh air
One of the ways to keep yourself from feeling nauseated is to let fresh, cool air touch your skin. You can roll the windows down of your car or direct the vent towards you to help ease the symptoms. What helps motion sickness is a closed environment.
- Have some ginger
One of those considered motion sickness treatment is ginger. It can come in different forms — raw, candy, tea, or tablet. You can chew on it to relieve the symptoms. If you cannot find ginger on your cupboard, you can always try the ready to consume products. You can also drink ginger ale before the trip.
- Keep busy
One of the most effective ways to trick the mind about motion is to keep yourself busy with other things. Chatting with your friends and chewing a pack of gum are just some of the things that you can do to divert your focus.
- Keep a stash of mint candies and liniment
The sweet and refreshing smell and taste of mint are effective in keeping dizziness and nausea at bay. You may keep it close to you throughout the ride so it is within reach should you start feeling uncomfortable.
- Take a nap
If you are seated in an uncomfortable spot on the bus, the symptoms of motion sickness will only worsen. It is helpful to close your eyes or take a nap to resolve the conflict between the eyes and the inner ear. Make sure to read the bus ride guide so you can take advantage of the features of your seat, if any, and take a restful nap.
- Train the mind
A study on sailors who were told that they won’t get seasick experienced less seasickness. You may try using affirmative words to condition the mind to conquer the stress and anxiety caused by motion sickness. You can also use some breathing techniques that can calm the body.
- Take medicine
You can also choose to take motion sickness medication in the form of tablets or syrups before the trip. These prevent nausea and other symptoms from surfacing. Note that some types need to be taken at least an hour before the trip. Read the intake instructions so it takes effect when you need it most.
While motion sickness is a natural occurrence, it’s possible to keep symptoms at bay so you can enjoy your trip better. If you are taking a chartered bus service, you can ask the company about what they can do for those with motion sickness.
At Parkinson Coach Lines, we make sure that our clients get a comfortable ride on buses we rent out. They can choose from several coaches and buses with various amenities to suit their needs. Make your trip more comfortable; book your next one with us. Give us a call at (905) 451-4776 or 1-866-550-6800.