Get Rid of Your Motion Sickness

Motion sickness is caused by motion difference, like in a plane or boat, that you are not used to. It often causes nausea and sometimes leads to vomiting along with headaches and dizziness. There are a variety of strategies to both prevent or diminish motion sickness, as well as to treat it if and when it happens.

Steps

Trying Over-the-Counter or Medical Strategies

  1. Talk to your doctor before taking medications. You should discuss your options, even over-the-counter and home remedies, with your doctor before treatment. This is especially true if you have medical problems, allergies, are pregnant, or are treating a child.Remember that most of the available options will make you drowsy, and they should be taken about 30 minutes prior to your trip.
    • Gravol or Dramamine (Dimenhydrinate), from the anti-histamine family, is an excellent option.[1] It is available over-the-counter and helps to reduce motion sickness. Other antihistamines including diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can also be helpful, especially for children.
    • Zofran (Ondansetron) is a prescription anti-nausea medication that your physician may offer you if Gravol or Dramamine alone is insufficient.[2] Other anti-nausea medications may also be recommended.
  2. Try ginger. Ginger is a natural remedy for nausea.[3] Drinking ginger tea, taking ginger pills (available over-the-counter), and even chewing raw ginger sometimes helps cure a person's nausea.
    • Sipping ginger-ale, or eating foods with ginger (such as ginger cookies, as long as they contain natural ginger and not just artificial flavoring) can also be of help.
  3. Use an anti-nausea patch. These are available over-the-counter and are called the Scopolamine Transdermal Patch.[4] They are small patches that are placed behind the ear and release the anti-nausea medication slowly. They can last up to 3 days.
    • Place the patch behind your ear approximately 4 hours before you need it to kick in. Because it is more slow-release than medications in pill form, it is important to apply it well in advance.[4]

Trying Preventative Strategies

  1. Eat bland foods during the trip. Crackers, bread/toast, bananas, rice, and applesauce are all good options.[5]
    • It is also best to avoid alcohol and caffeine, as they can exacerbate motion sickness. Stick to water, non-caffeinated tea, or juice instead, and make sure you stay hydrated during the trip.
    • Don't eat heavy, greasy, or fried food.
  2. Choose where you sit wisely to minimize motion sickness.[5] It is best to position yourself in areas where you can see out the window, and with the least motion or rocking as possible.
    • In the car, sit in the front seat or drive. Mentally visualize the route before and during the trip to prepare yourself for the movement.
    • On a boat, try to stay towards the middle as this is where it rocks the least. Keep your eyes on the horizon. Staying outside in the fresh air will also help.
    • On an airplane, make sure you get a window seat. Stay away from the very back of the plane (this will be bumpier) and from the bulkhead (you'll have no visual cues when the plane is tilting). It's probably best to get a seat towards the front middle of the plane, above the wing.
  3. Distract yourself with calming music. A distraction, such as calming music, can bring your focus away from the movement of the plane or vehicle. Other things that might help include sucking on a flavored lozenge (ginger in particular may be helpful) or using aromatherapy scents like mint or lavender.[6]
    • Do not read in an attempt to distract yourself. Reading can lead to or worsen motion sickness.
  4. Close your eyes. Motion sickness occurs when your balance-sensing system (which includes your eyes, inner ear, and sensory nerves) experiences a conflict. You may sense movement with your inner ear, but you may not see any sign of movement (such as when you are on a plane or in a cabin on a boat).[5] Reducing sensory input — closing your eyes, or lying on the ground if you have the space — can help lessen this conflict and may reduce motion sickness.[6]
  5. Invest in a Sea Band or Relief Band.[7] These and other similar products are advertised as reducing motion sickness by placing stimulation on other parts of the body, usually the wrists. It is unclear whether they are more than simply a placebo, but studies have shown that some people have success when wearing them.
    • It is hypothesized that, when placed on the wrist, they stimulate the median nerve with pulse-like activity that counteracts the neurological signals for nausea from the stomach.[7]
    • If you are someone who prefers to combat your nausea without using medication, this may be a good option to try!

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://chealth.canoe.com/drug_info_details.asp?brand_name_id=1805
  2. ↑ http://www.drugs.com/ondansetron.html
  3. ↑ https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/961.html
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682509.html
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ear-infection/tc/motion-sickness-topic-overview
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2016/the-pre-travel-consultation/motion-sickness
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.reliefband.com
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