If you suffer from motion sickness or travel sickness, you will have feelings of nausea an dizziness, and possibly also a headache, whenever you travel by car, ship, train, or plane. If the motion continues, you begin to feel worse and may break out in a sweat, breathe rapidly and shallowly, turn pale, and vomit.
Motion sickness occurs when your brain receives conflicting messages from the balance organs inside the ears and from the eyes. Some people are more susceptible to motion sickness then others, and anxiety can contribute to the problem. Children are generally more prone to the condition than adults.
NATURAL REMEDIES
Ginger has been shown to reduce symptoms of travel sickness. Take ginger root capsules an hour or two before you start a journey. Alternatively, try nibbling a small slice of fresh ginger or crystallized ginger, or taking ½ -1 teaspoon of powdered ginger in fruit juice. A child may prefer a ginger biscuit.
Ginger root and powder
Eat fresh ginger or stir powdered ginger into fruit juice.
What you can do yourself
There are several measures that help to prevent or minimize motion sickness. Plan how to put them into effect before you start your journey.
* Before you travel, eat a little bland food. Avoid alcohol and fizzy drinks before and during travel.
* Try taking travel sickness pills before travelling (See DRUG REMEDIES).
* On board a vehicle, try to choose a position with the least motion. IN a plane, sit halfway down, by a window overlooking the wings. IN a ship, sit in the middle, or stay on deck if you can. If you are below deck or in an enclose cabin, try to sleep as much as you can. In a train, sit by a window, facing the direction of travel. In a car, sit in a front seat.
* Make sure that you have access to fresh air. Avoid strong odours and cigarette smoke
* In a car or train, focus on the horizon or something in the distance in the direction of travel. Avoid reading, writing, or looking down.
* Eating some ginger may help to relieve nausea (see NATURAL REMEDEIS).
* You may find that travelling at night reduces sickness, particularly if you manage to sleep.
* If anxiety plays a part, try exercises to control your breathing (see PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE).
* Try acupressure bands. They are thought to relieve nausea by stimulating a point on the wrist.
* if your child has motion sickness, use a booster seat so that he or she can look out of the window. Distract your child with music, a story tape or CD, or games that involve looking for things ahead.
Seek medical advice if:
* You still have motion sickness symptoms a day or two after travel
* You have symptoms such as nausea and dizziness when you are not traveling
DRUG REMEDIES
Travel sickness pills contain anti-nausea drugs such as hyoscine, or antihistamines, such as meclozine or promethazine, which help to control symptoms. Take them before you start a journey. They may make you drowsy, so don’t drive. They may also increase the effects of alcohol, so avoid alcoholic drinks once you have taken them.
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