Nausea in the car, plane or on a ship
Arriving nauseous at the destination is very annoying. Plus Health therefore answers eight questions about what you can do about motion sickness.
What is motion sickness? Feeling sick during an artificial movement, such as traveling in a bus or car (carsickness), airplane (airsickness), or boat (seasickness). The first signs are listlessness, to sweat, yawn and whitewash. Then you become nauseous and sometimes you have to vomit.
When does it happen? Motion Sickness occurs during a movement that you do not cause and over which you have no control. In a bus or car, it mainly happens if the vehicle accelerates quickly, brakes often or makes many turns.
What is the cause? The brain knows from information from the eyes, the vestibular system, muscles and joints what the position of the body is in relation to the horizon. In addition, they constantly predict what this position will be moments later. If the predicted position does not match the observed position, there is a conflict. The brain senses that something abnormal is going on and signals the stomach to ‘vomit’ as a warning.
The body knows more of these warning signs. For example, after the ‘pain’ signal, you immediately withdraw your finger from a hot object. So in those situations, pain is very helpful. But the usefulness of nausea in a boat, bus or plane is unknown to scientists.
Who are affected? If the movement is violent enough, such as during a storm at sea, almost everyone gets sick. But hardly any child under the age of two suffers from it. Motion sickness is common between the ages of two and twenty. The symptoms decrease with age. This may be because the brain is learning to adapt faster and faster to an abnormal situation.
What can you do to prevent it? The most important thing is to minimize the conflict between the predicted and observed position. This can be done by taking measures. Take the wheel or helm yourself, because drivers almost never get motion sick. On a ship it can help to stand or walk and actively keep your balance.
try to to sleep, because then you don’t have to keep your balance and the conflict is suppressed. Sit where the vehicle moves least, such as in the middle of a ship or at the front of a bus. Choose a seat in which you drive forward. Consciously look ahead where the vehicle is going. Keep your head still. Don’t read. Raise children high enough to see outside.
And if that doesn’t help? Reduce the sensitivity of the stomach. That’s very personal. A light meal beforehand works well for many people. Ginger has been shown to help with nausea in a number of studies. Certain smells seem to trigger motion sickness. For example, you can associate the smell of diesel with a previous time when you got travel sick. Open the window and sniff fresh air.
Tension amplifies motion sickness. Try to relax, for example by seeking distraction in a conversation or games. There is no evidence that remedies such as a cotton ball in the ear, a wristband and homeopathic remedies help. And practical: make sure you have a plastic bag to hand to vomit in.
Are there medicines? Yes, tablets with cyclizine, cinnarizine or meclozine can be bought without a prescription from a drugstore or pharmacist. There is also a travel tablet that contains a combination of a short-acting (chlorcyclizine) and a long-acting (cinnarizine) antihistamine. This makes the product suitable for both short and long journeys. Tablets with cinnarizine are short-acting and suitable from 6 years, tablets with chlorcyclizine are long-acting and suitable from 18 years. This combination pill is the only medicine for motion sickness that is suitable for children from 2 years of age.
You should take all these pills one to two hours before departure. Your doctor can prescribe patches that slowly release scopolamine. Almost all medicines for motion sickness make you a bit drowsy, so it is not recommended to drive when using them.
And if you do get motion sickness? A doctor can prescribe heavier medication for the next trip. During a boat trip, seasickness usually disappears after a few days. If you continue to vomit for several days, prevent dehydration, for example by drinking water with some salt and sugar in good time (available as ORS at a drugstore or pharmacy).
