How to Avoid Car Sickness - Vol.391
Motion sickness is a result of your conflicting balance senses. When your inner ear detects motion but your eyes don't see it, you could be in for a rough ride. It goes both ways for interior and exterior senses.
It's not uncommon for people of all ages to experience motion sickness. This happens in cars, boats, planes, you name it. Some are more sensitive to the conflict between senses and have a harder time adjusting to the motion. Luckily, there are quite a few ways you can prevent this from happening.
Don't Read
Reading while in a moving vehicle causes you to think that you're standing still. The book is a fixed point and the car is static on the inside, but at the same time you experience every bump in the road. This conflict of senses often leads to nausea.
Don't Watch Movies
Watching movies requires the same concentration as reading. It may feel like a distraction but it may do more harm than good. There are even people that get motion sickness in theaters. It's probably best if you avoid all activities that put a strain on your eyes.
What Helps
Prevention is key. It is always easier to prepare against motion sickness before a trip than trying to fight symptoms as they come along. You should be well nourished before a trip but never be quite full. Drinking alcohol and smoking doesn't help either. Even if you are an avid smoker, try and survive on a nicotine patch during your trip instead of smoking.
Sit in the Front Seat
No matter what car you're riding in, the inertia is more pronounced in the backseat. This is why riding in the front passenger seat is recommended for people susceptible to motion sickness. This position in the front of the car is also one of the reasons why drivers don't get motion sickness. That and the fact that they're distracted by the driving.
Find a Fixed Point Ahead (Follow the Horizon)
Some people point out that even when you're in the front seat you can experience motion sickness if your eyes tend to wander a lot. It is suggested that finding a point to fixate on instead of taking in the entire scenery can help prevent nausea. At the very least it can calm down your symptoms.
You can do this by focusing at a point in the sky. It can give you the impression that you are not moving fast enough to cause nausea. Fixating on the horizon also helps you better anticipate the motion of the car so your senses can adapt faster.
Taking Medicine
Distractions can be helpful which is why drivers almost never get motion sickness. As a passenger, it can be hard to find something to do that doesn't aggravate car sickness symptoms. An easy way around this is taking a pill for motion sickness.
Benadryl and Dramamine are popular over-the-counter choices for preventing the symptoms of motion sickness. There is a downside to them as they both can cause drowsiness. But if you don't need to be in tip-top shape during a trip, it's not that bad of a choice to make. Your trip might end up even more relaxing and enjoyable.
Conclusion
It is always easier to try and prevent car sickness than dealing with it on the road. While some pills and activities might help, they won't stop the symptoms once they kick in. If you often get sick in a car, try taking a pill before your trip and avoid eating heavy meals, drinking or smoking too much.