Whether you travel by plane, automobile, train, or boat, if you’ve experienced motion sickness, you know how it can make your trip unpleasant. Besides a nauseating feeling, motion sickness can also bring on dizziness, clammy hands, uneasiness, or vomiting.
1. Eat Small Meals and Stay Hydrated
Although it can be tempting to fill up before you travel to avoid eating packaged food on board, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends eating smaller, more frequent meals and drinking water. Avoid salty, spicy, or greasy foods and minimize your intake of caffeinated beverages and alcohol before and during your travel.
2. Be Aware of Situations That Trigger Symptoms
Do you get nauseous when you’re riding in the second or third row of an SUV? Are you OK on a train, but tend to feel sick on buses? Knowing your triggers can help you avoid them. In a car or bus, sitting towards the front may help. On a train, face forward, avoiding seats that face backward. If you’re flying, sit close to the wing of the plane. On a boat, try to sit at the front.
3. Tilt Your Head Into Turns
Synchronizing your body with the motion may help reduce motion sickness. Turns and rotary motion tend to cause more severe motion sickness than travel in a linear motion. Tilt your head into turns may help, according to a study published in Ergonomics in 2016. Researchers found that passengers experienced less motion sickness when they tilted their heads into the direction of a turn (rather than away from turns) and kept their eyes open.
4. Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing
In a small study published in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance in 2015, participants either practiced slow, diaphragmatic breathing (at six breaths per minute) or breathed normally while viewing a virtual reality simulation of a boat at rough seas. Those who practiced diaphragmatic breathing had greater heart rate variability (an indicator of autonomic nervous system activity) and reported feeling less motion sickness than those who breathed normally.
5. Avoid Reading (or Computer Work) While in Transit
It may be tempting to catch up on work or sink into a good book, but reading or using a device like a computer or a tablet should be avoided, especially on a bumpy ride. The balance center in your inner ear senses movement, but the words on the screen or page are still—these mixed messages can result in nausea.
6. Avoid Sudden or Rapid Head Movements
Avoid sudden or rapid head movements, especially those that involve twisting or turning. If you can, rest your head on the back of your seat or lie down with your eyes closed.
7. Look at the Horizon
For travel by boat, car, train, or bus, looking toward the horizon may help prevent motion sickness. In a study published in PLoS One, looking at the horizon while at sea reduced body sway (people who are prone to motion sickness tend to have more body sway while standing). If you are on a boat, widening your stance may also reduce body sway.
8. Press on This Pressure Point
According to traditional Chinese medicine, pressing on an acupressure point called "pericardium 6," "P6," or "Nei-guan" may relieve nausea. The point is located on the inner side of the forearm, about 2 inches (or three finger widths) above the crease of the wrist in between the two tendons. You can press on the point using the index finger of your opposite hand.
9. Consider Ginger Root
A widely used remedy for nausea, ginger root is often taken in the form of lozenges, tea, capsules, tablets, crystallized root, candies, or ginger ale. While studies suggest that ginger may possess some anti-nausea effects against nausea-inducing stimuli, the research is still inconclusive as to whether it can prevent motion sickness.
Summary
If you get motion sickness, there are some natural remedies worth considering—especially if you are not able to take medication. You may be able to ease symptoms of motion sickness simply by sitting in the front of a car or bus, focusing on the horizon, staying hydrated, and more. Ginger root may also provide some relief. If you get motion sickness often or have difficulty managing symptoms, consult with your healthcare provider about alternative treatments.
