Travel sickness is caused by a conflict between what you see and what you feel. In
other words, when looking out a car window, you can see the world going by
outside yet you do not have to move your body to achieve this movement. Similarly,
when you are reading in a car or on a plane, you can see the book and the
inside of the vehicle using your peripheral vision suggesting to your brain
that you are still, however, bumps in the road or turbulents suggest otherwise.
Depending on whether you experience travel sickness in a car or bus or on a
plane or, there are different tricks to help avoid it.
The first part of this article will discuss the different options if you get travel sick in the car. First of all, a very simple but effective trick is to sit on a newspaper or two. The paper absorbs a lot of the vibrations which cause the motion sickness and thereby stop you from feeling unwell. Another good trick is to sit in the front of the car. This encourages you to focus on one thing like the horizon for example. This is the reason why the driver rarely experiences motion sickness because they are always focused on the road. Furthermore, since they are in control of the vehicle, more often than not, they can anticipate any bumps in the road or twists and turns. The passenger seat often makes for a less bumpy ride too. Some people say that closing their eyes stops them from feeling sick; however this makes some people feel much worse so it really depends on the person. Most people find that their travel sickness stops as soon as they step out of the car, so it is a good idea to take regular breaks if you are going on a long journey. Stopping at the side of the road for a few breaths of fresh air may be enough to stop the nausea. Ginger beer traditionally has anti-sickness effects. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep a few cans in the back of the car if you are prone to car sickness. If you don´t like ginger beer, then peppermint tea is a good substitute. One sure fire way of avoiding car sickness is to take anti-sickness medication like Gravol. If you take it half an hour before you´re due to travel, you shouldn´t have any problems.
The second part of this article will discuss the different options if you get travel sick in the plane. Avoid eating a big meal before your flight, instead have some crackers and fruit – it´s not very exciting but it won´t effect your stomach when you´re in the air. Many people like to read on their flight to pass the time and alleviate boredom, but this may well make you feel sick for the reasons mentioned in the introductory paragraph. If you can choose your seat on the plane, sit over the wing to experience the least-bumpy ride. The more turbulents your body feels, the more confused your brain will become because as far as your eyes can see, you are not moving. Finally, some people say that if they do a high-energy activity before their flight such as trampolining, then their body is already used to the movement and therefore doesn´t react badly when they board their flight (however, it goes without saying that this solution is highly impractical!)
If you are lucky enough to be able to fall asleep at the beginning of a long journey and remain sleeping for the duration, then this may be a solution for both car sickness and air sickness. In this way, travelling at night may be advantageous because you should be tired enough to make sleep achievable.
