12 Motion Sickness Remedies You Need To Know

What Causes Motion Sickness?

Anyone can get motion sickness, it happens when your brain gets conflicting information from your body, your eyes, and your inner ear (which tells your brain how your head is moving). For example, if you’re on a boat, your inner ear may detect a rolling motion that your eyes can’t see. That can cause motion sickness.

Who’s More Likely Have Motion Sickness?

Some people are a little more likely to get it than others:

Women, especially when they’re menstruating, pregnant, or on hormone therapy
People who get migraines, especially when they have one
Kids ages 2 to 12
People who take certain kinds of medications -- some antibiotics, narcotics, asthma medicines, antidepressants, and even common over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen

What's the Symptoms of Motion Sickness? 

Motion sickness can cause symptoms ranging from mild nausea to dizziness, sweating, and vomiting. Any type of travel — automobile, plane, train, or ship — may bring it on, sometimes suddenly. Nausea and vomiting are the most common symptoms caused by motion sickness, but they’re not the only ones. It also can cause cold sweats, headaches, and pain. Sometimes your skin may be pale, or you might get sleepy or have more saliva.

Lots of yawning can be the first sign of motion sickness. And some people get more and more irritable.

What you can do to avoid / overcome motion sickness?

Here are some motion sickness remedies:

1. Lay off caffeine, alcohol, and big meals before the trip. Drink lots of water instead.

2. Lie down if you can, or shut your eyes, and keep your head still. Look at the horizon -- don’t read or stare at the seat in front of you.

3. Find a better spot. Many people find relief by taking the wheel. If you’re not driving, sit in the front seat rather than in back. If you’re in a plane, sit over the wing rather than in the front or extreme back.

4. If you’re on a bus or train, try to get a seat that faces the way you’re going.

5. Add some distractions -- music, for example, or eat something. Dry crackers may calm a queasy stomach. Suck on a lozenge. (Something with ginger in it may be especially helpful.) Light, fizzy drinks, like ginger ale, also can help.

6. There’s some evidence that bands that put pressure on your wrist -- some send small electrical stimulation to a specific area -- can help, but other studies have shown that they don’t.

7. Get some fresh air. Open window or go outdoors if you got motion sickness. 

8. Drink some water or carbonated beverage. Sips of cold water or a carbonated drink, like seltzer or ginger ale, can also curb nausea. Skip caffeinated beverages, like coffee and certain sodas, which may contribute to dehydration and make nausea worse.

9. Take ginger or peppermint. The ginger and peppermint both have research to support its use for motion sickness and nausea. The average dosage for ginger is 550 milligrams (mg), taken once daily. For peppermint, the average dosage is 350 mg, taken twice per day.

10. When traveling by car or boat, it can sometimes help to keep your gaze fixed on the horizon or on a fixed point.

11. The over-the-counter medication meclizine (Bonine, Antivert, Dramamine) can be a very effective preventive measure for short trips or for mild cases of motion sickness.

12. Take some vomit bags in your bag to avoid you make a mess during your trip.