Nothing makes a car ride miserable quite like motion sickness. Since motion sickness is mainly caused by a disruption between what your eyes see and your brain interprets, there are lots of tricks at your disposal. If you can minimize distractions and prevent nausea, you'll feel a lot better. Check out some of our tips for your next car ride.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionDoes chewing gum help prevent car sickness?Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.Yes. The chewing action stimulates production of saliva, which helps to neutralize stomach acid, thereby decreasing car sickness. Also, chewing a peppermint gum can feel refreshing and can help you feel less nauseated.
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QuestionWhat are alternatives for ginger?Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.Lemons are great for motion sickness. You can suck on a lemon wedge or squeeze some lemon into your water. Smelling lemons also might be helpful for car sickness. Also, you could use eucalyptus cough drops. Eucalyptus drops are refreshing, and sucking on a hard candy stimulates saliva production, which helps to neutralize stomach acid and thereby decreasing motion sickness.
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QuestionCan sleeping in car help prevent car sickness?Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.It does not prevent it, but if you are prone to motion sickness, sleeping in the back seat might be a good option.
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Tips
- Be prepared! Bring along a small bucket or bag in case you need to vomit. Then, you can throw away the mess at the next rest stop you come to.Thanks
- Communicate with the driver if you're starting to feel poorly. Let them know if you need to crack the window or pull over.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/expert-answers/car-sickness-in-children/faq-20057876
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/expert-answers/car-sickness-in-children/faq-20057876
- ↑ https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2020/travel-by-air-land-sea/motion-sickness
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539706/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539706/
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12782-motion-sickness
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818021/
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-motion-sickness/basics/art-20056697
- ↑ https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tips-to-prevent-kids-from-getting-car-sick/
About This Article
To deal with car sickness, get some fresh air by opening a window or stopping the car briefly so you can get out and walk around for a few minutes. If you're unable to stop, close your eyes or otherwise block your view of motion outside the car. You can also try munching on something dry, like crackers or bread, to alleviate symptoms. For tips on using ginger to get relief from your car sickness, read on!
Reader Success Stories
- "I'm going on a school trip tomorrow with my classmates and I suffer terribly from car sickness. This is probably going to help me, as I usually read to try and prevent it which doesn't work. Thank you for the advice. Maybe for once I won't get ill." ..." more