Motion sickness

• Sit in right place

First of all, avoid standing. Moving and being tossed around during the trip can make that queasy feeling worst. Then look for the right seat. You need a seat that faces in the direction you are traveling; otherwise, you have more chances to get sick. A smooth ride makes it easier to keep your stomach settled, so try to pick the seat where motion is less felt.

Plane: an aisle seat over a wing.

Train: a train car towards the front.

Car: the front seat. If possible, volunteer to drive because your brain will be too busy watching the road to get carsick.

Ship: a cabin towards the center of the vessel.

• Look off into the distance

Watching telephone poles or mile markers pass by will only make you dizzy.

Focus on a steady point such as a tree or a barn that is away from your means of transport.

If you can’t see a specific object, you can stare at the horizon. Motion sickness occurs when your balance mechanisms in your inner ear feel different signals to those that your eyes are seeing, so the point of looking at a distant point is showing your brain that you’re moving. This way, you match what your body feels with what your eyes see.

• Don’t read or use your phone because your sense will get even more confused: your eyes are fixed on a stationary object, but your body feels the motion of the car.

• Get some fresh air when you start feeling sick
• Don’t move your head too much

Your inner ears control your sense of balance, so try not to shake it and keep your head still. Sudden movements of your head can aggravate motion sickness.

• Stay calm and collected

Sometimes nausea is only in the mind, and thinking of getting sick can make you sick for real. And even if it is real, feeling anxious will make nausea worst. Take a few deep breaths and stop thinking about queasiness. Just try to stay as relaxed as possible and keep your head busy thinking in another thing, listening to music or talking to someone.

• Avoid heavy foods and odors

As you have probably noticed, repulsive smells that will increase the feeling of nausea. When you feel sick, a lot of smells (like the smell of greasy foods, and especially strong odors) are repulsive. Avoid them if you don’t want to prompt motion sickness on a trip.

• Food and drink

Some people don’t eat at all before a trip because they think that food will make them feel worst. However, not eating doesn’t work for everybody. Experts say that you’re more likely to get nauseated if you don’t eat anything because an empty stomach makes you susceptible to nausea and vomiting. Experiment to find out if eating helps you. Eat some crackers half an hour before leaving: if you feel worst, don’t eat next time you travel. If you feel better, eat something every time that you have to travel. Avoid heavy meals and eating too much, it can make you sick easily.

• Crackers

For many people, eating a little before taking the car makes their stomach more capable of handling the ups and downs of the road. Crackers are easily digested and keep your stomach settled, nibble on them every couple of hours to help prevent nausea and vomiting.

• Warm beverages

When you feel sick, warm beverages are easier to digest than cold water. You can sip some warm tea if your stomach starts feeling nauseated. Sipping on clear, carbonated drinks such as ginger ale may be helpful too.

Avoid caffeinated drinks.

• Juice

Drink a glass of juice before you start your journey to help prevent sickness. Sipping on juice can also help you feel better if you start feeling ill. Apple juice can be very useful, both before and during traveling. Avoid citrus juice as it irritates an unstable stomach and doesn’t drink alcohol unless you want to increase motion sickness.

• Ginger