How to Avoid Car Sickness
Sit in the front seat of a car., Focus your eyes on the horizon., Keep cool., Stabilize your head., Take frequent breaks., Try to nap., Focus on something else., Put down the books, phones, and devices., Breathe deeply., Avoid bumpy roads., Buy a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Sit in the front seat of a car.
Doctors believe that motion sickness is caused by a conflict between what your eyes are seeing and how your body is interpreting the motion of a vehicle, which uses signals originating in your inner ear to sense balance.For example, if your eyes see the car seat in front of you but your body feels the curves and speed of the road, your inner ear might be thrown off.
This then leads to the nausea and dizziness so typical of carsickness.To avoid this feeling, try to have your eyes focused on the road in front of you so that your eyes and your body can interpret the same information.
By sitting in the front seat, you are much less likely to experience a discrepancy between what you see and how your body interprets motion.
Driving the car yourself has the added benefit of giving you something to focus on, which can distract you from your sickness. -
Step 2: Focus your eyes on the horizon.
Having a fixed visual point in front of you will help keep your eyes, inner ear, and nerves in check.Look out the front window and find a stable point at the horizon, somewhere in the distance.
This point could be a mountain, a tree, a building, or simply a point in space.
Concentrate all your visual attention at this point.
Hold your gaze there even if there are bumps, curves, and hills.
Resist the temptation to look out the side window: only look out the front window.
If you are in control of the vehicle, be sure that you are paying attention to the road and surrounding cars as well as to the horizon in front of you. , Having a cool, well-ventilated atmosphere can help mitigate car sickness as well as alleviate symptoms such as sweating and nausea.
If you can, crack the car windows open to create a cross breeze.
Alternatively, you can turn on the car's air conditioning.
Point the air vents at your face to get the most benefit.Ventilation can also help reduce food odors in the car.
Car sickness can be exacerbated by strong food odors., It can sometimes be hard to keep your eyes focused on a single point when you are in a bouncing, bumpy car.
To stabilize your vision, make sure your head is stabilized too.
Rest it against the headrest behind you to keep it still.
A neck pillow might also help you keep your head — and therefore your vision — steady., Go outside to stretch your legs.
Sit on a bench or under a tree and take some deep breaths in through your mouth to help relax.
This is especially important during journeys that involve a long distance of curvy roads.
Not only does stopping frequently help alleviate car sickness, but it is also good for the driver to take a break every once in a while.
Resume driving when you feel alert and when your dizziness and nausea pass. , Sleeping through your motion sickness can also work wonders for car passengers.
You won't be aware of the differences between your visual information and the signals your body is sending because your eyes will be closed.
Many people find that sleeping is the best way to get through a long car trip without motion sickness.
If you have trouble napping in the car, consider using a form of sleep aid.
If you use a sleep aid, however, you have to be certain that you will not be needed to drive at any point during the trip. , Distractions are a great way to decrease car sickness, especially for children or those who have to ride in the backseat.
Take your mind off of your dizziness and nausea by listening to music, singing, or playing a game of 20 questions with your fellow passengers., Car sickness is worsened when you are concentrating on a visual object that is within the car instead of outside the car.
Staring at a book, a phone game, a kindle, or a tablet can heighten the mismatch between your eyes and the rest of your body.
To prevent car sickness, make sure the only objects you focus your eyes on are outside of the car, on the horizon in front of you.There are many people who experience car sickness only when reading in the car.
Make sure this doesn't happen to you! Audio books, the car radio, and CDs are a great way to be entertained in the car without causing car sickness. , Car sickness is made worse by feelings of anxiety and nervousness.
Relaxation techniques such as slow, deliberate breathing exercises can help you slow your heart rate and relax your body, making it less likely that you will experience symptoms of motion sickness., The smoother your ride, the less likely you are to experience car sickness.
Ways to smooth out your ride include driving on highways instead of stop-and-go city streets and making sure your car has up-to-date shocks.You can also take care in your route planning to avoid hilly or mountainous roads by driving around particularly hilly regions.
Aim for as flat a ride as possible.
Driving at off-peak times can also help prevent getting stuck in stop-and-go traffic. , A motion sickness wrist band provides gentle, constant pressure to your forearm, about one inch from your wrist joint.
This pressure is supposed to help alleviate the nausea caused by motion sickness.
While anti-nausea wristbands haven't been scientifically proven to be useful, they are relatively cheap and have no negative side effects.You can consider giving it a try to see if it happens to work for you.If you do not own a motion sickness wrist band, you can apply gentle pressure on your forearm (between the two tendons) about 3cm (roughly an inch) or so back from the wrist joint. , Some people who experience car sickness also experience motion sickness in other vehicles, such as trains, buses, and planes.
Some people, however, only experience motion sickness in the car.
Trains, buses, and planes might be viable forms of transit.
These other vehicles may be a better option because they are able to provide a smoother ride, are less likely to confuse your eyes, and allow you to sit higher up in your seat.
It is helpful to find the most stable seats on these alternative forms of transit.
Make sure your seat is facing the direction in which you are traveling (do not choose a backwards-facing seat); sit towards the front of trains and buses; choose a wing seat on an airplane.
You are less likely to be bounced around in these seats.For shorter distances, walking or biking might allow you to avoid the car altogether. -
Step 3: Keep cool.
-
Step 4: Stabilize your head.
-
Step 5: Take frequent breaks.
-
Step 6: Try to nap.
-
Step 7: Focus on something else.
-
Step 8: Put down the books
-
Step 9: phones
-
Step 10: and devices.
-
Step 11: Breathe deeply.
-
Step 12: Avoid bumpy roads.
-
Step 13: Buy a motion sickness wrist band.
-
Step 14: Consider alternative forms of transportation.
Detailed Guide
Doctors believe that motion sickness is caused by a conflict between what your eyes are seeing and how your body is interpreting the motion of a vehicle, which uses signals originating in your inner ear to sense balance.For example, if your eyes see the car seat in front of you but your body feels the curves and speed of the road, your inner ear might be thrown off.
This then leads to the nausea and dizziness so typical of carsickness.To avoid this feeling, try to have your eyes focused on the road in front of you so that your eyes and your body can interpret the same information.
By sitting in the front seat, you are much less likely to experience a discrepancy between what you see and how your body interprets motion.
Driving the car yourself has the added benefit of giving you something to focus on, which can distract you from your sickness.
Having a fixed visual point in front of you will help keep your eyes, inner ear, and nerves in check.Look out the front window and find a stable point at the horizon, somewhere in the distance.
This point could be a mountain, a tree, a building, or simply a point in space.
Concentrate all your visual attention at this point.
Hold your gaze there even if there are bumps, curves, and hills.
Resist the temptation to look out the side window: only look out the front window.
If you are in control of the vehicle, be sure that you are paying attention to the road and surrounding cars as well as to the horizon in front of you. , Having a cool, well-ventilated atmosphere can help mitigate car sickness as well as alleviate symptoms such as sweating and nausea.
If you can, crack the car windows open to create a cross breeze.
Alternatively, you can turn on the car's air conditioning.
Point the air vents at your face to get the most benefit.Ventilation can also help reduce food odors in the car.
Car sickness can be exacerbated by strong food odors., It can sometimes be hard to keep your eyes focused on a single point when you are in a bouncing, bumpy car.
To stabilize your vision, make sure your head is stabilized too.
Rest it against the headrest behind you to keep it still.
A neck pillow might also help you keep your head — and therefore your vision — steady., Go outside to stretch your legs.
Sit on a bench or under a tree and take some deep breaths in through your mouth to help relax.
This is especially important during journeys that involve a long distance of curvy roads.
Not only does stopping frequently help alleviate car sickness, but it is also good for the driver to take a break every once in a while.
Resume driving when you feel alert and when your dizziness and nausea pass. , Sleeping through your motion sickness can also work wonders for car passengers.
You won't be aware of the differences between your visual information and the signals your body is sending because your eyes will be closed.
Many people find that sleeping is the best way to get through a long car trip without motion sickness.
If you have trouble napping in the car, consider using a form of sleep aid.
If you use a sleep aid, however, you have to be certain that you will not be needed to drive at any point during the trip. , Distractions are a great way to decrease car sickness, especially for children or those who have to ride in the backseat.
Take your mind off of your dizziness and nausea by listening to music, singing, or playing a game of 20 questions with your fellow passengers., Car sickness is worsened when you are concentrating on a visual object that is within the car instead of outside the car.
Staring at a book, a phone game, a kindle, or a tablet can heighten the mismatch between your eyes and the rest of your body.
To prevent car sickness, make sure the only objects you focus your eyes on are outside of the car, on the horizon in front of you.There are many people who experience car sickness only when reading in the car.
Make sure this doesn't happen to you! Audio books, the car radio, and CDs are a great way to be entertained in the car without causing car sickness. , Car sickness is made worse by feelings of anxiety and nervousness.
Relaxation techniques such as slow, deliberate breathing exercises can help you slow your heart rate and relax your body, making it less likely that you will experience symptoms of motion sickness., The smoother your ride, the less likely you are to experience car sickness.
Ways to smooth out your ride include driving on highways instead of stop-and-go city streets and making sure your car has up-to-date shocks.You can also take care in your route planning to avoid hilly or mountainous roads by driving around particularly hilly regions.
Aim for as flat a ride as possible.
Driving at off-peak times can also help prevent getting stuck in stop-and-go traffic. , A motion sickness wrist band provides gentle, constant pressure to your forearm, about one inch from your wrist joint.
This pressure is supposed to help alleviate the nausea caused by motion sickness.
While anti-nausea wristbands haven't been scientifically proven to be useful, they are relatively cheap and have no negative side effects.You can consider giving it a try to see if it happens to work for you.If you do not own a motion sickness wrist band, you can apply gentle pressure on your forearm (between the two tendons) about 3cm (roughly an inch) or so back from the wrist joint. , Some people who experience car sickness also experience motion sickness in other vehicles, such as trains, buses, and planes.
Some people, however, only experience motion sickness in the car.
Trains, buses, and planes might be viable forms of transit.
These other vehicles may be a better option because they are able to provide a smoother ride, are less likely to confuse your eyes, and allow you to sit higher up in your seat.
It is helpful to find the most stable seats on these alternative forms of transit.
Make sure your seat is facing the direction in which you are traveling (do not choose a backwards-facing seat); sit towards the front of trains and buses; choose a wing seat on an airplane.
You are less likely to be bounced around in these seats.For shorter distances, walking or biking might allow you to avoid the car altogether.
About the Author
Carolyn Kennedy
Creates helpful guides on pet care to inspire and educate readers.
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