Don’t Let Motion Sickness Ruin Your Ride
Natural Ways to Fight the Feeling
Posted on June 16, 2004
Motion sickness is a common ailment. Whether you’re riding in a car, boat, train or plane, the onset of motion sickness can make for a downright unpleasant ride. The feeling is caused by your brain sensing movement through your inner ears, eyes, muscles and joints, while your eyes do not see any movement. The mixed signals sent to your brain cause the feeling of sickness – and sometimes even an unpleasant physical response.
“There are natural remedies that people can use to lessen the feeling of motion sickness, as well as prevent the feeling from occurring in the first place,” says Victoria Huitt, LAc, assistant professor of acupuncture and Oriental medicine at Northwestern Health Sciences University. Huitt offers these natural remedies for motion sickness:
- Placing pressure on the P6 Nei Guan acupressure point, located on the inside of the wrist, may reduce motion sickness;
- Use an acupressure band. They are worn on the wrist like a sweatband, as a tool to keep constant pressure on the P6 Nei Guan acupressure point;
- Ginger may help settle a nauseous stomach. Studies have shown that one gram may reduce the onset of vomiting and cold sweats associated with motion sickness;
- Avoid spicy food and don’t overeat. If you have motion sickness, drink a carbonated beverage and stick to crackers to settle your stomach;
- Drink beverages at room temperature, not extremely hot or cold;
- Focus your eyes on the horizon or keep them closed. Don’t read in the vehicle; and
- Watch where you are seated. Try to sit toward the front of a car, train, or boat; near the wing of a plane; or in an upper-deck area of a ship.
So when you’re off on your next road trip, or headed out for your summer vacation, remember these tips to make your travel as enjoyable as possible.
HealthyU is a program developed by Northwestern Health Sciences University to educate, empower, and support people who seek to improve and maintain their overall health and well-being through the integration of mind, body, and spirit. The HealthyU website features 1,200 pages of information on how to live healthfully and more than 1,300 links to additional resources on the web. Visit www.nwhealth.edu/healthyU.