How to Stop Car Sickness in 5 Steps

Going on road trips is great fun, but not when that sudden feeling of nausea overcomes you and won’t go away. We’ll give you some tips on how to stop car sickness.

Motion or car sickness is when you start to feel nauseous when traveling and may vomit. This can obviously make traveling by car an unpleasant experience, but there are some preventative actions that can be taken to avoid the onset of car sickness and also some steps to follow when sickness hits.

The reason why some people get car sick is that there is a disruption in messages sent from your eyes and ears to your brain and it can’t process the information quickly enough, causing the onset of queasiness. Women and children are most likely to get car sick, as well as those with parents who had the same condition. As well as feeling nauseous and vomiting, there are some other symptoms such as the face going pale, cold sweats and dizziness.

But car sickness sufferers don’t have to forgo traveling, check out these five simple steps to stop car sickness.

How to Avoid the Onset of Car Sickness

There’s nothing more uncomfortable on a long car journey than that awful feeling of nausea in your stomach which just keeps getting worse with every bend in the road. Stopping for a moment and taking a break can help, but then knowing you have to get back into the car again can fill you with dread. 

Car sickness sufferers needn’t worry. There are some preventative actions that can be taken before the trip to avoid the onset of car sickness — a little planning and preparation can make for an enjoyable road trip. 

If you know you’re prone to motion sickness, consider taking a natural supplement before the journey starts. The next priority is to position yourself well in the car. If possible, sit in the front seat and avoid reading or checking your phone during the journey. Keep looking out of the front window.

If it’s too late and car sickness has already struck, follow these five steps below to stop it from ruining your journey.

1. Look at the Horizon

If you feel that sicky feeling coming on try to look out of the front window of the car and focus on the horizon or something in the distance, don’t look at objects which are moving such as other cars. Avoid watching movies on in-car screens, reading or checking your smartphone during the journey as this will worsen the nausea.

2. Get Some Fresh Air to Stop Car Sickness

Open the car window to allow some fresh air inside and point air vents in the car at your face. If possible, stop for a break and get some fresh air outside. Try to focus on your breathing at this point by closing your eyes and breathing slowly and deeply.

3. Suck on a Mint

Sucking on herbal candies such as peppermints or homemade candied ginger can help you feel better, as can chewing homemade peppermint gum. Aromatherapy oils work in a similar way, gently inhale peppermint or ginger essential oils during the trip. Also, avoid eating a large meal, spicy foods or drinking alcohol before the journey, be kind to your stomach.

4. Sip Water to Reduce Car Sickness

Sip water during the journey to keep yourself hydrated, but avoid gulping down large quantities in one go, which will make your stomach feel full. An alternative drink is ginger tea — prepare a small thermos of it before the journey and gently take sips when nausea starts.

5. Wear Acupressure Wristbands

Acupressure wristbands (available from Root’d Wristbands on Amazon**) are a kind of bracelet that are worn tightly around the wrists. The band has a kind of round button on it which puts pressure on the inside of your wrist, this can alleviate car sickness. They take about five minutes to work and are more effective if one is worn on each wrist.

Read more:

• Can You Eat Raw Ginger? 6 Things That Happen When You Do
• 7 Natural Tips to Prevent Altitude Sickness
• The 5 Best Pressure Points for Sleep

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Tags: Guide Healthy Living Remedy Transportation