» Travel Sickness

Travel sickness and in particular road sickness is often thought to influence mostly children, however medical opinion estimates that 80% of the inhabitants experience from motion sickness at some point in their lives. Motion sickness occurs when the brain can't match the information it is receiving from:

1) Inner ears, which sense in which directions you are moving
2) Eyes, which see what direction you are moving
3) Skin receptors, which detect which parts of your body are touching the ground

For example, if you are reading in a moving car, your inner ears and skin receptors are telling your brain that you are moving forward, but your eyes are on a motionless book and your muscle receptors reporting that you are sitting still. For some people this is OK, but for others some form of motion sickness will start to build up. Motion sickness can take the form of dizziness, exhaustion, and nausea which may growth to vomiting. Fear of motion sickness can make these feelings a lot worse.

So what can be done to shun motion sickness? If you often suffer from motion sickness there are a few things to try to make a journey more comfortable.

» Avoid heavy meals for two hours before the journey. Eat small amounts of something dry such as crackers, crisps or biscuits before the journey, don't eat any dairy products and avoid salad and fruit as it can be acidic. If possible don't eat whilst on the trip.

» Drink small amounts of non natural drinks. Don't drink milk or any natural juices such as orange juice and others with citric acid. Avoid alcohol.

» Try anti motion sickness pills, either from you doctor or homeopath.

» Acupressure bands work well for some people.

» Studies have shown ginger root can be effective against motion sickness. Ginger capsules are available or you can try a dose of about 1/2 teaspoon of dry powdered ginger, which is equivalent to approximately 1/3 ounce of fresh ginger root, which is roughly a 1/4-inch slice.

» Avoid staring out the window for long periods of time as this can create motion sickness.

» Keep still and move gently. If possible stay where there is the least movement.

» Don't read

» Alternative remedies such as EFT (or tapping), hypnosis or acupuncture may help.

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