Motion Sickness | Travelers' Health (2024)

FAQs

Motion Sickness | Travelers' Health? ›

Preventing motion sickness without medicine

Vestibular conditions (including, but not limited to, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular migraine, vestibular neuritis, ototoxic medication exposure) may present with similar symptoms of motion sickness as they can increase visual-vestibular conflict.

Adults >50 years are less susceptible to motion sickness. Pregnancy, menstruation, and taking hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives have also been identified as potential risk factors. People with a history of migraines, vertigo, and vestibular disorders are more prone to motion sickness.

Yet some adults are unpleasantly surprised to find themselves coming down with the unforgettably bad symptoms of queasy stomach, cold sweats, dizziness and headaches, even if they never got them as kids.

Zinc is thought to contribute to the proper functioning of this system, and its deficiency might disturb the communication between the inner ear and the brain. This disruption could potentially amplify the sensations that lead to motion sickness symptoms.

Motion sickness is a condition that happens when your eyes, inner ear and body send conflicting messages to your brain. You can develop the condition whenever your body is staying still but you're being moved by a vehicle, like when you're riding in a car or standing on a boat deck.

Most people with motion sickness can prevent it by taking medications that you put on the skin. Most drugs used to treat motion sickness can help prevent it, but they cannot be cured. Over-the-counter medications, and occasionally prescription medications, are used to relieve and in some cases prevent motion sickness.

Motion sickness is a psychophysiological response to provocative motion. In addition to the physiological causes of motion sickness, anticipatory arousal caused by previous motion discomfort inhibits adaptation to provocative motion.

Avoiding triggers and anti-nausea training

A 2020 study at England's University of Warwick found that, after doing 15-minute visuospatial training exercises (finding hidden objects in puzzles, folding paper), many subjects didn't get sick when taken for car rides.

What is the drug of choice for motion sickness? ›

The first is antihistamines, both prescription and over-the-counter. These are the most commonly used medications for motion sickness, and they're available in any drug store and in many supermarkets. Cyclizine (Marezine) and dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) are two major ones.

You may be staying up later, consuming more alcohol and getting less exercise than usual. You're also more likely to be in crowded places for prolonged periods, interacting with a more diverse population than you're used to.” All of these factors can weaken your immune system and set the stage for getting sick.

Dramamine has an average rating of 8.8 out of 10 from a total of 52 ratings on Drugs.com. 87% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 8% reported a negative effect. Zofran has an average rating of 8.0 out of 10 from a total of 264 ratings on Drugs.com.

Commonly used medicines are diphenhydramine (Benadryl), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), and scopolamine.

Medications or illness

If you have sinus congestion or a sinus or ear infection or have recently had a concussion, you may be more prone to motion sickness. People who get migraines are also more likely to get motion sickness.

The efficacy of wrist bands for motion sickness is still unclear. Some scientific research studies have investigated whether acupressure helps with nausea and vomiting. More research is needed to understand if using wrist bands for nausea is as effective as standard anti-nausea drugs.

People with other conditions that cause nausea, including early pregnancy, migraine and vestibular disorders, are likely to get motion sickness as well.

The condition is more common in women (particularly during menstruation or pregnancy) than in men, and more common in children than in adults. People who have migraine headaches, including a balance disorder called vestibular migraine, have a higher risk of motion sickness than those who do not have these conditions.

Current adult motion sickness susceptibility scores appeared higher in patient groups, particularly in individuals with migraine and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) (81% and 94% higher, respectively).