For someone who suffers from motion sickness,travelingis almost guaranteed to be uncomfortable.
All those things move and toss your stomach around with them.
Not everyone experiences motion sickness.
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But motion sickness is a real (and really irritating) phenomenon thats also fairly common.
That sensory conflict is believed to be the basis for motion sickness, Rauch explains.
It makes sense that when our senses are giving us too many conflicting signals, we getdizzy.
(It’s our body’s way of recognizing that we might be about to fall over.)
But why it also make us feel sick is a question experts haven’t figured out yet.
In modern times, that dizzy feeling still activates nausea, even though theres no poison in the picture.
And how strong those signals are varies from person to person.
All humans with functioning inner ear balance function can be made motion sick, Fife says.
For others, it starts after an attempt to read or concentrate on something else while moving.
Our brains are all different.
Were all sort of wired the same but also a little differently.
Heredity also seems to be a factor.
Those whosuffer from migraineare also more likely to have dizzy spells and be motion sick, says Rauch.
Both conditions are linked to the brains ability to process sensory information.
Motion sickness is more common in womenwhich Rauch posits could be connected to the higher incidence ofmigrainein womenand children.
Its also more common in people of Asian descent.
Certain medications that increase nausea may also contribute to motion sickness susceptibility.
But thats not something the average person has access toor wants to endure.
A lot of people who have motion sickness as children grow out of it after puberty.
Try cutting out somepotential migraine triggers, Rauch suggests, to see if it helps.
This works best preventively, Rauch says.
It might not help so much once nausea sets in.
If you’ve got the option to be in the drivers seat, thats best.
The most common over-the-counter treatments are Bonine (meclizine) and Dramamine (dimenhydrinate).
Any form should helpa chew, tea, or even ginger ale.
Thats a great way to go if it works for you.
Fife says these have been studied, “but not much.
If youre having trouble managing your motion sickness, talk to your doctor about these options.
Its kind of impossible to avoid cars, boats, planes, and trains indefinitely.
