Many people suffer from motion sickness and this can be really annoying and painful at times. Especially during times of long travel, this can ruin the fun and pose a problem to the person in discussion as well as the people accompanying them. Good news is, there are ways to beat motion sickness and here are a few tips on how to do it –
- Eat and drink carefully
Whatever you eat or drink affects your body and metabolism. A hangover from previous night’s drinking will only add to the trouble. Also, avoid excessive spicy or oily food, and other foods that makes you uncomfortable. Keeping your stomach in good shape is important so that you don’t feel bad, feeling to throw up or have a heartburn.
- Try to choose the place with least motion
The middle seats of the bus, the seats beside the wing of an airplane and the middle section of a boat are the positions of these vehicles with the least possible motion. If possible, be seated in these places to avoid excessive motion and jerking.
- Do not read
When you try to read a book, your focus shifts to the distance from your eye to the book page surface and that causes an imbalance in orientation and when you switch your focus to the actual moving environment, it may cause a lot of discomfort.
- Horizon is your friend
Motion sickness mainly happens due to our body’s inability to cope up with the fast moving surrounding and orientating with the axes we usually perceive through stationary objects. The only thing that may help a viewer’s eye to get an idea of the axes is the horizon. So, look at the horizon for keeping balance but do not dead stare at it, for it may cause dizziness.
- Don’t talk about it
You may talk positive things to yourself, encourage yourself that everything is fine, you’re doing fine and this boosts your confidence. But if there are more motion sickness prone people on board, they may engage in anxiety talk and you do not want to be a part of it, because that only increases the problem.
- Don’t travel backwards
To have a better sense of orientation, do not travel backwards because it sends unnatural signals to our brain. Try to sit in the front row of the vehicle and look at the horizon while traveling forward. This gives a feeling of you being in control and will help to overcome the motion sickness.
- Avoid strong odours and perfumes
Strong cologne, odour and perfumes trigger nausea and that might lead to triggering motion sickness. So, try to avoid putting on strong perfumes and avoid all strong scents if possible.
- Get some sleep
A good night’s sleep works wonders on our body and this is no exception. Get some good sleep before the day of the journey. This will make your body function well and reduce the possibilities of falling sick.
- Get fresh air
Needless to say, fresh air flow works best for soothing our bodies and make us feel comfortable and relaxed. If possible, open a window and let the fresh air come in and breathe that in. You’ll immediately feel better.
- Keep medications at hand’s reach
If none of the above mentioned tips work and you still fall sick, you should have medications at the reach of your hand as a last resort. Scopolamine patches work great in reducing stress from the nerves when you put it behind your ears. Be sure to know about the side effects. There are also anti-nausea bands available in the market, which put an acupuncture type pressure at a certain point on your wrist. Wearing those in needy situations might also come in handy.
That’s it, a bit of preparedness and some precautions will reduce the risks of falling motion sick and the most important thing is to feel confident and remain optimistic about the journey.