Do you dread road trips because they come with a side of the dizzies? Try some of these ways to avoid car sickness, so you can enjoy your travels more this summer!
I get extremely car sick. As a kid, I was able to do crazy things like read a book in the back seat, but over the years, car sickness has crept in. At this point, it has gone from annoying to debilitating. I dread any drive over 30 minutes, because I start to get woozy that quickly. This all came to a head last summer, when we had to make an emergency stop for car sickness medicine on the way to the beach.
No one has been able to pinpoint exactly what causes it, but there are some theories about why we get car sick. It may have to do with a disconnect between the motion your body senses and your brain knowing that you’re sitting still. There could also be a genetic component. One thing is certain, though: motion sickness makes an otherwise fun road trip into a miserable experience.
These are some of the ways I’ve found to avoid car sickness. I hope that these methods help bring you some relief on your travels!
1. Get ahead of it.
This is probably the most important trick that I can share. It is much easier to avoid car sickness than it is to make it go away. In my experience, once the world starts to tilt, over the counter medicine has been the only thing that helps. Take steps to stop the nausea before it happens!
2. Drive.
If you can, volunteer to be the driver. Doing most or all of the driving on a road trip can be kind of a bummer, but feeling like you could barf at any moment is much worse. This is my go-to move now, even though I really dislike driving, and it has made our road trips a lot less stressful.
3. Focus on something far away.
When I was first dealing with car sickness, someone suggested this trick to me, and it does sometimes work in mild cases. Choose something in the distance that’s not moving too much. A cloud or a mountain are both good choices. There’s actual science behind this technique. We get motion sick because our inner ears think that we aren’t moving, but our eyes are watching scenery fly by. Choosing a stable point helps reconcile this.
4. Go to sleep.
Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best. If you can get some rest, go for it! Your senses can’t get confused when you’re snoozing.
5. Sit up front.
When you’re in the front seat, you have a clearer, head-on view of the horizon. This helps your brain in the same way that looking at something far away does. It’s also a good idea to choose something in front of you. Facing sideways or backwards can make your car sickness worse.
6. Stay hydrated.
We tend to drink less on road trips so we won’t have to make pit stops, but dehydration can make you feel nauseated. Plus, those extra stops help give your body a break from being in the car, which also helps motion sickness.
7. Eat some ginger.
Ginger helps prevent nausea, and it can help you avoid car sickness. Choose your own favorite way to get some ginger into your life! Pack ginger ale in the cooler. Throw some ginger chews or candied ginger into your snack bag. Pop a ginger pill before you leave and at intervals during your trip.
8. Just breathe.
If you’re chronically car sick, your anxiety about it happening again can make mild car sickness worse. If you feel even a hint of nausea coming on, do some stress-busting breathing to help calm your nerves.
Related at Care2
Images via Thinkstock.
Copyright © 2015 Care2.com Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.Care2.com
https://test.yourwellness.com/full-text-rss/makefulltextfeed.php?url=feeds.feedburner.com%2Fgreenliving%2Flife&max=10&links=preserve&exc=1&submit=Create+Feed
Comments are closed.