Why does an adult get sick in a car?

Classification

In medicine, motion sickness syndrome is called kinetosis. According to statistical data, the population of the entire planet is familiar with this condition. In most cases, it causes seasickness for small passengers.

There are four forms of this condition in total.

If nervous kinetosis occurs, then the presence of general weakness, constant drowsiness, pain and heaviness in the head, and dizziness are noted.
In the gastrointestinal form, the following may be present: nausea, possible vomiting, a taste of soap in the mouth, increased sensitivity to various odors.
In the presence of a cardiovascular form, the following is noted: an increase in heart rate, an erratic rhythm of the heart muscle, an increase in blood pressure.
Mixed form. Combines two or all three of the above forms of kinetosis.

Possible reasons

Let's figure out why you get motion sickness in the car, and what may precede it.

Failure in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus with the presence of abnormalities in one of the parts of the brain.
The result of slight movements of the human body while driving in a car. These movements are noted by the cochlea, while visually the individual does not observe any special changes. The opposite situation may also occur, when the individual practically does not stagger, while he observes how objects move outside the window. Based on these data, we can come to a conclusion regarding the cause that influences the occurrence of motion sickness, namely: the inconsistency of information entering the brain (visual and sensory). Roughly speaking, panic begins in the brain, unconscious functioning of the autonomic system is observed, resulting in rapid heartbeat, fears, and nausea.
The presence of a hereditary predisposition.
An underdeveloped or untrained balance organ.
The following factors may also be at play:

the appearance of sounds that excite the ear;
presence of various fears;
increased air temperature;
drinking alcohol the day before;
the presence of odors that repel, for example, tobacco smoke;
lack of good ventilation in the car;
the appearance of apathy as a result of emotional stress or fatigue;
pregnancy.

How does this happen?

If a person is driving in a car and begins to feel motion sick, it means that the vestibular apparatus of his body has begun to malfunction. Or it may indicate problems in one of the parts of the nervous system. The vestibular apparatus must maintain the body in a strictly certain position, and a variety of organs are involved in controlling its position in space. The state of affairs is controlled by the eyes, receptors of the musculoskeletal system, and the cochlea of the middle ear. Signals from all organs must match.

However, when driving in a car, it happens that landscapes fly by and change through the windows, while no special sensations of movement are received by other senses, and the body does not know how to react to such a situation. A failure occurs. At the same time, it also happens differently - a person sees in front of him an unchanged interior environment, while other senses indicate shaking, which indicates movement. And again, problems arise in receiving contradictory information; the body does not know how to react to it.

In this case, a person may experience not only nausea or vomiting, but also panic attacks and other unpleasant symptoms, indicating that the brain cannot understand the situation and make a decision regarding what is happening.

What to do if you get seasick

If an adult gets motion sickness, then it is possible to find out what exactly provoked these sensations. We'll talk about how to deal with them later.

If you feel nauseous, try to distract yourself, for example, sing a song or start talking to someone.
Try to fix your head. It is best to use special pillows.
Take lollipops or chewing gum with you to freshen your breath. A slice of lemon, which needs to be sucked during the trip, also helps prevent motion sickness.
Take ascorbic acid. If you are aware that you have a predisposition to motion sickness, then you should always carry ascorbic acid next to you. Due to its absence, you can use green tea, lemon or apples.
Eat ginger cookies or drink ginger tea if you don't have an individual intolerance.
Try to move your legs, as one of the problems may be that the picture seen by your eyes does not match the position of your body, which is motionless.
If the nausea still does not go away and it is possible to stop the car, then do so. Sometimes you need to feel the solid ground under your feet and feel the fresh air.
You can also resort to the use of medications:

Vertihogel is a drug that helps resist nausea, vomiting, and saves from dizziness;
Dramamine – fights dizziness and nausea;
Avia-sea is a remedy that helps to weaken the effects of the vestibular apparatus, effective in the presence of nausea or vomiting;
Ginger is a dietary supplement that prevents the development of motion sickness;
Meclozine is an antihistamine that prevents vomiting.

Simple and affordable means

If a symptom occurs due to stress and fuss, half an hour to an hour of calm helps. To combat nausea, it is enough to retire, find a quiet place, spend time lying down, sit on a soft sofa or carpet. Place a pillow under your head, lie down comfortably, on your back or side. Sleep will help relieve the problem, a short break will ensure restoration of strength, removal of the problem.

Fresh air and deep breathing will help get rid of nausea and vomiting caused by overwork and tension. The discomfort will subside; a series of deep breaths near an open window in front of which you can sit helps. Close your eyes, think about pleasant things, leave negative thoughts. To overcome the trouble of working for a long time in front of a computer or with electronic devices, you will be able to separate yourself from them for half an hour to an hour and continue working later. A useful remedy is to inhale deeply through the nose, exhale through the mouth, slowly, holding your breath.

Coolness helps - you can relieve nausea by applying a cold compress to the back of your head or forehead. An increase in temperature due to vomiting, the high initial temperature will decrease and it will become easier. When the reason is anxiety, stress, distract yourself, do pleasant things, routine. A loved one is visiting, pleasant communication contributes to relaxation.

Avoid strong odors. The sense of smell is associated with digestion, and there are general reflexes. The smells will make it worse. If vomiting or nausea occurs, avoid perfumes, tobacco, and leave places with strong odors.

What to do if you constantly get motion sickness on the road

Train your vestibular system. It is necessary to resort to balance and coordination exercises. For example, you can go dancing, ride a carousel, or aerobics.
Eye training. Learn to make circular movements with your eyeballs down, up, left, right, in a circle. Do this exercise several times a day.
Head rotation can be done both sitting and standing. Looking forward, you need to raise your head up, then move it to your right shoulder, to your left, and lift it up again. Repeat these steps in a circle several times. After this, move on to exercises directed in the other direction. Then start moving your head in a circular motion.
Turns in place. You need to stand in one place and then turn around yourself. In the initial stages, this can be literally two turns. It is worth gradually increasing their number.
It is also very important to lead a healthy lifestyle.

How to prevent kinetosis

If you are sitting in the passenger seat, try to be as close to the driver as possible. It is believed that if you look out the windshield, the likelihood of developing motion sickness will decrease.
It is not recommended to sit with your back to the traffic.
If possible, open the window and listen to rhythmic music.
It is not recommended to eat heavily or drink alcohol before going on a trip, or drink a lot, especially soda.
If you are sitting near a side window, try not to watch what is happening behind it.
If you are not a driver, you can try to sleep.
It is important to ensure that there is no stuffiness in transport.
You should not watch movies or play on a tablet or phone while driving, as flashing pictures can cause motion sickness even faster.

Now you know, if you start getting motion sickness, what could have preceded it. When choosing the appropriate way to get rid of this condition, it is worth considering what exactly triggered its development. Remember what to do if you already feel seasick, and what can be done to prevent the occurrence of kinetosis.

Why do you get motion sickness in the car?

Regular motion sickness in the car can indicate a variety of problems in the body. However, most often the pathology is caused by a malfunction of the vestibular apparatus. Thus, the most common causes of motion sickness are:

discrepancy between the information the brain receives from sensory and visual organs. In simple words, a person sees movement outside the window and is aware of the fact of moving in space, but the muscle tissue is at rest, which causes a mismatch in the general data in the brain. The nervous system begins to “panic”, sending impulses to the body. As a result, a person experiences breathing problems, his heart rate increases, sweat appears and a feeling of nausea appears;
hereditary factors. Often the cause of motion sickness lies in a hereditary predisposition. If the child’s parents suffered from this pathology in childhood, then there is a high probability that the baby will experience similar problems. Usually in this case, motion sickness goes away on its own by the age of 12-13, but sometimes a problem with the vestibular system bothers a person throughout his life.

In addition, motion sickness in transport is observed in people with a poor sense of balance. In this case, you can cope with the problem through special training. In addition, there are a number of predisposing factors. These include:

sudden vibrations while the car is moving - this includes sudden braking and acceleration, as well as driving on an uneven surface;
eating disorders - fatty foods, alcohol or soda drunk shortly before the trip can cause the problem;
chronic diseases - pathologies such as gastritis, stomach ulcers or cholelithiasis cause an increase in receptor sensitivity. People with such diagnoses may experience symptoms of motion sickness even with minor changes in the movement of the car;
disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system - in this case, the situation can be stabilized by taking certain medications;
optical disturbances - a rapid change of picture outside the window leads to overexcitation of the nervous system, as a result, the perception of information in the brain is impaired and the person experiences characteristic symptoms;
pregnancy - in this case, symptoms of motion sickness can appear both throughout pregnancy and at its individual stages. Usually, after childbirth, a woman’s condition quickly stabilizes.

In addition to the above, very often people with psycho-emotional disorders suffer from motion sickness. In any case, if you have this pathology, you need to see a doctor who will prescribe adequate treatment to eliminate the pathology.

Homeopathic tablets for motion sickness in transport for children and adults

In addition to allopathic medicines against motion sickness, there are homeopathic medicines that can reduce the intensity of symptoms of kinetosis.

Among homeopathic remedies against motion sickness, the drug Vertigohel can be put in first place. This drug is used not only for kinetosis, but is also prescribed for a number of other neurological pathologies. More detailed information can be found in the article - Vertigohel.

In addition to Vertigohel, there are other homeopathic medicines that are aimed specifically at combating motion sickness. The choice between these drugs is usually made based on the dominant symptoms of kinetosis in a particular patient.

Borax

Helps with motion sickness caused by vertical accelerations, for example, a plane falling into an air pocket. The drug can also be used for kinetosis, which increases in response to sharp sounds and smells (tobacco smoke, music on a bus). Borax also helps in cases where a person gets motion sickness only in hot weather.

Cocculus

Prescribed for motion sickness caused by activation of visual receptors (the patient cannot look at moving objects). This drug is also indicated for all those who experience chills and very dizziness when traveling, especially in an upright position.

Colchicum

Relieves motion sickness due to lack of sleep and severe fatigue. Indicated when the patient is prone to fainting and a feeling of cold inside the body. It also helps against kinetosis caused by the smells and type of food (neighbor is having lunch).

Petroleum

This drug helps with such an unusual type of motion sickness as motion sickness with nausea with normal, and sometimes increased, appetite. If a person feels nauseous all the time while traveling, and the nausea can be relieved only by eating, then he needs Petroleum.

Another symptom of motion sickness for Petroleum therapy is the smell of gasoline. Moreover, the influence of this smell can be different. This “aroma helps some people cope with motion sickness, while others feel nauseous from it. In any case, Petroleum will help.

Symphoricampus

Helps when the most severe symptom of kinetosis is nausea and aversion to food. A person vomits precisely in response to an offer to eat or at the sight of food. As a rule, it is possible to cope with nausea by lying on your back.

Tabakum

Helps with severe motion sickness, the symptoms of which are: pallor, cold sweat, nausea and vomiting, trembling, dizziness. Those who need Tabakum need fresh air when traveling, despite the chills, such people tend to open all the windows and take off all their warm clothes. You can only travel with your eyes closed.

Theridion

Indicated for those who experience vomiting, especially if it occurs in response to loud noise. Such patients are indifferent to visual stimuli. But they always complain about weakness and chills.

Cinnamonum

Prescribed for those who are “sick of air” and experience severe belching and belching.

Konium

Ideal for relieving symptoms of motion sickness when boating or riding in a cart.

Kali iodatum

Helps get rid of kinetosis on trains.

All homeopathic medicines for motion sickness are used in 3rd or 6th decimal dilution.

What to do if you get motion sickness in the car

To cope with embarrassment and prevent motion sickness in vehicles, you can use the following tips:

if you are a passenger, try to take a seat next to the driver. Looking at the road through the windshield will reduce the likelihood of motion sickness;
if you feel nauseous, try to distract yourself, for example, you can sing a song or start a conversation with other passengers;
Drink as much clean drinking water as possible. Under no circumstances take food or alcohol with you on your trip;
try to fix your head in one position. Special horseshoe-shaped pillows are very suitable for this purpose;
Try not to look out the side window. If you cannot control yourself, hang curtains on the windows;
Make sure that the car is not stuffy. If necessary, turn on the air conditioner or open the windows slightly;
try to sleep. This is one of the most effective ways, of course, if you are not a driver. During sleep, your vestibular system will “rest” with you;
stop reading and watching movies or videos on your phone or tablet. Constantly flashing a picture before your eyes will speed up the process of motion sickness;
bring candy with you. In addition to candies and caramel, pickled cucumbers or a slice of lemon are a great way to cope with motion sickness. They need to be sucked during the trip.

To avoid motion sickness, listen to your body. In addition to the methods listed above, you can use medications. For example, tablets that are taken 30-40 minutes before the expected trip will relieve you of nausea and dizziness for several hours.

Rocks the baby

Now let's figure out what to do if a child gets sick in the car. After all, children have a poorly developed vestibular apparatus and they get motion sickness much more often and more severely than adults. Most often it affects children aged 2 to 12 years. Small children very often fall asleep in the car, and the car seat restrains them and motion sickness occurs much less often. Children very often feel sick in the car, and this can be dealt with in the following ways:

There is a lot of advice on choosing food, but it all depends on the individual characteristics of the body. Some children are better off not eating at all before the trip, while others find it easier to endure the journey on a full stomach. It is best to eat a little before the trip, but do not overindulge in food
.
Breathing evenly and deeply
can help stop nausea. Clean and fresh air in the car will not be superfluous, so try to ventilate the car well.
Plain water
, but not carbonated, also helps great on the road. It is best to drink it often, but in small portions.
a slice of lemon or other citrus fruit
will help . Just don’t force your child to trample down a kilogram of tangerine in half an hour; eating an orange slowly will not harm him, but on the contrary will help.
A favorite toy
is the best way to distract a child on the road and make him concentrate on a stationary object.

I hope you liked our tips on what to do if you get motion sickness in the car. But that's not all, to avoid motion sickness you need to try to train your body. Regular charging with elements of turning the case in opposite directions will be more than enough. Swinging, sleeping on a hammock and other daily activities also help bring the vestibular system into proper condition.

Source: solojumper.ru

A person gets motion sickness in transport for two main reasons:

1. Excessive excitation of the balance system (vestibular apparatus)

2. Lack of oxygen reaching the brain

Let's start with the second reason:

Lack of oxygen, overheating and weather

The brain is the main consumer of oxygen in the body and it is very sensitive to even a slight decrease in the amount of oxygen in the air. But as a rule, in a car or bus it is stuffy, the windows are closed and there is less and less oxygen.

With a lack of oxygen, brain cells receive less energy to work and clear metabolic products. These metabolic products accumulate and poison the cells. At the same time, headache and nausea appear - the body wants to empty the stomach of food in order to save energy.

If, in addition, it is hot in the car and you are warmly dressed, the surface of your body heats up, the peripheral vessels dilate and more blood flows to them. Because of this, less blood is available to supply the brain. This further aggravates oxygen starvation.

You may also have noticed that you get more motion sickness in cloudy weather when it rains. The fact is that such weather occurs in the zone of a cyclone, one of the indicators of which is a low oxygen content in the air.

Stimulation of the vestibular apparatus and vision

But still, the main cause of motion sickness is hyperexcitation of the vestibular apparatus (which is located in the inner ear). For some people, it is too sensitive, and from constant accelerations during a trip (caused by vibrations, acceleration of the car, and especially braking and driving on hills) - this balance sensor itself becomes unbalanced and begins to send a stream of signals to the brain that unbalances the whole organism.

Signals from the vestibular apparatus enter the cerebellum, which thinks that the body is moving and uselessly tones the muscles, and also stimulates the internal organs of a peacefully sitting person. This means energy is wasted and the body gets tired.

At a high level of excitation, the cerebellum (and the exhausted stomach) send signals to the vomiting center (which is located in the adjacent medulla oblongata), and it initiates the process of preparing for vomiting - nausea. The vomiting center reduces blood pressure, relaxes the stomach, and contracts the respiratory muscles and diaphragm. Well, then - you know...

It must be said that it is not so easy to deceive the cerebellum. In addition to signals from the vestibular apparatus, it receives balance signals from the eyes. And it acts based on the analysis of both sensors. If the movement is well controlled by vision, then the cerebellum does not panic. Therefore, by the way, drivers who carefully monitor the road very rarely get motion sickness.

Try a simple experiment. Stand on one leg and try to stand. You will probably be able to do this easily. Now close your eyes and try to stand on one leg. You will immediately begin to sway to maintain your balance, and most likely, you will quickly lose it. This is what happens when the cerebellum is guided only by signals from the overly sensitive vestibular system.

Therefore, when you are driving a car and reading or playing PlayStation instead of looking at the road, you will get motion sickness much faster.

But vision can both inhibit motion sickness and intensify it. For example, you can get motion sickness even at home when you play a computer game for a long time that simulates fast movement with acceleration.

And in the car, even if you look at the road, your eyes gradually get tired. The same vestibular apparatus contributes to eye fatigue. It is closely connected with the oculomotor nerves and tries to automatically move the eyes according to the recorded accelerations, and constantly strains the eyes with its commands. Tired eyes no longer send calm informative signals to the cerebellum, but excited noise - and help the vestibular apparatus throw the body out of balance.

What to do if you get motion sickness?

Firstly, you can train the vestibular system so that it is calmer. Astronauts do this very well.

Secondly, you can properly prepare and behave correctly while traveling in a vehicle or traveling by sea.

Thirdly, you can try anti-motion sickness pills or a motion sickness bracelet on yourself.

Source: www.livepedia.ru

Where is the vestibular apparatus hidden in humans?

According to doctors, about 10% of people get motion sickness in transport. They find it difficult to travel on buses and cars. Flying on an airplane turns into a nightmare for them. And you can’t even dream about a cruise on a sea vessel. If you are one of them, don't despair. You need to understand why you get motion sickness in the car.

The cause of these unpleasant sensations is overexcitation of the vestibular apparatus, which is located in a person’s inner ear. This thin device is connected to the eyes and internal organs. Rapid movement of objects in space can cause weakness, sweating, dizziness, increased salivation, nausea, and vomiting in a person. Moreover, even after repeated vomiting, relief does not come.

Who gets motion sickness on the road?

People suffering from biliary dyskinesia find it difficult to endure the journey.
Children under two years old do not feel rocking. But older children often get motion sickness on the road. Girls cope with moving worse than boys.
Rarely causes motion sickness in people over 60 years of age.

How to deal with motion sickness?

If you have a long trip ahead and you get carsick, don't worry. Motion sickness can be minimized if you follow a number of rules.

The night before your trip, you need to get a good night's sleep.
You can't hit the road on an empty stomach. Food must be taken one and a half to two hours before the trip. It's better if it's light. Fatty and smoked foods can increase nausea.
You should refrain from smoking and alcoholic beverages. They can make motion sickness worse.
Avoid strong-smelling perfume. Persistent odors can cause headaches.
When traveling by ground transport, it is better to position yourself in the direction of travel. It is better to sit in the front seat on the bus.
Don't read while driving. Admire the scenery, listen to music. Try to fix your gaze on distant objects
Watch your breathing. It should be smooth and deep.
Ask fellow travelers to put off snacks until the stop - food smells increase motion sickness.
You can reduce motion sickness with a slice of lemon. Suck on it if you feel any discomfort.
You can improve your well-being by influencing sensitive points on the body. Use your finger to massage the area under your earlobe.

You can reduce the sensitivity of the vestibular apparatus with the help of medications. "Dramine", "Bonin" or "Aeron" can be purchased at the pharmacy. They should be taken 30 minutes before travel.

People prone to motion sickness need to regularly train their vestibular apparatus. A number of simple exercises will help with this.

Bend forward several times, then in different directions. Try to touch your ear to your shoulder.
Smoothly rotate your head clockwise, then counterclockwise.
Lie on your stomach, hang your head and neck off the sofa, and then quickly lift it, tense your chin.

You can adapt the human vestibular apparatus through exercises in the pool. It is necessary to combine swimming with body turns.

If you adhere to these simple rules, regularly find a few minutes a day to train the vestibular system, then you will soon stop getting motion sickness in transport. Traveling will turn from pain into pleasure.

Source: ydachari.ru

What to do if you get sick in the car and feel sick

In order to neutralize the feeling of nausea and dizziness, it is necessary to coordinate the work of all nodes of the vestibular apparatus. For example, to neutralize the constant flickering of a picture before your eyes, you can use a special mask or curtains on the windows. It is very important to understand what exactly causes an attack of motion sickness. If the provoking factor lies in a strong or unpleasant odor, you can ask the driver to open the window slightly.

If the feeling of nausea takes you by surprise, you can try the following tips:

Take ascorbic acid. If you know you are prone to motion sickness, carry it with you at all times. If there is none, then you can replace it with lemon, green tea or apples;
Eat gingerbread cookies. Ginger is an excellent remedy for motion sickness. You can take it not only in the form of cookies, but also as tea, as well as in the form of marshmallows. However, this remedy is not suitable for people with individual intolerance;
Move your feet. Since the main cause of motion sickness lies in the inconsistency of the information received by the brain, at the first urge to feel sick, you can try to depict movement. To do this, start moving your legs and moving your body back and forth.

If none of the listed methods helps and the symptoms intensify, then you need to stop the car and get out onto solid ground. This is the only thing that will help in a difficult situation.

What can cause motion sickness?

Among the phenomena that can provoke an attack of motion sickness, it is worth noting not only shaking in transport, but also others:

Apathy or emotional overstrain that occurred the day before;
The smell of gasoline, other unpleasant odors in the cabin;
Heat;
Alcohol;

Motion sickness is not as harmless as it may seem. In fact, these symptoms may hide more serious problems. If these symptoms are experienced by an elderly person or a patient with hypertension, it is necessary to consult a doctor. After all, before a stroke and in the initial stages of other diseases, the same symptoms may occur.

Why do people get motion sickness in transport and how to deal with it: advice from the science department of Gazeta.Ru

Program crash

The inner ear was grown from cells

There are unfortunate people who get motion sickness on the road. Most often, traveling in a car or on a bus is poorly tolerated at a young age: it is believed that 58% of children from 2 to 12 years old experience motion sickness. But approximately 5–10% of the population suffers from it throughout their lives.

Proper preparation for travel is the best prevention of motion sickness

Before traveling by transport, you need to get a good night's sleep. Sleep should be at least eight hours, but you shouldn’t oversleep either.
Before you get on the vehicle, you need to eat a little. Many people who suffer from motion sickness believe that driving on an empty stomach will reduce nausea and prevent vomiting. This is not true.

Firstly, the stomach, which has not had poppy dew in it for a long time, will be in an excited state. That is, at the level of the stomach, parasympathetic will be activated. And, as mentioned above, kinetosis itself has a similar effect. That is, as a result, a cumulative effect will take place, in other words, you will feel even more sick.

Secondly, fasting for more than 12 hours leads to a drop in blood sugar levels. A drop in sugar is always a certain physiological stress for the body. It is more difficult for an organism under stress to cope with illness.

The optimal pre-trip meal is a light vegetable dish.

People who suffer from motion sickness should definitely avoid drinking milk, carbonated and alcoholic drinks before traveling. Fermented milk drinks and mineral (still) water are shown. Both water and fermented milk drinks should not contain sugar. Smoking is also prohibited.
It is necessary to take care of the “correct” tickets. If you and/or your children get motion sickness, you should purchase seats only in the middle of the vehicle and only those located in the direction of travel.

Gets sick in the car. Reasons and what to do?

Dear readers! For most of us, traveling by car in anticipation of meeting loved ones, the sea, nature, and other countries is a holiday that brings many positive emotions. Meanwhile, there are people for whom the trip becomes torture; they get carsick. This is most common in children between the ages of 2 and 12, but adults are often affected as well.

Why do you get motion sickness in the car?

Motion sickness when traveling in a car is akin to seasickness; both phenomena in medicine are called kinetosis. For the first time, doctors studied “motion sickness” that occurs during sea voyages. What happens in the body, and what are the causes of illness in adults and children?

Problems appear due to disruptions in the body when exposed to constant fluctuations. There is a mismatch in the data received by the brain from the vestibular apparatus, muscles and organs of vision. The brain is in “panic”; this is similar to a state when a powerful dose of adrenaline is released into the blood; the brain signals danger with dizziness and nausea.

Physiology of motion sickness

The vestibular apparatus, and more specifically the following parts of the body, is responsible for the sense of balance of the human body in space:

organs of vision;
inner ear;
muscles and tendons.

Dizziness and nausea during movement occur due to the fact that the brain cannot put together the information received. It turns out that if a person looks forward, then the eyes do not observe movement, but the inner ear, sensing the swaying, sends a signal to the brain about motor activity. If the passenger looks out the side window, then the opposite happens: the eyes see movement, but the inner ear does not sense it in that direction.

This discrepancy between visual perception and the vestibular system leads to loss of balance and, accordingly, to dizziness and nausea. At such moments, a person may feel hidden fear, experience headaches and feel a rapid heartbeat.

A child gets sick in the car - reasons

Traveling in a car over long distances is perceived by children as an adventure and is always looked forward to. Scientists, analyzing statistical data, discovered an interesting phenomenon: children under 2 years of age and children over 12 practically do not get motion sickness, and girls are more susceptible to the disease than boys. One cannot discount such an important factor as heredity.

How can we explain the occurrence of problems in this age category? The fact is that the vestibular apparatus, which is responsible for maintaining balance, is located in the inner ear, and the child’s hearing organs are finally formed by the age of 12. For most children, with age, problems associated with motion sickness become less pronounced and subsequently go away completely.

To prevent children from getting motion sickness

The situation with a child will be more difficult, because it will be more difficult for him to tolerate nausea. Most likely, he will ask you to stop the car. But if at a stop the child does not have a gag reflex, and on the road he begins to feel sick again, then he must be provided with plenty of fluids and a bag in case of vomiting. Frequent stops in this case will be useless.

Distract your child and explain that he needs to look forward and not out the side windows of the car.
If you understand that your child constantly feels bad on the road, try to train his vestibular system. Dr. Komarovsky advises pushing your child on the swing more often, signing him up for dancing, or creating a sports corner in his room.
For dogs and cats, almost all of the listed rules are also relevant, with the exception of mints and enrolling pets in a dance club. If your dog or cat is constantly vomiting on the road, contact your veterinarian, he will prescribe suitable sedatives
And remember that a comfortable atmosphere should be for everyone who is in the car

Car sickness - symptoms

Motion sickness in the car can manifest itself in one of the symptoms or several at the same time. You begin to feel discomfort, shortness of breath and dizziness. How can I help you? If measures are taken immediately, the attack will not develop further and will gradually fade away. Miss the moment, you will feel sick, weakness and vomiting will not keep you waiting. Access to fresh air and cessation of movement will quickly normalize the situation. Folk remedies and medications significantly alleviate the condition.

What to do if you get motion sickness in the car?

To reduce symptoms of motion sickness, do not eat before traveling. Have a snack 2-3 hours before you plan to hit the road.

It is not recommended to have your back to the direction of movement.
Attempts to deceive the vestibular apparatus give excellent results: move your legs, move your body from side to side, wave your arms intensively, this will reduce the discrepancy in the signals sending commands to the brain.
One of the causes of motion sickness is reading while moving.
Tension of the vocal muscles gives good results; their vibration helps to normalize the condition. Sing songs, recite poems, or just talk with fellow travelers. Have you forgotten all your poems out of fear? Mumble the multiplication table.

Pharmacy chains offer a range of drugs that can effectively cope with motion sickness, relieving its symptoms. Please consult your doctor before purchasing them. The main task of medications is to prevent signals from the vestibular apparatus from entering the brain. During pregnancy, you should use folk remedies.

Sour drinks suppress nausea; take still water with lemon with you on the road; your child will happily drink tea with mint or ginger. Ginger capsules also give good results.

Treatment and folk remedies

Despite the fact that in medicine there is a special term - kinetosis, motion sickness is not a disease; its symptoms appear only under certain circumstances and disappear without a trace after you leave the vehicle. If there is no disease, there is no treatment provided. It is only possible to alleviate the condition by taking antihistamines and antiemetics. During pregnancy, only homeopathic remedies are indicated.

You can suck a piece of lemon, mint or ginger candy, or drink acidified water. A strong pickled cucumber will also work.
According to Chinese doctors, the points of influence for nausea are on the wrists; they recommend bandaging them tightly before the trip. This advice is widely used by sailors. If nausea still sets in, focus on the point under your earlobe and press it rhythmically.
Many adults who get carsick in the passenger seat quickly return to normal when they get behind the wheel. The driver must be as focused as possible; attention is diverted from the trees flashing outside the window; ahead is only the road stretching into the distance.
It is not recommended to drink alcohol or eat heavily before the trip, drink a lot of water, carbonated drinks and sweets are completely unacceptable.
Traveling at night is easier to endure than traveling during daylight hours.

And one more piece of advice that makes you smile, and yet, in the hope of getting rid of the manifestations of motion sickness, all methods are good. The folk remedy is as follows: cover the navel with a white adhesive plaster crosswise. How effective this technique is is not for us to judge.

Remedies for motion sickness

If the above actions do not help, the symptoms of seasickness persist, take medication or use folk remedies. (Before your trip, you should consult your doctor, read the instructions for use of the drug and, if possible, check for individual intolerance.)

On board a yacht or other small sea vessel, taking medications is possible only with the consent of the captain. The fact is that most of the tablets for motion sickness are sedatives, that is, they affect the nervous system, so the person becomes sleepy and is not able to fully participate in steering the ship.

There are several ways to relieve seasickness - these are tablets, patches, homeopathic remedies and dietary supplements.

Antihistamines are used as remedies for motion sickness (they are familiar to us as medicines for allergies) - Pipolfen, Suprastin or Diphenhydramine, as well as tablets for motion sickness - Kinedril, Bonin, Aviamorin, Dramina " Many of them can cause drowsiness and inhibition of the nervous system. Kinedril contains caffeine, which does not allow the nervous system to slow down. These drugs do not act immediately, so it is recommended to take them at least an hour before traveling by car or going to sea.

Homeopathic medicines and dietary supplements - Aeron, Bellaspon, Bellataminal, Nux Vomica, Vertigohel, Avia-more, Fellow Traveler. And validol and valocordin, mint extract or mint tea will help with nausea and anxiety.

Sailors have experimentally found another way to combat seasickness. Before the trip, you need to wrap your wrists with elastic bandages, tightly but carefully so as not to pinch the blood vessels. The bandages will create a pressure differential and will constantly act on a special point in the wrist area, which will help overcome nausea. If you still feel seasick, rhythmically press your nail or match on the point under your earlobe for several minutes.

Prevention

Our tactic is prevention. If you get motion sickness in the car during a half-hour trip, it's time to train your vestibular system. With regular training, the organ stops responding with excessive stimulation.

The simplest exercise equipment can be a country hammock or a children's swing. In severe cases, patients, under the supervision of doctors, work on specially designed simulators. We often hear that such training does not make sense. We beg to differ, a classic example of their effectiveness is the cosmonaut training program, when they are rotated at breakneck speed on a centrifuge simulator; an ordinary person cannot bear such loads, but trained people can cope successfully.

Dear readers, today you learned how to help yourself and your children if you get carsick. I hope that these useful tips will be useful to you and that any trip in the car will bring a lot of pleasure to you and your children.