Everyone gets motion sickness. Whether you’re riding in a car, taking a train, or, yes, even walking down the street.
We all know the nauseous, headachy feeling; but do you know wat actually causes it?
Motion sickness itself is an umbrella term for a family of conditions or symptoms related to conflicts in sensory input.
When two or more sensory signals do not align, that’s when the brain gets confused.
An example of this is when someone is reading in a moving car. Your inner ear will sense that you’re in motion, but your eyes and body will think that you’re still. Resulting in telltale signs like cold sweats, irritability, pale skin, dizziness and even vomiting.
While airsickness and seasickness as known to happen, the most common form of motion sickness is carsickness.
If your child is prone to this condition, here are a few tricks that will help them feel better.
Go Offline
This means turning off all electronic devices to discourage your kids from looking at them throughout the entire trip.
But if you have young kids, it can be hard to keep them entertained and well-behaved on long roadtrips. Especially if they’ve grown up with smartphones and tablets around the house as a means of mental stimulation.
Some children are okay with just staring out the window; using nothing but their thoughts and daydreams as an endless source of entertainment.
But others may need constant sensory stimuli to keep them occupied.
So, find something for them to do that doesn’t involve screens, or books for that matter.
Recline and Relax
If your kids get carsick often, get them to lie back in their seats. This mean their heads should be touching the headrest, as if they were sleeping.
This limits the inertia impacted upon their body through the shifting motion of a car. Such as when hitting the brakes, changing lanes, or in the case of manual cars, switching gears.
Sitting still, with their eyes either looking out the window or straight ahead at the road will provide some relief.
This trick works even better if your child is sleepy or gets sleepy in the car.
Encourage them to take a nap or at the very least close their eyes while sitting in a relaxed position.
Skip A Meal
Food can be either friend or foe during long trips.
Having too much before the trip can make carsickness worse, but riding in a car with an empty stomach may also be bad.
So, have them eat a light snack before the trip. Such as a sandwich, or some oatmeal porridge. Something that will curb their hunger pangs without putting them in a food coma.
If there’s no time to eat, then pack some crackers for the road ahead, or some healthy snacks. Carrot sticks, apple slices and nuts are great choices.
And be sure to avoid any greasy, heavy, spicy and/or acidic foods. These are known to aggravate motion sickness.
Try Some Aromatherapy
Soothing and calming scents like lavender, ginger, and mint can help quell nausea and headaches. Symptoms which are synonymous with motion sickness.
You can hang ready-made poultices or potpourris in the car, too.
But try to avoid manufactured air fresheners and opt instead for essential oils.
These have a more natural scent than artificial jelly or oil-based car fresheners, which can be overwhelming.
You can dilute some essential oil in some water and spray the car seats, or use a wood diffuser that you can stick onto the car dashboard.
Roll Down the Windows
Sometimes the lack of proper ventilation may aggravate the symptoms of motion sickness.
It is found that people who experience motion sickness tend to feel much better when they move to a cooler environment with better airflow. So, roll down the car windows to let in some fresh air.
However, this may not be ideal if you’re on the road, or worse in traffic.
The ‘fresh air’ you’re letting into the car won’t be so fresh.
In fact, the fumes and smoke coming off the other cars may actually worsen your child’s motion sickness.
So, an alternative to this is to turn up the air-conditioning to simulate the experience of moving air.
Preparing for a Comfortable Roadtrip
Motion sickness can leave you feeling terrible.
And for kids, they may be a trigger for temper tantrums and other unpleasant behaviour. This can put a damper on your holiday mood. Especially if you’re on a family roadtrip going to a vacation spot or a relative’s home in another state.
So, even if your kids aren’t prone to carsickness, always prepare in advance in case they do experience an episode on the road.
If it’s your kids’ first time on a long roadtrip, then definitely bring all the essentials.
Some home remedies that you may want to try also include chewing gum, ginger ale (or any carbonated drink), and some over-the-counter medication like scopolamine, promethazine, or benedryl.
These can definitely bring some much-needed relief from those carsick blues the next time you and your kids go on a long roadtrip.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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