Travel Sickness

Travel sickness symptoms can occur when you travel by car, plane, train and ship. The medical term for travel sickness is kinetosis which is known for causing confusion between the way the eyes see motion and the way the body senses it. When you walk around the body propels itself forwards and the inner ear acts as a spirit level to balance itself. This is not the case when travelling by vehicle because the body is essentially still when the eyes can see movement.

Travel or motion sickness occurs when there is a disparity between what the eyes are seeing as the position of the body and what the inner ear (which controls balance) perceives. Because the body is still the brain is unable to process what is going on properly because the messages sent by the eyes contradict what the inner ear is telling them. Through this confusion people can become symptomatic when travelling and as a result feel nauseous, vomit, feel dizzy and in some people get a headache.

Motion sickness can also sometimes be caused by smells such as petrol or the anxiety of travelling. It is more common in children who can usually grow out of it but some adults can also suffer from the condition, particularly in certain circumstances such as an excessively rocky boat ride or driving on long roads with lots of curves.

The most common travel sickness symptoms are nausea and vomiting. Others can include:

• Excess saliva
• Cold sweat
• Feeling dizzy
• Pale colour of skin
• Shallow fast breathing
• Headache
• Tiredness

These symptoms most often occur when someone is feeling sea sick or car sick but can also be present on aeroplanes, coaches or even long train journeys. Some people also experience motion sickness symptoms which can include headaches, drowsiness and difficulty breathing.

In children and adults with mild cases of motion sickness, it can sometimes be avoided by using techniques such as listening to music, focussing on a particular point and not reading whist travelling, or by eating small meals only before the journey. Amongst the most common steps to prevent travel sickness are:

Plane Do not have a large meal before your plane journey Try to take a seat near the wings of a plane where the plane is more stable Avoid reading, as this is sometimes linked with travel sickness Remain in your seat as much as possible Close your eyes and relax Listen to some music to distract you from being unwell Car Look out the front window and focus on a non-moving object in the distance, such as the horizon Sit in the front. This can alleviate the symptoms of travel sickness Close your eyes and sleep if you can to take your mind off your motion sickness Open the window to allow fresh air into the vehicle Take frequent breaks to stretch your legs and get fresh air Use medication that prevents car sickness Sea Avoid eating junk food and alcohol the night before Go out on the deck Focus on the horizon or something that doesn't move. Do not watch the waves If you have to stay inside, sit in the middle of the boat/ ship Lie down and close your eyes Take travel sickness medication Train Sit in the middle of the train to minimise shaky movement Remain seated Do not read Keep hydrated and drink fluids such as water Sit near a window and focus on the horizon to distract from any feelings of nausea Try to sit in a seat that is facing in the same direction as the train is travelling

Although these techniques may relieve the symptoms of travel sickness, more serious symptoms of motion sickness can be treated with medication. If you continue to suffer from motion sickness, there is medication which you can use in order to try and avoid the symptoms of travel sickness. In addition to medication, ginger is often used as a remedy for other types of nausea and vomiting, such as morning sickness and some people have reported benefits when using it to treat travel sickness. Acupressure bands can also help to avoid sickness.

To treat travel sickness symptoms non medicinal methods include distraction. This is usually successful in helping younger sufferers to overcome it for shorter journeys. Moving around on a boat or plane can cause the travel sickness symptoms to worse, as can sitting at the front or back. It is better to find seating in the middle as this is where the least movement takes place. Looking at an object that isn't moving can help rather than using your phone, video game or book. Where possible ensure a good supply of fresh air and if on a ship try to get towards the top to stay cool. Anything you eat before or during the journey should be light to avoid making symptoms worse.

Medication for travel sickness should be taken before the symptoms begin as digestion can be impaired when suffering from travel sickness and that can cause the medication to be less effective. There are two types of medication which you can buy if you suffer from motion sickness symptoms. Hyoscine is a medication for travel sickness which comes in the form of patches (known as Scopoderm) or tablets (such as Kwells), so that you can take the medication in the most convenient form as possible.

Promethazine is one of the antihistamines which are sometimes used to treat travel sickness. It is only available in tablet form (known as Avomine) and is sometimes considered to have milder effects although it does not act as a sedative so it is preferred by some patients.

Yes. If you have suffered or are worried about suffering from travel sickness, you can buy medications to treat the symptoms at euroClinix. You will be asked to fill in an online consultation with one of our doctors so that we can ensure that the medication will be safe and effective for you. Once your order has been approved, a registered pharmacy will dispatch your medication for next day delivery.