It may very well be the most dreaded phrase that could be uttered from the back seat during a long car trip. (Other than “Mom, Bobby is bleeding.”) Motion sickness… car sickness… whatever you want to call it, the after effects can put a real damper on your family’s summer road trip.
So what can we do to help our young travelers (and more mature ones) from experiencing that awful queasy feeling during long car rides and on stomach turning thrill rides?
Well, first, doctors say we need to stop blaming our stomachs. Studies show it’s the brain not the gut that is the cause of motion sickness. If you are sitting in a car (or on a ride such as a roller coaster) your body maybe moving at a high rate of speed, but your inner ears, which help maintain balance, and your eyes, may be reading things differently. What’s more, your body’s nervous system is also sensing bumps and vibrations, which in turn may not correspond with what your eyes and ears feel. In the end you are stuck feeling queasy, dizzy, and nauseous. You may also experience a loss of appetite, fatigue, or break out in a cold sweat.
Doctors say children between the ages of 2-and 12-years-old are especially susceptible to motion sickness. In addition, women are likely to suffer from it more than their male counterparts, especially if they are pregnant or menstruating. I happen to suffer from reoccurring migraines, which puts me in the high-risk category for motion sickness (which is why I steer clear of thrill rides).
There are other ways to prevent motion sickness besides not going on long car trips and staying off of roller coasters. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents of young children should have them ride facing forward (provided your son or daughter is more than a year old and weighs more than 20 pounds). Also, doctors recommend giving your child a light snack if he or she hasn’t eaten for several hours since an empty stomach tends to worsen car sickness.
I find distractions also help. For example, it’s a good idea to have your child look outside the car window rather than read books or play games. Doctors say by doing so you help your child eliminate the sensory disconnect that comes from feeling motion while concentrating on something that’s not moving. I’ve also found singing and playing music are successful diversions.
If you have a child older than 12 have him or her sit in the front seat of the car. Doing so will decrease the likelihood of motion sickness because it offers a smoother ride. However, doctors say in boats, planes and buses, the furthest point forward is the best place to sit.
What other ways do you combat motion sickness?