Do You Dread Traveling? How to Get Rid of Motion Sickness
While many people look forward to a spring vacation or weekend getaway, the thought of traveling fills some with dread. Motion sickness with its nausea and dizziness can put a damper on any excursion, whether it’s a quick visit to the in-laws or just catching a ride with a friend to your favorite Raleigh activity.
We have the solutions for how to get rid of motion sickness. We’ll also discuss what motion sickness is, why it occurs and why our internal medicine physicians in Raleigh are the perfect choice for your treatment.
What Is Motion Sickness?
Essentially, motion sickness is a result of your brain receiving conflicting information.
You see, there are several parts of your body that work together to help your brain orient itself—in other words, provide information on whether or not your body is moving, sitting or lying down. These signals come from your muscles, joints, eyes and—perhaps most importantly—your inner ears.
If these signals present conflicting information, your brain becomes confused, and the result is the nausea, dizziness and headaches often associated with motion sickness.
For example, let’s say you’re in the backseat of a car and you’re speaking to the person sitting beside you. The person beside you may appear to be still and not moving. Your muscles indicate that you are not moving, but sitting down. However, your inner ear indicates that the car is traveling at a faster speed. If you get a glimpse out the window, you may see trees or other cars whiz by.
Therefore, some parts of your body tell your brain that you are moving, while others indicate that you’re sitting still. The resulting confusion causes motion sickness.
What Causes Motion Sickness?
There are few causes that are obvious. Many people get sick when traveling by car, boat, bus or plane. Carnival rides with their twisting and turning can cause anyone to be queasy.
But did you realize that even video games may cause motion sickness?
In addition to the common causes listed above, the other, less obvious sources of motion sickness can include movies, reading while in motion and even virtual reality experiences.
Essentially, any activity that creates “brain confusion” can result in motion sickness.
How to Get Rid of Motion Sickness: 4 Strategies
We can easily help you discover how to get rid of motion sickness by following a few simple strategies listed below:
1. Motion Sickness Medicine
There are several different types of motion sickness medicine available over the counter that can help eliminate nausea and make traveling more pleasant for you. Some of the most common ones are Antivert, Bonine, Dramamine and Benadryl. If these motion sickness medicines are not effective for you, please contact us, so we can discuss other options.
2. Motion Sickness Bands
These work by applying pressure to certain acupressure or acupuncture points, and in certain cases, they have been very effective.
3. See Your Doctor for Evaluation of Your Inner Ear
If you suddenly experience motion sickness when you haven’t in your past, or if you first experience it after your 20s, it could be that the issue is actually a problem either with your inner ear or a type of migraine condition. This is why we encourage you to schedule an appointment with one of our internal medicine physicians in Raleigh so we can find an effective treatment and rule out any other underlying conditions.
4. Adapt Your Traveling Behavior
How to get rid of motion sickness often lies within some behavior modifications to make while traveling. These include:
- Don’t read or perform any close visual tasks while traveling
- Focus your eyes at a point on the horizon
- If you’re a passenger, rest with your eyes closed or tilt your head into turns
- If possible, opt to be the driver
Symptoms of Motion Sickness
The signs of motion sickness can come on suddenly, which is why those who frequently have difficulty with it typically take medication when traveling.
The symptoms of motion sickness include:
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Irritability
- Rapid breathing
- Pale skin
Raleigh Medical Group Can Help You Through Treatment for Motion Sickness
While most cases of motion sickness can be easily treated with over-the-counter medication, there are some instances where a more detailed examination may be in order to help ensure that you don’t have an underlying problem with your inner ear or your sense of balance.
Our internal medicine doctors in Raleigh specialize in understanding how your body’s systems work together, which means we are experts in assisting patients with common conditions such as motion sickness and chronic diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
In addition, we’ve earned recognition for excellence from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for our patient-centered strategies in helping our patients who have diabetes. For your convenience, we utilize electronic health records and a patient portal, so we can better partner with you and encourage you to take an active role in your care.
We would welcome the opportunity to be your new medical home. Contact us to schedule an appointment and see why we are the providers of choice for the Raleigh and Wake County areas.
