Travel sickness
What causes motion sickness?
Motion sickness is usually associated with travelling in a car, ship, plane or train. However, you can also get it on fairground rides and while watching or playing fast-paced films or computer games.
Motion sickness is thought to occur when there's a conflict between what your eyes see and what your inner ears, which help with balance, sense.
Your brain holds details about where you are and how you're moving. It constantly updates this with information from your eyes and vestibular system. The vestibular system is a network of nerves, channels and fluidsin your inner ear, which gives your brain a sense of motion and balance.
If theres a mismatch of information between these two systems, your brain can't update your current status and the resulting confusion will lead to symptoms of motion sickness, such as nausea and vomiting.
For example, you can get motion sickness when travelling by car because your eyes tell your brain that you're travelling at more than 30 miles an hour, but your vestibular system tells your brain that you're sitting still.
There's also an association between motion sickness and a type of migraine where dizziness, rather than headache, dominates. This is known as a vestibular migraine. If you experience dizzy spells and have a history of motion sickness, you may be diagnosed as having vestibular migraines.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Motion sickness is a term that describes an unpleasant combination of symptoms, such as dizziness, nausea and vomiting, that can occur when you're travelling.
When to seek medical advice
It's only necessary to seek medical advice about motion sickness if your symptoms continue after you stop travelling. Your GP will be able to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms, such as a
What causes motion sickness?
Motion sickness is usually associated with travelling in a car, ship, plane or train. However, you can also get it on fairground rides and while watching or playing fast-paced films or computer games.
Treating motion sickness
Mild symptoms of motion sickness can usually be improved using techniques such as fixing your eyes on the horizon or distracting yourself by listening to music. Other self care techniques you could t
Medication
More severe motion sickness can be treated with medication. It's usually better to take medication for motion sickness before your journey to prevent symptoms developing. Hyoscine Hyoscine , also k
Complementary therapies
Several complementary therapies have been suggested for motion sickness, although the evidence for their effectiveness is mixed. Ginger Ginger supplements, or other ginger products including ginger
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