Why does my head spin when travelling by car, plane or boat?
Always feel sick when travelling by car, boat, plane or train? Dizziness and the urge to throw up seem like the nemesis to a satisfying trip? You are not alone because what you experienced is a common condition called motion sickness.
What is motion sickness?
Motion sickness, also called seasickness, is a common disturbance of the inner ear. This is the area of the body that affects your sense of balance and equilibrium. Motion sickness happens when your brain receives conflicting messages about motion and your body's position in space. The conflicting messages are delivered from your inner ear, your eyes (what you see), your skin receptors (what you feel), and muscle and joint sensors.
For example, you might become sick because your eyes cannot see the turbulence that is tossing the plane from side to side. As mentioned above, motion sickness can occur with any mode of travel: ship, plane, train, bus, or car.
What you might feel when having motion sickness
When having motion sickness, you may feel dizziness, sweating, nausea and vomiting. These discomforts can strike suddenly, progressing from simply not feeling well to cold sweats, dizziness, and then vomiting.
Motion sickness is more common in women and in children 2-12 years old. People who suffer from migraine headaches are also more likely to experience motion sickness.
Here’s how you can prevent or minimise motion sickness
Medications to treat travel sickness
You can also purchase medications from pharmacists to manage your travel sickness better. Examples are meclizine (Veloxin®), dimenhydrinate (Novomin®) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl®).
