Motion sickness is defined as the feeling that one gets when the motion they sense with their inner ears is not the same as the motion they visualize. This condition occurs when people travelling by car or train or even an airplane feel “unwell”. I remember suffering from motion sickness when I rode a roller coaster at an amusement park. That was my first time, and could have been my last, if I would not have stumbled upon my Gran’s home remedies for motion sickness! So if you too go through that nauseating uneasy feeling when in motion, all you need are these 10 effective home remedies for motion sickness.
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But before diving into the cures, let us find out who is at risk for motion sickness, and what causes it.
Suggested read: Try these natural remedies for headaches instead of popping a pill!
Who is susceptible to motion sickness?
You may already know that pregnant women and children are usually more vulnerable to motion sickness. However, studies show that almost everyone travelling can be at a risk for this condition. People on boats are said to suffer a condition of seasickness, which is just another form of motion sickness. People who are anxious about travelling are also susceptible to motion sickness. They may have anxiety about the mode of travel, the type of ventilation in the vehicle or even their inability to look out of a window, resulting in a state of disorientation.
What are the causes of motion sickness?
Motion sickness occurs as a result of some mixed signals sent to the brain by our eyes and our semicircular canals, that is, the inner ears. If and when you are not able to see the motion that your body feels, or cannot feel the motion your eyes see, both ways you brain gets some mixed signals. Courtesy these signals, you develop symptoms of motion sickness, which leads us to the next question,
What are the symptoms and warning signs of motion sickness?
- Benign feeling of uneasiness and disquiet
- Cold sweats
- Dizziness
- Pale skin, but that happens rarely
- Increase in saliva production
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
When does one know things are pretty serious and a doctor should be informed?
Generally, a doctor is not needed to treat someone of motion sickness. However, if the person in question develops a rather persistent dehydration, followed by intractable vomiting, calling a doc is a safe option. However, what if I told you with a help of some remedies that lie stacked up in your kitchen closet, you can avoid motion sickness? This brings us to the next section of our post, which is
Home remedies for motion sickness
Here are 10 home remedies that can cure your motion sickness.
1. Ginger
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Ginger is a very common natural remedy that can help those who suffer from motion sickness, or even nausea, for that matter. However, before you use it to that end, consult your doctor, in case you are pregnant, or being nursed for some reason, or taking some other medication that can interfere. Once your doc gives the green light, you can march ahead to cure motion sickness with ginger!
Remedies
- You can try ginger chews or ginger lozenges and candies while travelling.
- A hot cup of fresh decaffeinated tea with traces of ginger in it, can come to your rescue. This helps in two ways. First, it settles your stomach, which will otherwise behave pretty agitated. Second, it hydrates you, thoroughly. Sip the tea slowly for the course of your journeys. Whether you are travelling by car or by boat, you can carry ginger along with you. If you are travelling by air, you may have to bring freshly sliced ginger with you, and ask for a warm glass of water on the plane, since you will not be permitted to carry liquid on board.
- A glass of ginger soda or ginger ale can also do the trick. You can carry the drink around when travelling by car or boat. When flying, you can purchase a bottle at a café at the airport, since drinks are usually sold after people go through security.
- Ginger cookies and breads can be a great treat of sorts since they are always oh so tasty!
2. Peppermint
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Peppermint is known for the fact that it freshens the breath and calms the stomach, which in turn, helps reduce the feeling of uneasiness and nausea. Before you start your travel, and while you are travelling, suck on lozenges flavored with peppermints. You can also chew on peppermint leaves. Some people even put a drop of peppermint oil on their tongue.
Drinking peppermint tea is something my Grand mom thinks works best.
Remedies
- To make yourself a cup of peppermint tea, you need to first, boil water in a bowl.
- Now stir about a handful of rinsed peppermint leaves. Make sure the leaves are fresh and not dried up.
- After adding the leaves, reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes.
- Remove the container from heat, and let the tea steep for another 10 minutes.
- Strain the tea, and add a sweetener of your choice. Honey would be a smarter preference. Your tea is ready.
Suggested read: 15 super effective home remedies for an upset stomach
3. Apple cider vinegar
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Apple cider vinegar is a brilliant home remedy for motion sickness, as it balances the pH levels and the acid & base ratio in our stomach, which prevents nausea.
Remedies
- Add 4 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and half a tablespoon of honey to a cup of warm water.
- Now stir the solution.
- Drink it about half an hour before you start your journey.
- If you are not very sure of drinking this solution, you can even use it to rinse your mouth. Yes, just doing that can give you relief from motion sickness, and also freshen your breath.
4. Lemons
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The citric acid in lemons helps calm the stomach. It also prevents nausea and vomiting. While you are travelling, you can suck on lemon wedges or even smell lemons to get some relief from motion sickness.
Remedies
- Warm a glass of water.
- Now squeeze half a lemon into the glass. Make sure the lemon is fresh.
- Next, add a teaspoon of honey into this glass.
- Stir the solution well.
- Drink the juice before you start your journey, and during the journey to avoid motion sickness.
- The other thing that you can try is squeezing a lemon to a cup of warm rice water.
- Add a pinch of salt to it.
- Stir the solution, and drink it before your journey.
5. Mugwort
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Mugwort helps treat conditions such as, stomach pain, indigestion and motion sickness. To help cure this, you need to put a drop of mugwort oil on your tongue before you start travelling. You can also drink mugwort tea at least two times before the day of the journey or maybe two days prior to the voyage. How to make it? Let us help you with that!
Remedies
- Put two cups of water to boil.
- Now stir in an ounce of mugwort leaves into the boiling container of water. Make sure the mugwort leaves are fresh.
- Reduce the heat, and keep it on simmer for about 5-odd minutes.
- Remove the container from the heat, and let it seep for 10 minutes.
- Strain the tea, and drink it.
6. Green apples
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To prevent the feeling of nausea, the pectin in green apples neutralizes the acids in our stomach. Eating a crunchy green apple before your journey can actually help you prevent motion sickness. You can also make a juice out of two green apples and drink it before or during the journey.
Remedies
- To make some apple juice you need a blender, 2 green apples and a teaspoon of honey.
- After preparing the juice and adding the honey, squeeze half a lemon into the juice and a pinch of rock salt.
- Drink the juice before starting your journey.
7. Black horehound
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Black horehound is known to settle the nerves and prevent nausea and feeling of uneasiness. Drink a cup of black horehound tea about half an hour before you depart for your journey.
Remedies
- Boil three cups of water in a container.
- Now add a tablespoon of black horehound, a tablespoon of chamomile and two teaspoons of chamomile.
- To the boiling water, add 4 teaspoons of grated ginger.
- Now reduce the heat and let the solution simmer for about five minutes.
- Remove the container from the heat, and let steep for 15 minutes.
- Strain the contents of the container into a cup and drink.
8. Acupressure
Acupressure is known to balance the circulation of energy through our body, and in doing so, it can prevent motion sickness. Here’s how.
Remedies
- If while travelling you get sick despite all the precautions you have taken, you can use your thumb to press your inner arm, at a spot, three finger-widths above the crease of your wrist.
- Now hold the pressure until you notice that the symptoms are subsiding.
- You can also purchase an acupressure band and tie it at the spot I just mentioned, like a wrist band, during your journey.
9. Olives
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Olives have tannin that control saliva production, which in turn, helps as a relief for motion sickness.
Remedies
- Increased saliva production can cause nausea and vomiting, and so eating olives before or during the journey can help you get some respite from motion sickness.
10. Basil
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Basil leaves are known to help against motion sickness. You can either chew on some fresh basil leaves, or have a cup of basil tea before your journey.
Remedies
- To make a cup of basil tea, you need to put a teaspoon of the herb in a tea strainer.
- Boil a cup of water.
- Strain the water in a cup using the strainer that has the herb.
- As a sweetener, use a teaspoon of honey instead of sugar.
Suggested read: How to eat healthy during pregnancy: What to eat & what to steer clear of
Other tips that can help prevent motion sickness
Here are some tips that can help make your journey a pleasant one, without a feeling of uneasiness and nausea.
- Go for a seat that gives you a good view of where you are going. If you are travelling by car, go shotgun.
- Do not stand while travelling. Also, make sure you are facing the direction the vehicle is moving toward.
- If you are travelling by car, drive if you can, instead of being the passenger. While driving, you will be focusing on the road and the traffic and this will help distract you from motion sickness.
- Do not smoke, consume alcohol or over eat before commencing the journey.
- Focus on your breath, and maintain a state of calm.
- Close your eyes while travelling. This helps reduce the sensory conflict caused by your eyes and your inner ears.
- When you look out of the window, focus on objects at a distance rather than the ones close to you. This will help you feel less nauseous.
- If possible, travel at night, since at night moving scenery is less visible.
If none of the above remedies work, you need to see the doctor for the condition of acute motion sickness.
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