Top 10 Ways to Avoid and Treat Car Sickness

Reading is one of the worst things you can do to provoke car sickness. When your eyes are fixed on the pages of a book, you can only see the inside of the car. This means that your eyes think that your body is still. However, your ears hear all the bumps, turns and outside noises of the car moving. This causes confusion in the brain, and leads to car sickness.

2. Do Not Play Video Games

Playing video games is just as bad as reading. It causes your eyes to strain, and confuses your brain. It helps if you can see out the window with your peripheral vision while you play, but it might still cause car sickness. It is recommended to stay away from anything that requires your full attention or requires you to strain your eyes.

3. Look Out The Windows

Looking out the windows is one of the best ways to treat car sickness. If you start feeling sick from playing video games or reading, looking out the window helps a lot. Your eyes register that you are moving, which calibrates your eyes with your ears and eases your brain.

4. Do Not Eat Greasy Or Fatty Foods.

Eating greasy food or food that is high in fat is a horrible idea right before a car right. If you are prone to car sickness, greasy food can make you feel a lot worse than if you had an empty stomach. You increase the risk of throwing up if you have food in your stomach while going through twists and turns.

5. Meclizine

Meclizine is a great medicine to take if you are carsick. Meclizine prevents nausea and vomiting by reducing the activity of the center in the brain that controls nausea. Furthermore, it prevents motion sickness by reducing activity of neurons in the motion and balance center of your brain.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt Correctly

Before you take off in your car, make sure your seat belt is on right. If it is too loose it could cause you to slide around, provoking car sickness. Likewise, if it is too tight it can constrict your stomach and cause nausea and vomiting when you are car sick.

7. Sit In The Front Seat

If you are feeling carsick, ask to be moved to the front of the car. The ride is much smoother in the passenger seat, as the front of the car goes over bumps more gently. Also, you can see turns coming so your inner ear has time to adjust.

8. Drive Smoothly

One of the best ways to prevent carsickness is simply to drive smoothly. When you approach a turn, slow down and make sure not to turn too sharply. If you have to brake, do so gently, and give a warning if someone in the car is already carsick.

9. Take Breaks

If someone in the car is carsick, or prone to car sickness, make sure to stop often. A quick stroll around the car can be the difference in getting carsick or not.

10. Maintain Good Ventilation

Sometimes, car sickness can be prevented just by keeping a good temperature in the car. In the summer, use the air conditioning, and in the winter use heating. Keep in mind that it is better to be a little bit too cold than it is to be too hot. Excessive heat while in the car is a surefire way to have someone throw up.