I’m sick by car, what to do?

To reduce transport evil (both plane, boat, train, bus or car), opt for homeopathy, acupuncture, antihistamines or music. All you have to do is find what does you the most good.

You are delighted to go on vacation, the latest suitcases have just been placed in the trunk of the car. But after a few hours on the road, the cinetosis wins you, a very unpleasant situation … Fortunately, solutions exist!

Why are we sick in transport?

Transport evil is called cinetosis in medical jargon. The causes and symptoms are the same on the way, the means of transport. Besides, a merry-go-round or a roller-coaster can make people sick. And this is due to the perception that we have of things when we are in movement without moving ourselves.

A perception problem

It is “a conflict between visual perception, perception of the inner ear and the various muscle sensors”, explains Valérie Wiener, doctor in the service of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology of Saint-Luc university clinics, on the hospital site.

“Imagine a person busy reading a book or who consults a card in a moving car. His eyes, concentrated on the book or card, will not perceive the feeling of movement of the vehicle, while the inner ear and muscle sensors (which record the vibrations felt in the car) will record another type of information, namely: the vehicle is moving”.

The balance is disturbed

Our center of balance, located in our brain, is a little lost because it receives contradictory information: the person is sitting, and therefore static, but everything moves around them. Our balance center no longer knows what to do, so it is at this point that transport evil appears.

Transport evil can worsen if you don’t see the horizon (for example, in an airplane or back of the car). Often, the more violent the movements, the more likely it is to get sick.

When do the symptoms of transport evil occur?

The consequences of this disease of transport can be varied:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• headache,
• disturbed belly,
• balance disorders,
• dizziness,
• fatigue,
• heat puffs …

Anyone can feel these inconveniences at any time. You may never have felt these ailments and that they occur once during a long trip. There is no rule, but if a person is fasting, tired, in a cramped or even stressed space, they will be touched by cinetosis faster.

If it is really necessary to give a theory, it has been observed that children (between 3 and 12 years old) are often the most affected as well as adults over 60 years of age. Women seem more sensitive than men and even more if they are pregnant.

What remedies? 4 tracks

“It is advisable to eat light and the least fatty as possible before the journey, get air regularly, hydrate yourself and avoid alcohol consumption,” advises Dr Valérie Wiener. It is possible to prevent transport evil or, at least, to reduce it.

1. Watch in the distance

Some measures must be taken according to the means of transport:

• By car: the ideal is not to read, to look outside by fixing the horizon (this makes it possible to remember that we move).
• Train: the recommendations are the same.
• On a boat: get in the fridge, outside and in the front or in the middle of the boat, if possible by fixing a point on the horizon.

In general, looking at the landscape that scrolls through the window is not recommended.

2. Be stable

During the trip, it is important to find a stable place. In an airplane, it is a question of sitting on one of the seats located at the wings. On a boat, it is in the middle of the cargo, and in a car or a bus, it is at the front.

3. Be cool

Odors such as cigarette smoke, the smell of fatty food or the smell of essence accentuate the nausea. It is therefore important to breathe fresh air as much as possible. For example, on a boat, stay on deck. And by car, open a window and take breaks regularly.

4. Relax

When nausea is felt, you have to take the time to breathe calmly and relax because stress and fatigue promote cinetosis.

Homeopathy, vestibular physiotherapy, acupuncture…

Nothing works in the remedies mentioned above? It is possible to try:

• Homeopathic drugs, some essential oils can be effective (peppermint for example).
• Taking antihistamines, but they can have a sedative effect.
• The acupressure band option. This elastic bracelet with a plastic button gives constant pressure inside the wrist. This prevents or reduces nausea feeling. They are developed on the basis of acupuncture points.
• Taking chewing gum against transport evil.
• The installation of patches against the evil of travel: they contain scopolamine, a substance that can prevent the symptoms of the evil of travel.
• The implementation of vestibular physiotherapy sessions which can deal with the long -term problem.
• Listening to music with headphones, sound can reduce the hyper excitation of the inner ear.

There is no shortage of remedies, everything is to find the right one. According to your ills, the opinion of a general practitioner is never superfluous.

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