Preventing motion sickness

In short: Motion sickness occurs when the balance organ in the inner ear and the eyes send conflicting signals to the brain, for example when reading in a moving car. Typical symptoms are nausea, dizziness, and cold sweats.

In more detail: The inner ear registers motion while the eyes focus on a stationary object like a book; this contradiction confuses the brain.

In detail

• Choosing a seat: The front seat in a car, over the wings on a plane, and the middle of a ship register motion least intensely.
• Looking outside: Fixing your gaze on the horizon or a fixed point in the distance helps bring the eyes and inner ear back into sync.
• Avoiding reading and screens: Skip books, phones, or games during the ride, since they intensify the contradiction.
• Fresh air: An open window or a break in fresh air often noticeably eases symptoms.
• Light meals: Don’t eat too heavily or too fatty before traveling; an empty or overly full stomach worsens the discomfort.
• Medication and home remedies: Travel gum, ginger, or over-the-counter remedies from the pharmacy can help preventively (reiseapotheke-zusammenstellen).
• Habituation: People who travel frequently often develop a certain tolerance to motion over time (hoehenkrankheit-und-akklimatisierung).