Tips to prevent motion sickness when traveling long distances

If you get motion sickness, taking 1-2 grams of raw ginger or a cup of ginger tea before departure can help prevent it.

Motion sickness or seasickness is a very common disorder of the inner ear, caused by stimulation from continuous movements such as traveling in cars, ships, planes, etc. This is not a pathological manifestation because it can occur in most normal healthy people, however, the sensitivity level of each person is different.

Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, or feeling sick or tired. These symptoms usually improve when the movement stops, but for some people they can last for several days afterwards.

If a person regularly experiences or is experiencing symptoms of motion sickness, the following measures may help prevent and reduce these symptoms:

- Limit head and body movement by choosing a stable sitting position with little movement in the vehicle. You can use a head pillow or headrest to keep your head as still as possible.

- If possible, choose a seat in the front row, close to the window and focus on a fixed object, for example, you can fix your eyes on the horizon or close your eyes. Do not sit facing the back, do not read the newspaper, watch movies or play games because these activities can aggravate symptoms.

- Breathe in fresh, cool air by opening the car windows or sitting on the deck if possible, avoiding letting the environment become too hot.

- Relax by listening to music and focusing on breathing evenly or counting backwards from 100. Do not observe or talk to people who are experiencing motion sickness.

- Avoid eating too much, eating greasy foods or drinking alcohol before getting in the car.

- Try to stay calm during the trip, fear of motion sickness will make motion sickness more likely to occur.

- Drugs that prevent motion sickness: some may be effective in preventing and treating motion sickness. To ensure effectiveness, these drugs should be taken before symptoms of motion sickness appear because when motion sickness appears, the ability to absorb the drug will be reduced:

+ Scopolamine has a relatively good effect against motion sickness, used in the form of a skin patch. The drug should be applied before departure, for long trips, the patch should be changed every 3 days. Scopolamine can cause drowsiness, sleepiness, blurred vision, dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, urinary retention... Do not use the drug in people with angle-closure glaucoma.

+ Some first-generation antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate, diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, promethazine and cinnarizine can be effective in preventing motion sickness. These drugs should be taken 1-2 hours before departure and repeated every 8 hours on long trips. They are less effective than scopolamine but cause fewer side effects, mainly drowsiness, sleepiness and dry mouth. Dimenhydrinate, diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine can be used safely in pregnant women.

+ Metoclopramide can also be used for the purpose of preventing motion sickness. The drug is more effective than antihistamines and is relatively safe, with few side effects.

According to VnExpress - NT