Coping with Car-sickness.
Created | Updated Jul 19, 2004
WORK IN PROGRESS! SCOOT!
Car-sickness is a very common problem, especially in children.
Not only is it very uncomfortable for anyone suffering from it, it's also a bit of a bother for anyone in the same car. Hour-long drives can turn into a nightmare for anyone involved, and to parents it can make travelling practically impossible. While there is no end-all cure, there are a few common-sense ways of dealing with it that make things a lot easier for anyone involved.
Let me me note first that I am not any sort of formal expert, exept in the sense that I have life-long personal experience. The following is simply a list of advice. If you're an adult, you've probably figured most of this out for yourself. Nevertheless, here goes:
What to do before the journey.
If you know that you will ge going for an hours-long drive, then avoid sugary stuff that day (candy, ice-cream etc.) This helps keep the nausea under control. But make sure and eat something nevertheless. Driving on an empty stomach is not a good idea.
The Patient.
Drivers rarely get car-sick, so if possible, drive the car. Failing that, sit in the front passenger seat, and look out through the front windshield. Do not look out the side windows. Car-sickness is triggered by your eyes, and seeing things zoom through your field of vision is a sure-fire way to bring it on.
Do not read, or look down, In fact, keep your eyes outside the car. If you start feeling sick, then look at the horizon, or something so far away that it doesn't move. Alternatively, close your eyes.
The Driver.
Car-sickness is a very common problem, especially in children.
Not only is it very uncomfortable for anyone suffering from it, it's also a bit of a bother for anyone in the same car. Hour-long drives can turn into a nightmare for anyone involved, and to parents it can make travelling practically impossible. While there is no end-all cure, there are a few common-sense ways of dealing with it that make things a lot easier for anyone involved.
Let me me note first that I am not any sort of formal expert, exept in the sense that I have life-long personal experience. The following is simply a list of advice. If you're an adult, you've probably figured most of this out for yourself. Nevertheless, here goes:
What to do before the journey.
If you know that you will ge going for an hours-long drive, then avoid sugary stuff that day (candy, ice-cream etc.) This helps keep the nausea under control. But make sure and eat something nevertheless. Driving on an empty stomach is not a good idea.
The Patient.
Drivers rarely get car-sick, so if possible, drive the car. Failing that, sit in the front passenger seat, and look out through the front windshield. Do not look out the side windows. Car-sickness is triggered by your eyes, and seeing things zoom through your field of vision is a sure-fire way to bring it on.
Do not read, or look down, In fact, keep your eyes outside the car. If you start feeling sick, then look at the horizon, or something so far away that it doesn't move. Alternatively, close your eyes.
The Driver.
