How to get rid of motion sickness, according to the experts

No matter if you're traveling by car, train or boat, experiencing motion sickness can feel debilitating.

Motion sickness is a “mismatch between the different sensory systems,” Dr. Desi Schoo, MD, an assistant professor at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center in the Department of Otolaryngology. 

The body’s peripheral sensory organs send signals to the brain to help to stabilize your balance. Motion sickness occurs when “the brain has a hard time interpreting and interacting with these different signals that are coming in,” Schoo says.

If you're prone to experiencing motion sickness, these doctor-approved tips can help you start feeling better.

How to get rid of motion sickness

To treat motion sickness, avoid situations in which you know you might begin to feel the sensation of motion sickness. For example, “some people are more prone to motion sickness if they're riding in the back seat of a car,” Schoo says. “Something as simple as riding in the front seat, or even driving the vehicle, in some cases, can help patients feel better.” 

Dramamine, Benadryl and meclizine are OTC medications that can help to calm the sensation of motion sickness, per Healthline. It’s important to be aware that medicines that “aim to treat dizziness and motion sickness can make patients drowsy.”

According to the CDC, other techniques that may help reduce the symptoms of motion sickness include:

• Staying hydrated and limiting caffeine and alcohol
• Avoiding smoking
• Getting enough sleep
• Using distractions such as aromatherapy, controlled breathing, or listening to music

Is it possible to overcome motion sickness? 

While it may not be entirely possible to overcome motion sickness, one study found that habituation therapy successfully reduced the symptoms of a patient experiencing severe motion sickness. 

Habituation involves “repeatedly or tentatively [exposing] yourself to the nausea stimuli that's driving the motion sickness,” Schoo explains. The goal is to introduce the motion signal “that's causing distress to your body and your brain, [and] to try to lessen the symptoms over time,” he says.

“The hope is that through some of these exercises, the brain would become more accustomed to” the “sensory mismatch and start to ignore it,” Schoo says.

How long it takes for motion sickness to go away

“In most instances, I would expect motion sickness to be short lived,” Schoo says. The sensation “should resolve pretty quickly after the inciting event.”

However, “some patients will report severe dizziness or nausea that lasts hours after a car ride,” Schoo says. “I would be more suspicious or concerned about [lingering] symptoms.” 

Schoo stresses the urgency of seeking medical attention if you’re experiencing severe and persistent “dizziness, imbalance, or nausea and vomiting.” These are “relatively atypical” symptoms of motion sickness, and may be an indication of a more serious health condition, he says.

Though rare, there are “certain types of strokes that can present as intense and severe dizziness, with nausea and vertigo, [and] the sensation of spinning,” Schoo notes.

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