Home Remedies and Herbs for Motion Sickness

Motion sickness is a condition that occurs during movement. It can happen with unexpected movements, sudden movements or even movements that are expected. It is a fairly common condition that affects many people. Though it´s not serious, it can be irritating. Especially for people who travel a lot, motion sickness symptoms can be uncomfortable and inconvenient.^{1 2}

What Causes Motion Sickness?

Motion sickness causes are due to mixed signals between the brain and the eyes. The vestibular system in the brain is responsible for understanding motion and balance. During motion sickness, the body, the inner ear and the eye send conflicting messages to the brain’s vestibular system about how or where you are moving.^{1 2} These mixed signals cause feelings of unbalance because the brain cannot make sense of how you’re moving. This produces motion sickness symptoms. For example, if you are in a car travelling at 80 km/hour, your eyes understand that you’re traveling but your brain thinks that you’re sitting still inside the car. This can cause feelings of unbalance, or motion sickness.²

Common motion sickness causes are from traveling on boats, trains or planes or being a passenger in a car. Motion sickness causes can also be due to rides at fairgrounds or even 3D movies. Poor ventilation inside vehicles or not being able to see outside fully can also cause motion sickness.^{1 2} If someone is susceptible to motion sickness, even thinking about movements such as on a plane will be enough to cause motion sickness symptoms. Some people are more susceptible to motion sickness than others. Motion sickness risk factors include:²

• Traveling
• Being under the age of 12
• Pregnancy
• Being prone to nausea or vomiting
• High levels of anxiety

Motion Sickness Symptoms

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Increased salivation
• Cold sweats
• Pale skin

Motion sickness symptoms are not usually serious. They often pass quickly once your brain has had a chance to catch up to your eyes. The more people travel, the less they become susceptible to motion sickness. However, some people will continue to get it no matter what.^{1 2} There are safe motion sickness natural remedies to take to prevent symptoms if you are prone to motion sickness. Motion sickness natural remedies can be taken before traveling. Motion sickness natural remedies can also be used to treat symptoms like nausea and vomiting as they arise.

References

1. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/motion-sickness/Pages/Introduction.aspx
2. http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/motion-sickness