During the National Day holiday, long-distance travel increases, and some people suffer from motion sickness when traveling by car or boat for long periods of time, which affects the travel experience. Why do some people faint when riding in a car, while others are completely fine? There is a rumor on the Internet that "contain ginger slices and drink ginger water to prevent motion sickness". Is this method reliable? What methods can be used to prevent or relieve the discomfort of motion sickness?
01
Why do people get motion sickness?
Diao Tongxiang, deputy chief physician of the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Peking University People's Hospital, said that motion sickness is medically called "motion sickness", and the most widely recognized explanation at present is "sensory conflict".
Our balance system not only relies on the vestibular organs in the ears, but also requires the integration of visual information and proprioceptive information to maintain it together. When you sit in a car and look down at your phone, your eyes see a relatively static screen, but the vestibule of your inner ear is constantly sensing the acceleration, deceleration, braking and turning of the vehicle. If the information received by the brain does not match, symptoms of autonomic nervous system disorders may easily occur, including nausea, cold sweats, paleness, dizziness, and even vomiting.
Diao Tongxiang said, "People with migraines, vertigo or sensitive vestibular functions are more likely to suffer from motion sickness. Children, especially school-age children, have immature vestibular development and their brains are less capable of resolving conflicts between vision and vestibular sense, making them more susceptible to motion sickness."
02
There is a rumor on the Internet that "ginger can prevent motion sickness", is it reliable?
Diao Tongxiang said that some people do experience relief from motion sickness after drinking ginger water or taking ginger slices. But she believes that this is mainly because some components in ginger affect the nausea-related pathways in the gastrointestinal tract. In other words, ginger plays more of a role in reducing nausea and stomach discomfort caused by motion sickness. Therefore, it cannot be used as a standard treatment with clear efficacy. In particular, you cannot ignore other effective preventive measures just because you drink ginger water.
In addition, Diao Tongxiang also reminded that for most people, using a small amount of ginger is not a big problem, but for patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, taking a large amount of ginger will aggravate the reflux symptoms and should be used with caution.
03
Which methods are more practical to prevent and alleviate motion sickness?
Diao Tongxiang suggested that we should first try to reduce the occurrence of sensory conflicts. For example, when riding in a car, try to look far away to see changes in the road, anticipate turning, accelerating, and decelerating. If your vision and vestibular sense are matched, the symptoms of motion sickness can be reduced or even avoided. In addition, do not look down for long periods of time while browsing on your phone, reading, or playing games. If conditions permit, try to choose a relatively stable position in the vehicle with a good view, and keep your head relatively stable.
Secondly, keep in good physical condition. For example, ensure adequate sleep before departure, eat a moderate amount of light food, and do not go on an empty stomach or be overly full. When riding in a car, you should also try to ensure that the environment is ventilated.
If you start to feel uncomfortable, stop what you are doing, look far away, and keep your head steady. If it still cannot be relieved, it is recommended to stop the car briefly if conditions permit. Getting out of the car and taking a rest can often significantly reduce the symptoms.
04
How to take motion sickness medicine?
Diao Tongxiang introduced that there are two major categories of common motion sickness medicines:
One category is first-generation antihistamines, including diphenhydramine, dimenhydrinate, and promethazine;
Another class is the anticholinergic drug, scopolamine.
Unlike ordinary antiemetics, these drugs need to enter the brain and act on vestibular-related pathways to reduce the nausea and vomiting neural responses caused by exercise stimulation. Therefore, people with motion sickness need to take it in advance. For example, diphenhydramine needs to be taken half an hour to an hour in advance, and scopolamine patches need to be applied at least 4 hours in advance to take effect. If motion sickness symptoms have already occurred, it may be too late to take medicine.
In addition, both types of drugs have certain side effects, including drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, and even increased heart rate and urinary retention. For children, pregnant women, the elderly and special groups with glaucoma, it is recommended to consult a physician or pharmacist before use.
