Tricks to avoid dizziness in the car that actually work and others that are myths

He motion sicknessalso known as motion sicknessis the great enemy of many travelers. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but those who suffer from it can barely go on a long trip without feeling annoyingly nauseous in a car, boat, or any other means of transportation. Those who suffer from it know the basic tricks to help avoid dizziness: look straight ahead, don’t read or look at the screen, close your eyes and sleep if possible… All this is good, but what else? seasickness remedies What can we use?

The reality is that there are many proposals out there, but not all of them have the same scientific evidence. Luckily, none of them are dangerous, so we have nothing to lose by trying them. If they help us, we already know that we can continue to use them.

But without a doubt, the best thing that can be prevented is to prevent this problem. know how it is made. Thus, we will not only select the best remedies for motion sickness. We can also avoid, if possible, those stimuli that may cause or aggravate it. These are all advantages, so let’s start from the beginning.

Why does motion sickness occur?

There are two hypotheses regarding origin of seasicknessalthough one of them has much more power.

The first of these hypotheses points to a conflict between what the eyes see and what the vestibular system interprets. This is a system located in our earwhat helps us keep balance. To do this, the first thing we need to do is determine what state we are in. If we lie, stand, walk, stand… All this is compensated by the fact that we do not fall.

What happens with motion sickness is that the ear interprets that we are moving, while the eyes only see that we are motionless. For example, in the case of a car, our eyes see us standing still, perhaps looking at the head of the seat in front of us. Instead, the ear interprets that we are speeding down the highway. Both signs sent to the brainwhere is this conflict taking place? Something is wrong and it could be because we are in danger, so the brain warns us that something is wrong, causing headache, nausea and malaise.

Another hypothesis concerns uncoupled movements. Supposedly, although we feel that we are still we always make some minimal movement. For example, if we are standing still, we have work of various musclesbecause otherwise we would collapse to the ground. A movement of microns is enough to prevent this from happening. But, of course, if there is a ship under our feet that is moving much faster, we send it again. disabled signals to the brain.

The first hypothesis gained wider acceptance as animal studies were conducted in which it was observed that by eliminating the vestibular system, motion sickness disappeared. Logically, this is not a solution, but an indicator of the onset of motion sickness.

Why doesn’t this happen to everyone?

Not everyone suffers from seasickness in the same way. In 2015, a study was conducted that analyzed genetic reasons motion sickness, and it has been discovered that there are specific nucleotide (letter) variations in some genes that increase the risk of its occurrence. This more common in women and they may be accompanied by other conditions such as migraines.

People prone to seasickness may experience it in other places, not just in transport. For example, this can happen on a treadmill when the eyes see something that doesn’t match what the balance system interprets. We might get dizzy too play certain video games, because on the screen you see movement that does not correspond to the fact that we are lying completely motionless on the sofa.

These people should be especially careful under any of these circumstances. But, logically, it is also important to know some remedies for seasickness.

The most interesting remedies against motion sickness

Although there is a clear physical explanation for the origin of motion sickness, it cannot be ruled out that it also includes a certain psychological component. If we obsess about getting dizzy, it’s more likely to happen.

It is for this reason that it has been observed that such a simple thing as listen to music may be useful. This distracts us from the possibility of pigs. This has also been observed in other types of dizziness, such as post-operative dizziness.

And it’s precisely because distraction plays an important role that any anti-motion sickness remedy can be helpful, even if it doesn’t have much scientific backing. After all, they free our minds from the fear of suffering from it.

It is also important to drink water well and, contrary to what we think, eat something. But not every snack is worth it. Very fatty foods can be counterproductive. Instead, light foods such as nuts, fresh fruit or cereal bars may be a good option. Fruits are especially recommended, as there are many options that contain substances that help prevent motion sickness. This is the case, for example, with hesperidin, present in citrus fruits and vitamin Cwhich is found in fruits such as strawberries, as well as citrus fruits. It is clear that a little orange or lemon, either pure or in juice, can be beneficial. It was also noticed that ginger This may be part of a remedy for seasickness.

On the other hand, although carbonated drinksthere is no scientific evidence that they are truly beneficial.

In short, if we add some music and orange juice to our usual approach of closing our eyes or staring at one point and avoiding books and screens, we can take the journey we want without suffering from the motion. disease. Worth a try.