When you’re in vacation mode, the last thing you want to think about is car sickness, that horrible, queasy feeling that strikes any time you hit the highway. About one in three people are super susceptible to motion sickness while traveling by car, airplane, or boat. (It can also happen on roller coasters, ski slopes, or when you strap on virtual reality goggles.)
Travel can make you feel sweaty and dizzy or cause a headache, nausea, and vomiting when there is a mismatch between what your eyes are seeing and the motion your brain is experiencing via the vestibular system, the set of fluid-filled canals and nerves in the inner ear that the body uses to sense where it is in space. “It can be worse in certain situations when the movements are more erratic or jerky, and worse when you have less control over your movement,” Sunana Sohi, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Health Partners in Louisville, Kentucky, tells SELF.
If that happens to you, the very best way to stop it is to take steps before you climb into your vehicle. (It’s nearly impossible to make it go away once you’re in the thick of it, the experts we spoke to said.) Here’s what to do to prevent car sickness before, during, and after getting on the road and to feel your absolute best when you get to your destination.
1. Do the driving yourself, or at least sit in the front seat
You may have noticed that you’re less likely to get carsick when you’re the one driving and controlling the car’s speed and movement. This holds true because when you’re in the front seat you’re closest to the road in front of you, the car’s motion is in your direct line of sight, and you can anticipate when movement is going to occur, explains Morgan A. Sendzischew Shane, MD, a clinical assistant professor in the division of gastroenterology and the medical director of the UHealth Comprehensive Women’s Health Alliance.
If you don’t love sitting behind the wheel (or you don’t have a driver’s license), position yourself where you have a clear eye-level view of the road and can keep your focus on the horizon, Dr. Shane tells SELF. This could be the front passenger’s seat or the back middle seat, she says. If you are on a plane or train, try to book a window seat for the same reason. Holding your head firmly against the seat back might help too.
2. Don’t look at your phone or read a book
If you tended to get carsick as a child, your parents probably told you not to read a book while traveling. That’s because a lack of visual information—the view outside your window—can make your symptoms worse. The same goes for scrolling through your phone or any other activity that disrupts your ability to look straight ahead and help your body figure out where it’s moving. If that sounds like a super boring trip, particularly if you are going to be in the car for hours, it doesn’t have to be—and finding a distraction can help your symptoms. This is a good time to catch up on an audiobook, your favorite podcast, or some Taylor Swift playlists.
3. Try some OTC or home remedies
As we mentioned, a LOT of people get carsick, so there are plenty of DIY things to try. There’s scientific research to support some of these more than others, but anecdotally, people often say they work. For example, sucking on ginger hard candy may help, as can over-the-counter nausea remedies. For example, Dramamine makes ginger lozenges that you can buy on Amazon for about $10 and anti-nausea pills that contain dimenhydrinate (about $8 for an eight-tablet pack) or meclizine (a non-drowsy formulation that’s about $4 for an eight-tablet pack). Both are FDA-approved antihistamines for motion sickness. (You can also buy meclizine in a product called Bonine; about $14 for 32 tables.) For some people, being prepared for the worst by stocking up on disposable vomit bags ($7, Amazon) can ease a bit of the stress of traveling.
There are also acupressure wristbands that hug pressure points that may soothe nausea, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Try Blisslets anti-motion sickness bracelets ($25, Amazon) or Frida Mom Anti-Nausea Bands ($12, Amazon), which are aimed at helping pregnant people avoid morning sickness but might be good in the car too.
4. Ask your doc for prescription anti-nausea treatments
In addition to DIY efforts, check in with your primary care professional prior to your next car trip. Your doctor can prescribe you a patch that contains the drug scopolamine, Dr. Sohi explains—just be sure you don’t plan to hop in the driver’s seat at any point during the road trip because it can cause drowsiness. You basically apply the patch behind your ear and it’s good for about three days. It takes about four hours to kick in, so plan ahead to have it in place well before you hop in the car.
5. Lie down, close your eyes, and breathe
As we said, reaching for a book or your phone isn’t good, but it’s not a bad idea to reduce the amount of stimulation your body and eyes are getting, Dr. Sohi says. It might not be that easy to lie down in a car (keeping your seatbelt on, of course!) but if you can find a comfortable position it could settle your stomach. Try to close your eyes and relax. You can also practice some deep-breathing exercises, Dr. Shane says. Slow, controlled breathing through your diaphragm—basically inhaling deeply, which is also known as belly breathing—can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for “rest and digest” as opposed to “fight or flight.” One study found that people who slowed their breathing rate to about eight times a minute had fewer motion sickness symptoms than those who inhaled and exhaled at their normal rate.
6. Stay hydrated
Motion sickness medications can be dehydrating, as can vomiting. Make sure you consume enough liquids and open a window to let cool air flow on you if you can, Dr. Shane suggests—especially because one of the symptoms of motion sickness can be breaking out into a sweat. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, and make sure you get enough sleep too, since being short on shut-eye can make motion sickness worse. It’s also smart to avoid eating a big meal before climbing in your vehicle, Dr. Sohi says. Nausea may slow down stomach motility and make it more difficult for the body to digest, she says.
7. Focus on soothing anxiety
Going on a car trip might ramp up your stress level ahead of time, especially if traveling makes you miserable. “Sometimes a symptom of anxiety can actually be nausea,” Dr. Shane says. “So feeling anxious about being nauseated can be a bit cyclical.” Studies have found that even anticipating movement can exacerbate motion sickness. If this happens to you, Dr. Shane recommends talking with a mental health professional about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help you learn how to cope with travel-related anxiety; or gut-directed hypnotherapy, which aims to calm the digestive system. While it can be challenging, you can also try to desensitize yourself by gradually getting into more situations that trigger your motion sickness; over time this may reduce your symptoms, according to the CDC.
How to recover after you arrive
If you’re still feeling nauseous after you get out of the car, then it’s time to revisit some of these tips, like deep-breathing exercises, Dr. Shane says. Dr. Sohi recommends going back to sucking on hard ginger candy, drinking liquids, lying down to rest, or walking around to get some fresh air. The good news is that you don’t need to be resigned to a life of keeping puke bags in your car at all times. These tips can help you manage motion sickness before you start your engine so that you don’t get to the “pull over ASAP” level. “Ideally, if you are prone to motion sickness, you can prevent it from happening so you can enjoy your destination when you get there,” Dr. Sohi says.
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