How To Get Rid of Motion Sickness: Doctor-Backed Fixes That Stop Nausea in Minutes
Doctors explain if ginger candies and acupressure wrist bands really work
Experiencing motion sickness can be frustrating. You just want to appreciate the views on a long drive or enjoy a long-awaited trip on a cruise ship, but instead, you’re trying not to lose your lunch. The good news? If you’re susceptible to motion sickness there are ways to help ward off symptoms like cold sweats, nausea and vomiting so you can feel your best on your journey. Keep reading to how to get rid of motion sickness with easy remedies that really work.
What is motion sickness?
This is a bit more complex than your run-of-the-mill nausea. Symptoms of motion sickness can include symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, headache and vomiting, says Sulagna Misra, MD, founding physician at Misra Wellness.
“Motion sickness is a syndrome where real or perceived motion causes an individual to feel ill,” explains Dr. Misra. “Common causes of motion sickness include riding in a car or being on a boat. Sea sickness can actually be a form of motion sickness.” It’s also not unusual to experience motion sickness on amusement park rides, while experiencing turbulence on a plane or even while watching a movie with shaky camerawork.
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“Motion perception is three-fold,” says Dr. Misra. “It depends on our vestibular, somatic and sensory cues. When the three are not perceiving correct information together, it can affect the central nervous system, gastrointestinal system and autonomic nervous system, causing these symptoms.”
In other words, when your eyes are telling you that you’re moving fast, but your body is sitting still in the passenger seat, it causes a sort of sensory misalignment that can make you nauseous.
How to get rid of motion sickness: 4 remedies
As uncomfortable as it may be, motion sickness is both common and treatable. The best way to get rid of motion sickness? By preventing it in the first place. “The easiest way to treat motion sickness is to avoid triggers,” says Dr. Misra. “Try to identify, and subsequently avoid, what causes motion sickness.”
But that’s not always possible. In that case, you might try natural remedies or over-the-counter meds to get rid of motion sickness, says Raj Dasgupta, MD, ABIM Quadruple board-certified physician and medical reviewer for NCOA. Here, three effective options to help prevent motion sickness:
Savor ginger candy
“Ginger tea or candies might ease nausea for some people,” Dr. Dasgupta notes. You can take ginger “in different forms—capsules, ginger ale, tea or candied ginger—both before and after symptoms start. If nausea begins, consuming ginger in any form can help soothe the stomach and alleviate symptoms.”
How does it work? Ginger’s natural spicy compounds (gingerols, shogaols and zingerone) interact with serotonin receptors involved in nausea. Indeed, a study in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine suggests that simply inhaling ginger’s aroma is one of the most effective ways to tamp down nausea naturally.
If you know you’re likely to get sick, you can buy ginger chews or candies ahead of time. You might also consider preparing ginger tea in advance to help get rid of motion sickness once you’re on the road. To brew a big batch (four cups worth):
- Chop four, one-inch chunks of fresh ginger. Rinse and scrub off any dirt.
- Thinly slice each chunk and add to a saucepan with four cups of water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Strain the tea and serve with a lemon slice, orange slice or a drizzle of honey.
Tip: Add a pinch of stomach-calming cinnamon to your brew. A study in a nursing journal found that within minutes of breathing in the scent, feelings of nausea dropped nearly 62 percent.
Wear an acupressure wrist band
Acupressure wristbands “apply pressure to specific points on the wrist that may help alleviate motion sickness symptoms,” Dr. Dasgupta says. Experts suspect it works by triggering a rush of painkilling endorphins in the brain. Acupressure wristbands apply pressure to what’s called the P6 pressure point. In fact, this acupressure spot was shown in a Humboldt State University study to cut feelings of queasiness in half.
But you can also DIY this easy solution to get rid of motion sickness:
- Find the groove between the two tendons that run through your inner wrist.
- The pressure point is located in this groove about 1.5 inches, or three finger-widths, below the base of your palm.
- Press down here with gentle pressure for two to three minutes to activate the pressure point.
If you’re unsure how to use an acupressure wristband or how to find your pressure point to get rid of motion sickness, check out this quick video.
Listen to music
Switch on an upbeat playlist for your drive and you may help cut motion sickness in half. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that gentle, joyous music eases motion sickness symptoms by around 57 percent within a minute of pressing play. Researchers suspect that inspiring music distracts the brain from detecting motion sickness, while soft notes calm the nervous system, reducing stress responses that can intensify queasiness.
Consider motion sickness medication
“Over-the-counter meds like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or prescription motion stickiness patches like scopolamine can help,” Dr. Dasgupta advises. “Dramamine is helpful both as a preventative measure and as a treatment after motion sickness has begun. For the best results, take it 30 to 60 minutes before traveling to prevent symptoms.” But if you forget to take it in advance or didn’t expect to get motion sickness, it’s still worth taking it to stave off worsening symptoms.
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