Is the online rumor that “containing ginger slices and drinking ginger water to prevent motion sickness” reliable? A must-read for motion sickness on your return from vacation →

National Day long distance travel

Why is it okay for someone to ride in a car?

Does anyone get dizzy as soon as they get in the car?

It is said on the Internet that “Contain ginger slices and drink ginger water to prevent motion sickness”

Is it reliable?

What other methods can be used to prevent dizziness and relieve discomfort?

Explain it clearly in one article↓

Why do people get motion sickness?

Motion sickness is a type of motion sickness. The most widely recognized explanation at present is “sensory conflict”, which has a lot to do with vestibular sensitivity. The vestibules are located deep inside the ears, one on each side. It can sense whether we are actually moving, whether we are going uphill or downhill, whether we are accelerating or decelerating, whether we are moving horizontally or vertically.

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. This will lead to –

Vestibule: You moved;

Eyes: You didn’t move.

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. Generally, the more enclosed a vehicle is, the more pronounced the feeling of motion sickness will be.

Who is more prone to motion sickness?

People with migraine, vertigo or sensitive vestibular function are more likely to suffer from motion sickness.

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Children are more susceptible to motion sickness than adults. Children, especially school-age children, have immature vestibular development and their brains are less capable of resolving conflicts between vision and vestibular sense, and are more prone to motion sickness. As the vestibular function gradually improves, the child’s symptoms of motion sickness may become lighter or even disappear.

People sitting in the back of a vehicle are more likely to get motion sickness.

Ginger to prevent motion sickness

Not suitable for everyone

Doctors say that some people do experience relief from motion sickness after drinking ginger water or taking ginger slices. This is because some components in ginger can affect nausea-related pathways in the gastrointestinal tract. In other words, ginger is mainly used to reduce nausea and stomach discomfort caused by motion sickness. It is not a clear standard method for treating motion sickness. You cannot ignore other effective preventive measures just because you use ginger.

Doctors remind that most people will have no problem if they use a small amount of ginger. However, for patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, taking a large amount of ginger will aggravate the reflux symptoms and should be used with caution.

5 practical methods

Can prevent and relieve motion sickness

Minimize the occurrence of sensory conflicts

Do not sit opposite to the direction of the vehicle. When riding in the car, try to look far away to see changes in the road. Be prepared for turning, acceleration, and deceleration. If your vision and vestibular sense are matched, the symptoms of motion sickness can be reduced or even avoided.

Massage Neiguan point

When motion sickness occurs, pressing and rubbing the Neiguan point can relieve chest tightness and nausea. In a gentle manner, massage the Neiguan point in circles, relax every 10 seconds, and continue to massage for 3 minutes. Click on the video↓

Avoid looking down for long periods of time

When riding a long car, try not to keep your head down while scrolling through your mobile phone, reading a book 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.

Keep in good physical condition

Make sure you get enough sleep before departure, eat a moderate amount of light food, and don’t be hungry or overly full. Wear comfortably and do not fasten collars, belts or buttons too tightly. You should also try to ensure that the environment is ventilated while riding in the car.

食療法

People who are prone to motion sickness can eat lily and hawthorn porridge to enhance nutrition and improve their physical fitness. Regular exercise and training the stability of the vestibular organs can also prevent motion sickness to a certain extent.

Note: 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.

How to take motion sickness medicine to be effective?

According to doctors, there are currently two categories of common motion sickness drugs: one is first-generation antihistamines, including diphenhydramine, dimenhydrinate, and promethazine; the other is anticholinergic drugs, namely scopolamine.

Unlike ordinary antiemetics, these drugs need to enter the brain and act on vestibular-related pathways to reduce the neural response to nausea and vomiting 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. When 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. Children, pregnant women, the elderly and special groups with glaucoma are advised to consult a physician or pharmacist before use.

小提示

When traveling by car during holidays

If you are prone to motion sickness, it is best not to use your mobile phone