Travel Sickness Solutions

A survey from Sea-Band® reveals that 56% of children between 4-16 years of age suffer from travel sickness.

Travel sickness occurs when small repetitive movements such as those experienced in a car, boat or aeroplane mean that the brain is sent different messages – your body is sitting still but your eyes tell you that you are moving. Children are more prone to travel sickness than adults, and many children grow out of it.

Parents, however, do not always take preventative measures for travel sickness, with only 28% proactively planning for travel nausea prior to travelling. Previous research by the RAC Foundation also showed that more than 80 per cent of the population is affected by travel sickness at some time.

Methods of coping include

Sitting in the front seat of the car or ensuring that you can see out of a window where a child must be in the back of the car.
Get lots of fresh air
On a boat, go out on deck or stay in the middle where there is least movement
On a plane, try to get a seat over the wings, as again movement is least there.
Avoid long motorway journeys or make regular stops.
Fast for 24 hours before travelling (although that would be a bit unpopular with children!).
Avoid heavy meals before travelling.
Ginger in the form of crystallized ginger, ginger tea or a ginger biscuit can relieve symptoms.
Peppermint in the form of peppermint tea or a peppermint sweet can also help.

You can also buy over-the-counter remedies but some may cause drowsiness.If you do not want to take drugs you can try acupressure. For example Sea-Band® is an elasticated wristband that works on the principle of acupressure, exerting constant gentle pressure on the Pericardium 6 (P6) point in the wrist which controls nausea.

Dr Tony Lavelle, RAC Foundation’s consultation general practitioner, says, ‘Acupressure such as using bands on the wrist or the arm has been shown in research to decrease the symptoms of motion sickness. This is very effective compared with oral medication, which can cause drowsiness.’

In order to gain the maximum benefit, Sea-Band® should be put on prior to commencing a journey. If, however, you forget to put them on before setting-off, Sea-Band® can still help to relieve the symptoms of motion sickness even once the early signs are felt. Sea-Band® is an entirely drug-free, safe alternative to over the counter remedies.

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