Car Sickness: The Ultimate Guide – Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
What is car sickness?
Car sickness is a form of motion sickness which most commonly affects children aged three to 12.
What causes car sickness?
Car sickness happens when our eyes tell our brains that we’re not moving (sat stationary in a car) but our inner ears sense motion (the movement of the car) and the conflicting information in the brain causes the car sick feeling.
Why does car sickness happen?
Car sickness happens in a place in the body called the vestibular system which coordinates balance and passes signals from the inner ear to the brain. So, when we read a book or focus on something inside the car, our eyes think we’re stationary, but our inner ear senses the movement of the car and we start to feel sick.
Who can suffer from car sickness?
Car sickness can affect more people than others, and it is unclear why this is.
Children under the age of age two are said to be almost immune to the feeling, however children between the age of two and 12 are most commonly affected.
Many are known to grow out of it altogether.
So, while your little ones may grow out of discomfort whilst travelling by car, there are still steps you can take to reduce the feeling of sickness.
What are the symptoms of car sickness?
Car sickness symptoms include dizziness, feeling cold, feeling weak, headaches, nausea, pale skin, sweating.
How to stop car sickness in kids
If your child gets car sick, you can reduce the symptoms by taking various preventative actions.
If it’s safe and your child is of legal age, you reduce the impact of motion on their body by sitting them in the front of the car which may help to reduce any feelings of sickness. Distracting them with music and/or looking out of the window can also help.
Stopping to take regular break for fresh air helps to reduce symptoms.
You can also try:
- Breathing exercises
- Drink ginger-based drinks to settle their stomach
- Encouraging sleep
Car sickness tablets
Tablets, such as Kwells travel sickness tablets, can help to relieve symptoms of car sickness.
Our travel sickness tablets contain Hyoscine Hydrobromide 300mcg which temporarily reduces the effect of movement on the balance organs of the inner ear and the nerves responsible for nausea.
If you have been prescribed medication by your doctor, always follow any instructions they may have given you.
Car sickness tablets are available at your local pharmacy or online.
View our range of car sickness tablets
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Kwells 300 microgram tablets. For the prevention of travel sickness, suitable for adults and children aged 10+. Contains Hyoscine Hydrobromide 300 microgram. Kwells Kids 150 microgram tablets. For the prevention of travel sickness, suitable for children aged 4+. Contains Hyoscine Hydrobromide 150 microgram. Always read the label