The link between autism and travel sickness

The link between autism and increased travel sickness susceptibility is thought to be connected to the vestibular system⁵, a sense organ which helps the body to regulate balance and movement⁶.

Between the eyes and ears, it sends messages to the brain about where we are and the movement we’re experiencing.

Travel sickness is caused by a sensory mismatch or conflict of information – essentially the inner ears sense movement but the eyes don’t.⁷

The vestibular system is one of the most sensitive and important sense organs in the body⁶ and many individuals with autism will have some degree of vestibular dysfunction.

So, coupled with any additional sensory processing issues, this can make people with autism more susceptible to travel sickness than those without ASD.

Dealing with travel sickness

Travel sickness is common, particularly in children.⁴ Fortunately, we tend to grow out of it in our early teens but it can stay with us into adulthood.⁴ If you’ve ever suffered, you’ll probably remember it all too well!

Feeling sick, being sick, feeling weak, cold and going pale – some of the most commonly experienced symptoms which can be unpleasant and distressing for anyone.⁸ But for children and adults with ASD, it can be particularly stressful and that in turn can be stressful and upsetting for those around them.

If you’re travelling by car, it’s easier to stop when convenient but the issue of travel sickness can be trickier to deal with on a boat, plane or train. We understand long journeys don’t suit everyone but the destination is what makes them worthwhile.

When it comes to preventing or easing travel sickness symptoms in youngsters – or adults – with autism, it’s as much about comfort and distraction as it is about being well prepared with things like wipes, water, healthy snacks, a change of clothes and cleaning aids.⁹

Planning ahead

Yes, there’s plenty you can do before you even step foot outside the door.

This will help to give you peace of mind and help you to feel more in control should travel sickness strike.

A few golden rules to bear in mind before you even start your journey include⁸:

• Avoid eating a heavy meal before travelling opting for a light snack with carbs such as cereals around an hour before you set off.
• Plan breaks into your car journey for refreshments such as water, fresh air and a short stroll.
• Keeping motion to a minimum can help so if you’re booking a flight or a cruise try to book a seat over the wing of a plane or a cabin in the middle of the boat. Looking at the horizon can help to relieve symptoms so if passengers are old enough sitting in the front of the car is probably better.
• Strong smells such as petrol, perfume and diesel fumes can make sufferers feel worse so try to avoid them. And be careful what you put in those sandwiches!

Managing nausea during travel

The nausea usually felt by travel sickness sufferers is one of the most unpleasant and commonly experienced side effects.

Here are a few ways to relieve it¹⁰:

• Sit in the front of a car or in the middle of a boat to reduce the feelings of motion
• Look at the horizon or a fixed point straight ahead of you
• Breathe in fresh air if you can, open a car window or if you’re sailing stay on deck
• Close your eyes and breathe slowly while focusing on your breathing
• Talking, listening to music or singing songs are good distraction techniques for children
• Break up long journeys with stops for fresh air, a drink of water or a walk

If you’ve tried all the self-help methods to relieve or prevent travel sickness, don’t worry. Your pharmacist will be able to advise and recommend the best remedy and treatment for your child.¹⁰

These include¹⁰:

• Patches – for adults and children over 10.
• Acupressure bands – these don’t work for everyone.
• Tablets – dissolvable tablets are available for children.

Children’s travel sickness tablets & medication

Travel sickness tablets such as Kwells Kids 150 microgram tablets are used for the fast and effective prevention and control of travel sickness.¹¹

Because Kwells tablets melt in the mouth, absorption into the bloodstream is very rapid and they can be taken up to 20–30 minutes before travelling or at the onset of sickness.¹¹

The active substance in Kwells tablets is hyoscine hydrobromide which temporarily reduces the effect of movement on the balance organs of the inner ear and the nerves responsible for nausea.¹¹

Kwells Kids are available without a prescription from pharmacies and supermarkets but you should always read the Patient Information Leaflet included in the product carefully and your pharmacist if you need more information or advice.¹¹

Before giving Kwells Kids tablets to your child you should see your doctor if they suffer from seizures or fits and a range of other conditions listed in the Patient Information Leaflet.¹¹

Unlike the summer travel season, which spans several months, the Christmas holidays are crammed into two weeks which signals busier roads and competition for seats on transport.

Getting organised and everything in order early doors will help to eliminate some of the pressure ahead of your journey.

As well as knowing a thing or two about travel sickness we’ve amassed rather a lot of Christmas travel experience over the years and we’re pleased to share!

And it’s not just honed from learning from our mistakes!

There’s some good advice from the more practical and prepared among us too, so here are some tinselly tips to help you travel happy over the festive season.

6 tips to avoid travel sickness for road and rail travel

It’s safe to say if you’re travelling in the run up to Christmas Day the roads will be as packed as Santa’s sleigh and rail travel will be much busier too. Rail services are quite often reduced over the Christmas period while operators take the opportunity to carry out maintenance when there’s less passenger demand so bear that in mind too.

With some foresight and forward planning you can minimise any disruption to your journey and keep Christmas spirits high – cranking up a festive playlist is a must!

Cross travel sickness off your Christmas list

If anyone in your Christmas travel party is prone to travel sickness, try not to get too anxious about it and don’t let it put a damper on the excitement of the journey.

There are things you can do to minimise the risk of it occurring such as having a light carb-based meal such as cereal an hour or two before you set off and if you’re travelling by car plan in time for a few stops to get a little exercise, refreshment and fresh air.¹

You’ll find lots of handy hints and advice, plus an insight into what causes the condition, including car sickness and child travel sickness in our blog.

If you find self-help methods aren’t effective and you need further help, speak to your pharmacist for travel sickness advice and suitable over-the-counter travel sickness remedies.

We provide travel sickness tablets for adults and kids travel sickness tablets. Kwells Adults Travel Sickness 300 microgram tablets or Kwells Kids Travel Sickness 150 microgram tablets can be used on short or longer journeys and taken every six hours – no more than three times in 24 hours.

Because Kwells travel sickness tablets melt in the mouth, absorption into the bloodstream is very rapid and they can be taken up to 20–30 minutes before travelling or at the onset of sickness.

You can browse our products here.

Why am I prone to motion sickness?

Whether it’s you or your child or another family member prone to travel sickness, it’s unpleasant and it can be upsetting, particularly for youngsters.

To be fair it’s not fun whatever age you are and can make you a little anxious about a journey – or a day at the theme park!

It’s not fully understood why some people are more susceptible than others.

It’s more common in children aged two to 12 – babies rarely suffer from it* – and women, especially during pregnancy or menstruation which may be linked to fluctuating oestrogen levels.⁶

Those who suffer from migraines appear more likely to suffer from motion sickness, there’s even been studies into whether it’s a genetic or inherited condition.¹

How to prevent motion sickness on rides?

As kids we queued for hours and clamoured to get on the fastest rides and the highest rollercoasters. By the time our own children are big enough we can be a little less keen and a lot queasier.

That doesn’t mean we have to miss out on all the family fun though – following similar advice given for motion sickness while travelling, we may still be able to scream to go faster with the best of them!

Before you take on the highs, lows, ups and downs of the theme park, try eating a light, carb-based meal an hour or two beforehand – it’s best to avoid the temptation of fairground burgers vans! Try to pick a seat in the most stable part of the ride or carriage, usually the middle.

Further help

So, what can you do if self-help methods aren’t working?

You can speak to your local pharmacist for motion sickness medication advice.⁸ They will be able to provide information and advice on suitable over-the-counter remedies.

Kwells 300 microgram tablets* or Kwells Kids 150 microgram tablets* can be used on short or longer journeys and taken every six hours – no more than three times in 24 hours.

Because Kwells tablets melt in the mouth, absorption into the bloodstream is very rapid and they can be taken up to 20–30 minutes before travelling or at the onset of sickness.

*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.

IMPORTANT

Medicines can affect the unborn baby. Always talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medicine in pregnancy.

You can browse our products here

If you have any doubts about using Kwells tablets correctly, seek the advice of your pharmacist or doctor.

Packing the essentials

You’re all booked, what’s next? Once the tickets, luggage tags and pre-check-in information are all nicely dealt with through your cruise line operator, you’ll be able to book those excursions and dining reservations – a real taste of the adventure that awaits!

Unless you’re cruising around the UK, you’ll obviously need a passport and depending on where you’ll be travelling to, you may need a visa or other forms of official ID – best to check all this with your cruise line or travel agent.

Packing the extras

There’s no set-in stone dos and don’ts when it comes to packing toiletries and personal grooming accessories for your cruise – just decide on all the essentials that you’d usually take on holiday.

A first aid kit can come in handy, as can a laundry bag, zip lock bags for storage and something suitable for carrying wet clothes back from any beach days.

Maybe consider a money belt to store your cash, cards and official documents such as passports and a driving licence if you’re planning to hire a car. Change can also be useful for tips.

What to do if you’re sick

• If you’re sick take tiny sips of water – be careful not to drink too much for the first 10-20 minutes or you may be sick again.³
• Get some fresh air and try a cool flannel on your forehead. ³
• If you still feel unwell try to sleep and when you feel well enough, try a light carb-based snack. ³

Motion sickness is common in children³ – find tips and advice on how to minimise the risk of it happening and how to be prepared in our blog.

Still moving?

Sometimes when you leave a boat or ship you can still feel like you’re on it, almost like the ground is rocking beneath your feet!³

This is known as ‘mal de debarquement’ (French for ‘sick on disembarking’) and is a sensation believed to be caused by an overstimulation of the balance organs. It usually only lasts for an hour or so and doesn’t require treatment.³

Pharmacy advice – what to expect

If self-help tips aren’t working and you feel you’ve tried all you can, you can speak to your local pharmacist.²

Pharmacists are the high street’s healthcare experts and are often approached for advice on treating travel sickness in children – those aged two to 12 are particularly susceptible to travel sickness.³

They’ll want to know³:

• How old your child is
• Any previous history
• How you’re travelling such as car, plane, boat
• How long you’ll be travelling for
• Any medication history

If it’s you looking for a remedy, they will ask similar questions.

They’ll be able to provide information and advice on suitable over-the-counter remedies which may be able to help.

Where to buy Kwells

Kwells are available to buy over-the-counter – you don’t need a prescription – from pharmacies, both in the high street or from online retailers such as Boots, Superdrug, LloydsPharmacy and ChemistDirect.

If you decide to buy Kwells online rather than in a pharmacy store, you’ll be asked to complete a questionnaire which will be checked by a pharmacist first to make sure they’re suitable for you.

That’s because Kwells is known as a Pharmacy Medicine item which can only be bought under the supervision of a pharmacist and by someone aged 18 or over.

If you have any doubts about using Kwells tablets correctly, seek the advice of your pharmacist or doctor.

*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.

Why does car sickness happen?

That sensory mismatch we were talking about occurs because our eyes aren’t focused on the things that would send the right signals to the brain about movement.

This could be for several reasons, for instance a young child sitting low down in the back seat of the car probably can’t see out of the window very well.⁶

It can also happen when we’re looking down and reading a book or looking at our phones.

Further help

If you feel like you’ve exhausted the self-help route and need further advice, speak to a pharmacist about a travel sickness remedy.⁷

Kwells 300 microgram tablets* and Kwells Kids 150 microgram tablets* can be used on short or longer journeys and taken every six hours – no more than three times in 24 hours.

Because Kwells tablets melt in the mouth, absorption into the bloodstream is very rapid and they can be taken up to 20–30 minutes before travelling or at the onset of sickness.

Browse our products here

You can find insights into other types of motion sickness and ways to prevent or relieve with our blog on ‘what is motion sickness‘.

*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.

If you have any doubts about using Kwells tablets correctly, seek the advice of your pharmacist or doctor.

Travel sickness remedies

If you’ve tried every travel sickness self-help tip in the book and feel you need further help and advice, speak to a pharmacist about an over-the-counter travel sickness remedy such as hyoscine hydrobromide.

Hyoscine hydrobromide is the active ingredient in Kwells³ Adults Travel Sickness 300 microgram tablets and Kwells Kids Travel Sickness 150 microgram tablets and is mainly used to prevent travel sickness⁴.

It can also be used to reduce the amount of saliva in your mouth.⁴

It blocks a naturally occurring chemical in parts of the brain and nervous system called acetylcholine⁴ – a neurotransmitter which among other actions contracts smooth muscles and dilates blood vessels⁵.

Cinnarizine is another active ingredient used travel sickness medicines.⁶

It’s known as a drowsy, or sedating, antihistamine and it’s also used to stop dizziness and sickness caused by inner ear problems.⁶

Cinnarizine blocks the effects of histamine in the brain to reduce symptoms of travel sickness.

However, it works gradually and can take up to four hours from the time you take the tablet for it to reach its full effect.⁶

There are things you can try ahead of the journey to help children with travel sickness

• Give your youngster a light, carb-based snack before travelling such as cereal or crackers. Avoid anything ‘too heavy’.²
• Plan several stops into your journey time for fresh air, a little walk and refreshment such as water.
• Being elevated so your child can see through the window to the horizon may help so safety seats and booster seats can come in handy.²

Once you’re travelling on your way…

• Don’t take any strong-smelling food in the car and avoiding smoking, petrol or diesel fumes if possible.²
• Where you sit can make a difference, if your child is old enough, they may feel better sat in the front of the car. For planes over the wing can help as can being on deck in the middle of a boat.⁴
• Keep youngsters distracted and entertained with music, singing, I Spy and podcasts to stop them from looking down. Books, phones, tablets and gaming consoles are not recommended for those prone to travel sickness.²
• If nausea starts to creep in, ginger in the form of a biscuit or tea is a good tip to try.⁵

If self-help tips aren’t working, don’t worry, you can speak to your local pharmacist for advice.⁵

They’ll want to know³:

• How old your child is
• Any previous history
• How you’re travelling such as car, plane, boat
• How long you’ll be travelling for
• Any medication history

They can provide information and advice on suitable over-the-counter remedies which may be able to help⁵ such as Kwells Kids Travel Sickness 150 microgram tablets*.

Because Kwells tablets melt in the mouth, absorption into the bloodstream is very rapid and they can be taken up to 20–30 minutes before travelling or at the onset of sickness.

The active substance in Kwells tablets is hyoscine hydrobromide which temporarily reduces the effect of movement on the balance organs of the inner ear and the nerves responsible for nausea.

*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.

If you have any doubts about using Kwells tablets correctly, seek the advice of your pharmacist or doctor.

On the road

Are you sitting comfortably? Your sitting position really can make a difference to preventing and easing travel sickness.

Try to get a clear view of a window and sit with your head tilted back to stabilise the balancing mechanism in the ear.

Have a window open if possible or get the air flowing through the vents or air conditioning to keep the vehicle well ventilated. It’s best to avoid reading or looking at phones and tablets if possible.

Try to focus on a stable object such as the horizon, close your eyes or perhaps have a little snooze.

Find out more about car sickness here.

In the air

There’s nothing worse than feeling ill on a plane. You’re often cramped, aircraft toilets are the last place you want to be and there’s no opportunity to pull into the nearest layby – let alone the embarrassment of throwing-up in front of an audience of strangers!

Therefore, it’s best to do everything you can to prevent symptoms occurring in the first place. If possible, opt for a seat in the middle of the plane as this is where you’ll experience the least movement.⁵

A pillow or headrest will help to keep your head as still as possible and might even help you to nod off.⁵ Try to relax and keep calm by focusing on your breathing. You could also try carrying out a mental activity such as counting backwards from 100!⁵  Sucking a boiled sweet can ease the pressure on your ears during take-off and landing which may help to prevent or ease symptoms.

Riding the wave

Again, there’s no escape when you’re aboard a boat and choppy waters can make for an uncomfortable journey if you’re prone to motion sickness.

Avoiding alcohol and large meals before your journey is wise, particularly if you’re likely to encounter turbulent weather.⁶

On a boat trip, try to sit in the middle of the boat where you’ll feel less motion or head out on deck to get some fresh air. If you’re staying overnight, you could choose a cabin in the middle of the ship.³

Try to avoid areas where you can smell engine fumes as these types of odours can trigger motion sickness.³

Keeping your eyes closed or sleep. Listening to music or a podcast can be good distraction and a great way to zone out from the journey.³

Find out more about sea sickness here.

On track

Some people find they’re less prone to travel sickness on trains as they’re often able to look out of the window more easily.

You may find sitting in a carriage near the front of the train where it’s more stable helps to stave off symptoms. You could also opt for a seat near the doors so you can experience fresh air every time the train stops.

Try to stay seated as much as possible so you feel less motion than you would standing and look out of the window and focus on the horizon if you do start to feel motion sickness creeping in. If self-help methods aren’t working Kwells Adults Travel Sickness 300 microgram tablets⁷ or Kwells Kids Travel Sickness 150 microgram tablets⁸ may be able to help.

The active substance in Kwells tablets is hyoscine hydrobromide. Hyoscine hydrobromide temporarily reduces the effect of movement on the balance organs of the inner ear and the nerves responsible for nausea. Because Kwells tablets melt in the mouth, absorption into the bloodstream is very rapid and they can be taken up to 20–30 minutes before travelling or at the onset of sickness.

Always read the label. If you have any doubts about using Kwells tablets correctly, seek the advice of your pharmacist or doctor.

Once you’re travelling on your way…

• Don’t take any strong-smelling food in the car and avoiding smoking, petrol or diesel fumes if possible.²
• Where you sit can make a difference, if your child is old enough, they may feel better sat in the front of the car. For planes over the wing can help as can being on deck in the middle of a boat.⁴
• Keep youngsters distracted and entertained with music, singing, I Spy and podcasts to stop them from looking down. Books, phones, tablets and gaming consoles are not recommended for those prone to travel sickness.²
• If nausea starts to creep in, ginger in the form of a biscuit or tea is a good tip to try.⁵

Things to avoid while travelling:

Whether it’s a book, magazine, phone, or tablet, save it for when you get to your destination.

Avoid strong smelling food, smoke, perfume, or petrol fumes.

Things to try:

• Listening to an audiobook, podcast or music instead of reading.
• Closing your eyes as this could help to reduce the confusing motion messages in the brain.²
• Try sleeping as it helps the brain to switch off.²
• Breathe in fresh air whenever possible.

There are things you can try ahead of the journey to help children with travel sickness

• Give your youngster a light, carb-based snack before travelling such as cereal or crackers. Avoid anything ‘too heavy’.²
• Plan several stops into your journey time for fresh air, a little walk and refreshment such as water.
• Being elevated so your child can see through the window to the horizon may help so safety seats and booster seats can come in handy.²