Motion sickness is an incredibly common condition. Many people experience it not only on boats or ships, but also on cars, airplanes, and buses. And no matter how beautiful your views are or how pleasant your company is - motion sickness can ruin the whole trip experience.
In this article, our team at Infinity Transporation has prepared some useful tips on preventing motion sickness during the bus trip. The best part is that most of these are pretty universal and can be applied to almost any other means of transportation.
What Is Motion Sickness?
Speaking simply, motion sickness (also known as seasickness) is usually recognized by nausea, vertigo, stomach pains, and vomiting at its worst. Whenever we say that someone is carsick, airsick, or seasick, we mean motion sickness. Though everyone can get it, some statistics indicate that some people are much more vulnerable to bus sickness.
On average, every third person is affected by motion sickness at some point. The most vulnerable to this condition are children in the age range of 2-12 years, and women. Factors such as a family history of experiencing motion sickness, pregnancy, taking hormonal medications, migraines, and inner ear disorders can drastically increase the risk of succumbing to carsickness.
What Causes Motion Sickness?
We use our senses to understand our surroundings. And when these senses send contradictory information to the brain, it can't quite figure it out and this is what makes us sick. For example, your eyes and inner ear sense movement, while the rest of the body is resting on a comfortable bus seat without access to fresh air.
There are plenty of things that can trigger motion sickness, apart from transportation. Video games on a widescreen, virtual reality headsets, amusement park rides, and even reading during transportation can cause motion sickness.
8 Tips to Prevent or Ease the Motion Sickness
Now that we’ve defined bus sickness, the question is how do we avoid it? Below are our top tips on how to stop motion sickness during solitary or group bus travel.
#1. Travel at Night, If Possible
Since motion sickness is caused by the conflict of our senses, the best prevention for seasickness is to temporarily remove one of the contradicting senses. Traveling at night can reduce the amount of incoming visual information. Plus, it's much easier to fall asleep at night than during the daytime.
Getting some sleep is the ultimate solution for bus motion sickness. This way, your brain won't get any contradicting information from your senses whatsoever. In addition, you'll feel well-rested the next day.
#2. Sit Closer to the Front of the Bus
While choosing a bus for travel is incredibly important for the overall quality of experience, some seats on a bus are much better for those who need to avoid motion sickness on a charter bus. The best place to sit on a bus to avoid motion sickness is the front of the bus, directly behind the driver.
The front area of the bus is much more stable, meaning there will be less motion information coming to your brain. And even if you start feeling sick, there's much more fresh air at the front of the bus, meaning that this is the best seat for you.
#3. Try to Avoid Reading on the Move
Motion sickness can get much worse if you focus your attention on the things inside the bus. Your peripheral vision will register the movement and create a contradiction in the brain. That’s where the bus sickness begins. There are cases when people experience the dreadful symptoms of motion sickness only while reading while in a moving vehicle.
If you know you're prone to getting carsick, the easiest step you can take for motion sickness prevention is to restrain yourself from reading or using your electronic devices too much. This sensory disconnect will help you.
#4. Find a Distraction
Don't give in to the frustration of feeling sick! Instead of focusing on your discomfort and ultimately making things even worse, try to find a distraction that will work well for you. Listen to music, have a chat, or even count sheep in your mind - whatever you fancy.
Another great way of bus motion sickness prevention is to focus on something outside of the bus. And while everything around the bus is moving, the horizon is pretty much always in one place. Concentrating your sight on it can be a great way to deal with motion sickness.
#5. Be Careful with What You Eat and Drink
While it's incredibly important to stay hydrated and don't get hungry, a poor choice of food and beverages can contribute to your bus motion sickness. Try to drink water, juices with low sugar, ginger ale, or small doses of coffee. As for the food, light snacks are the best option.
Try to stay away from heavy, spicy, fatty, and acidic foods: it's hard to digest just by itself and may cause a severe case of nausea. Don't drink alcohol and keep caffeine levels low, as they raise overall anxiety and can provoke motion sickness.
#6. Lie Down When You Feel Sick
A horizontal position on bus trips can stabilize your body's equilibrium, helping to prevent motion sickness and alleviate uncomfortable symptoms. Lying down offers a calming effect and minimizes disruptions that trigger nausea.
#7. Stare at a Fixed Point
Try focusing on a fixed point in the distance. This action can anchor your visual cues, ultimately helping you avoid motion sickness. Concentrating on a steady point can distract the mind and reduce sensations of movement.
#8. Have Medication Handy
If you know that any of the previous steps won't alleviate motion sickness on a bus, or just want to be prepared for the worst, have a set of medications on hand specifically designed to treat motion sickness. While the effects of medications are different for everyone, overall, you can use these for quick relief:
- Scopolamine. This medication comes as pills (make sure to determine the correct dosage for you with your doctor) or as skin patches, which should be applied behind your ears. This is a great and long-lasting solution, especially if you have many trips planned in the course of a few days.
- Promethazine. Taking this medication helps avoid nausea and vomiting during bus travel, as it reduces the vomiting signals. However, this remedy should be carefully dosed, so make sure to consult your doctor before taking it.
- Over-the-counter antihistamines. Some commonly known medications, such as Benadryl or Antivert, can be effective against motion sickness symptoms. As a bonus, some are even safe for kids.
Even if these medications work well for you, you should always consider consulting with your physician; a doctor can find an even better and more affordable solution for you.
Conclusion
We hope that these tips will make your next bus trip a much more pleasant experience. And even though you can't always control everything, you can make sure to choose a professional transportation company for your future charter bus rental to make it better.
A modern bus with amenities and a professional driver will ensure the smoothness of your trip. And comfortable seats on our buses will help you fall asleep and save that precious energy for your trip. Don't be shy to contact Infinity Transportation and get a quote for your charter bus rental needs!
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