Say bon voyage to travel sickness

KIM JONES DISCOVERS THE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO AVOID FEELING UNWELL WHEN YOU HEAD OFF ON YOUR HOLIDAY

- KIM JONES

WITH travel back on the cards, many of us are eager to make up for trips and holidays lost to the pandemic.

But while some can't wait to take off - whether by train, plane, boat or automobile - anyone susceptible to travel sickness will be dreading the journey.

Around 65% of us suffer from some degree of motion sickness, says Dr Deborah Lee from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy (doctorfox.co.uk).

"The exact cause is not known. But it's thought to happen because, the sensory input to the brain becomes confused," she says.

As you travel in a car, your inner ears sense movement, your eyes see movement (buildings, fields or trees passing by) but your body sends your brain the message that it's sitting still.

This neural confusion can cause nausea and sweating.

"It's important to recognise symptoms and take steps to prevent the onset when you're going on a journey!"

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

Research from the University of Warwick published in the journal Applied Ergonomics suggests we could "train our brains" to become less prone to motion sickness by doing visuospatial exercises.

In the study, participants did penand-paper visuospatial training tasks - for example, paper folding or looking at a pattern of boxes and identifying which image has been rotated - once a day for 15 minutes.

After two weeks of training, participants saw their motion sickness reduced by 58 per cent on the road.

Free apps such as Spatial Ability and Unfoldit will allow you to practise exercises like this yourself.

EAT RIGHT, AND LIGHT

Avoid travelling on an empty stomach as it can make you more prone to travel sickness, says naturopathic nutritionist Louise Westra (louisewestra.com).