Motion sickness

Motion sickness is feeling dizzy, or feeling or being sick when travelling by car, boat, plane or train. You can do things to prevent it or relieve the symptoms.

Symptoms of motion sickness

Symptoms of motion sickness may include:

• dizziness
• feeling sick (nausea)
• being sick
• headache
• feeling cold and going pale
• sweating

How to ease motion sickness yourself

A pharmacist can help with motion sickness

You can buy remedies from pharmacies to help prevent motion sickness, including:

• tablets – dissolvable tablets are available for children
• patches – can be used by adults and children over 10
• acupressure bands – these do not work for everyone

A pharmacist will be able to recommend the best treatment for you or your child.

Causes of motion sickness

Motion sickness is caused by repeated movements when travelling, like going over bumps in a car or moving up and down in a boat, plane or train.

The inner ear sends different signals to your brain from those your eyes are seeing. These confusing messages cause you to feel unwell.