Its currently school holidays here in Australia and for many families that equates to hitting the road seeking adventure. Unfortunately for some though, this can also mean navigating children with motion sickness.
Motion sickness occurs in response to a variety of different types of movement such as a road trip by car, a day boating on the harbor or indeed flying.
For some, there may be an increased sensitivity to certain motions leading to dizziness and nausea. Children particularly between 2 and 12 years can be prone to suffering from motion sickness.
Motion sickness is thought to take place when there is a mismatch between the information the brain receives from the inner ear balance (vestibular system) and what the eyes ‘see’. For example, if the eyes tell the brain that a person is stationary but the inner ear senses head movements these contradictory messages can lead to motion sickness.
How can you reduce the risk of motion sickness?
There are different things you can try in order to prevent motion sickness or at least reduce the effects of motion sickness. One easy and travel friendly option is using ear seeds to apply pressure to the following acupressure points on the ear.
1. Cardia Point: helps with nausea
2. Inner Ear: helps with balance and dizziness
3. Brain Stem: helps with motion sickness and dizziness
Other top tips to help this school holidays:
- Look at an fixed object outside the car. Don’t try to read a book or play on your phone, that can lead to feeling dizzy and nauseous.
- Ginger tea or sweets have been shown to be beneficial for helping with nausea.
- Make sure you have plenty of fresh air.
- If you find your anxiety is an issue. Use relaxation techniques and try placing your ear seeds on the below relaxation points.
Happy Holidays!
Seeded x