Where to Sit on a Plane if You Get Motion Sickness

Motion sickness is a common problem on airplanes. (Photo: airplane image by Clarence Alford from Fotolia.com )

Motion sickness is caused by the conflicting signals your brain receives when you are traveling in any type of vehicle. Your inner ear senses movement, but your eyes tell your body that you're sitting still. This feeling is often experienced during air travel and can be very disturbing when you don't have the option to pull over and stretch out, as you might do on the road. Symptoms of motion sickness include nausea, dizziness, headaches and cold sweats. If you know that you are prone to motion sickness or are concerned about getting sick during your flight, you can take precautions to avoid it, as well as follow simple steps to help lessen this problem if it does occur.

Step 1

Choose a seat near the front of the aircraft, or beside a wing. You should experience less motion in these areas. A window seat can help as well, where you will be able to see the horizon. Focusing on the horizon when you begin feeling ill can help to calm your motion sickness. When you book your flight or pick up your ticket, you usually get a choice of available seats. If you are unable to choose your seat prior to boarding the plane, speak with a flight attendant about moving to an open seat that meets these criteria, if it can be arranged.

Step 2

Pay attention to what you eat and drink in the 24 hours leading up to your flight. Avoid meals that are fatty, greasy, salty or spicy, and don't drink any alcohol. Eat small, frequent meals or snacks, and drink plenty of water. Now is not the time to try new or exotic foods, and you should avoid consuming a large meal right before you get on the plane.

Step 3

Focus the small fan above your seat so it blows directly onto your face. This will increase the air flow around you, and help keep you cool in the often stuffy interior of the plane.

Step 4

Do not read during the flight. While you may expect this activity to take your mind off the motion sickness, it can actually make you feel worse by increasing the dissonance felt from looking at a stationary page while in reality, your body is in motion.

Step 5

Apply pressure to the inside of your wrist, about two fingertip widths above the bottom of your hand. You can also purchase motion sickness bands to wear during the flight that have a small knob on the inside of the band. The knob will apply constant pressure to this point. Many people claim that this type of acupressure greatly reduces their nausea.

Step 6

Take a ginger tablet. According to Dr. Steven D. Ehrlich, ginger may help some individuals with motion sickness, though this remedy doesn't work everyone. A 250 mg capsule as many as three times a day can be taken before and during your flight to reduce motion sickness. Ginger-flavored candies, and drinks such as ginger ale, often have a similar effect.

References

Tips

• If the above remedies do not help, over-the-counter medications can offer motion sickness relief to many people. Popular choices include meclizine, sold under brand names such as Bonine, and dimenhydrinate, found in brands such as Dramamine.
• If you have persistent motion sickness that does not respond to over-the-counter drugs, speak with a health care provider. Certain prescription medications, such as a scopolamine patch, can also help relieve severe motion sickness.

Writer Bio

Mandi Rogier is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about a wide range of topics. As a previous employee of Walt Disney World, she enjoys writing travel articles that make use of her extensive knowledge of Orlando theme parks.

Where to Sit on a Plane if You Get Motion Sickness

Source: https://traveltips.usatoday.com/prevent-motion-sickness-air-travel-1580.html

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