According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Life is a journey, not a destination,” so don’t let the most important part of your trip be ruined by the soul-crushing symptoms of motion sickness. A disorder of the inner ear, motion sickness causes a long list of problems, including dizziness, nausea, and even vomiting. It is caused by an imbalance between your eyes, inner ears, and spine. This imbalance happens when there is a conflict between your senses, which sends your brain mixed signals. Most people get motion sickness during long commutes, although many experience the worst symptoms on planes and boats. If you are regularly affected by motion sickness, make your bus travels a lot more enjoyable with these tried-and-true remedies from the travel pros at Metropolitan Shuttle, the leading charter bus reservation company serving the U.S. and Canada.
OTC Medication
Antihistamines like Antivert, Benadryl, Meclizine, and Dramamine all help prevent motion sickness if taken about an hour before your travels. Medication is one of the most sure-fire ways for eliminating motion sickness, but you also have to consider the common side effects like drowsiness, constipation, and blurred vision. In fact, it is not advised to take an antihistamine while driving. If you’re traveling on a charter bus, you have the convenience of a professional doing all the work, so you can sit back, relax, and take your medication before you experience any motion sickness. You can also counteract the drowsy effects with caffeinated drinks like coffee or tea. Always consult your doctor before taking any OTC medications to make sure they’re the right fit for you.
Home Remedies
If you don’t feel like dealing with the negative side effects of medications, there are several natural remedies that are effective and also have great health benefits. You can more than adequately prevent motion sickness with common items like ginger, Vitamin B-6, and peppermint. Ginger is very effective for easing motion sickness, plus it comes in many forms, including candies, drinks, and capsules. Another popular home remedy is Vitamin B-6, which also contains cancer-fighting antioxidants that help rid your body of free radicals. A cup of soothing peppermint tea is also a useful remedy for easing an upset stomach. If you’re traveling on a bus, you can also try peppermint candies for a more convenient, on-the-go solution.
Change Positions
On the Metropolitan Shuttle charter bus, you have plenty of space to lean back and get comfortable. Many people have reported that changing the way they’re sitting can help alleviate motion sickness. Having the ability to move around and stretch out can drastically reduce the symptoms of motion sickness, if not eradicate them entirely. If you crave the ultimate experience on your next bus trip, you should travel on Metropolitan Shuttle’s Luxury Coach Bus, a luxurious and spacious vehicle that allows you to get up and move around, even switch seats to a comfy reclining lounge chair with a footrest.
Good Ventilation
Fresh air is very restoring, and if you can access it, you can run in circles around motion sickness. When you ride with Metropolitan Shuttle, you’ll have plenty of ventilation and airflow since each individual seat has its own thermostat control, which allows you to make the most of your traveling experience. The charter bus also has great air ventilation and is guaranteed to keep you comfortable all the way to your final destination. If you feel any nausea, situate yourself in front of the air vent and let the cool air blow directly on your face. This method may sound strange but many sufferers of motion sickness have reported an instant reduction in nausea with a blast of cold air to the face. If you can’t get to an air vent quickly enough, keep a battery-operated hand-sized fan in your pocket or handbag and break it out any time you need a quick fix for queasiness.
Watch What You Eat
Eating food that is hard to digest may cause your nausea to worsen, especially spicy foods and alcohol, which can also heighten your chances of vomiting. Alternatively, you should go for foods that are easy on your stomach like crackers, soup, and granola bars. Preferably, you should stick with sipping ginger ale because the bubbles will help soothe your stomach while the ginger lessens your nausea. You might have been led to believe that traveling on an empty stomach will decrease your chance of motion sickness but this is a common misconception. In fact, eating a light, protein filled meal beforehand is recommended by healthcare professionals because it gently coats the stomach and prevents any symptoms. If you ride Metropolitan Shuttle’s charter bus, you’ll have access to a full galley kitchen that you can visit anytime you crave a snack or need a drink.
Focus on a Fixed Point in the Distance
Because your inner ears and muscles are sensing similar things, looking towards the direction you are headed can help re-calibrate your inner ear and eyes. You should notice it working after three to five minutes, which makes this method an easy and effective way to put motion sickness in the back seat. It also gives you a fantastic excuse to pay attention to the scenery around you rather than burying your face in a phone or book.
Distract Yourself
Talking with a friend or even a stranger sitting next to you can help reduce the consequences of motion sickness. There are many ways to distract yourself from your current conditions but engaging in conversation with your neighbors is among the best ways to go about this. Not only will meeting new people make your trip more enjoyable and entertaining, but it can also alleviate nausea that has been putting you in a bad mood for the past few miserable hours. Another crucial way to calm your motion sickness is by listening to music. Playing some jams can seriously help distract you from your onslaught of nausea and put you back on track to having an absolutely wonderful journey. This is especially true for people who can endlessly listen to music. But the distraction method isn’t just anecdotal; there is research that supports music and its ability to help you evade the harsh effects of motion sickness. According to Dr. Levine, who studies behavioral and alternative motion-sickness treatments at Siena College, “Listening to one’s favorite music as a distraction showed improvements in symptoms including nausea, as well as in physiological changes.”
The stomach-churning, uneasy, about-to-upchuck feelings of motion sickness can make bus travel a major bummer, but when you pre-treat the symptoms with these fail-safe remedies, get ready for smooth sailing on your next road trip.
