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Motion Sickness
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Symptoms

Motion Sickness

Motion sickness is a common condition triggered by conflicting sensory signals during travel, often resulting in nausea and dizziness.

Overview

Motion sickness is a common problem in people traveling by car, train, airplanes, and especially boats. Anyone can get it, but it is more common in children, pregnant women, and people taking certain medicines. Motion sickness can start suddenly, with a queasy feeling and cold sweats, and can lead to dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

Causes

Your brain senses movement by getting signals from your inner ears, eyes, muscles, and joints. When it gets signals that do not match, you can get motion sickness. For example, if you are reading on your phone while riding a bus, your eyes are focused on something that is not moving, but your inner ear senses motion.

Prevention

Where you sit can make a difference. The front seat of a car, forward cars of a train, upper deck on a boat, or wing seats in a plane may give you a smoother ride. Looking out into the distance—instead of trying to read or look at something in the vehicle—can also help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading while the vehicle is moving creates a sensory mismatch that often triggers nausea. If you must look at a screen, try a tablet with a large font, keep it at eye level, and take frequent breaks to look out the window. Alternatively, listen to audiobooks or podcasts, which do not conflict with vestibular input.
Most people feel relief within 15–30 minutes once they are back on stable ground, but lingering dizziness or mild nausea can persist for up to a few hours. Staying hydrated, eating a light snack, and avoiding sudden head movements can speed recovery.
Stop looking at close-up objects, focus on the horizon or a fixed point on the shore, and take slow, deep breaths. If possible, move to a central location on the vessel where motion is less pronounced, and sip cool water or ginger tea. Over-the-counter antihistamines like dimenhydrinate can be taken beforehand or at the first sign of symptoms, following dosing instructions.
Yes, many pediatric formulations of dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or meclizine are approved for children over 2 years old. Always use the weight‑based dose on the label or prescribed by a pediatrician, and avoid giving more than one type of motion‑sickness drug at the same time.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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