A ride in the car, boat, train or plane makes him uncomfortable to the point of being nauseous? Motion sickness affects many children, so here are some explanations.
There are only rough statistics on motion sickness, but it is reported that one in five people get sick to their stomachs in a boat, while in a car it is around one in 10. Symptoms range from simple malaise to vomiting, dizziness and headache.
Why does my child have motion sickness?
Motion sickness stems most of the time from a sensory conflict between the vision and the inner ear. When the child is young and his head does not exceed the front seat, his eyes see a fixed object, while his inner ear registers movements, such as turns and acceleration after a stop. It is for this reason that reading gives heartaches in the car. The contradiction of the information received by the brain leads to symptoms of malaise such as feeling tired, paleness, dizziness, nausea and even vomiting.
How to prevent motion sickness?
If your child has thesesymptoms, you can greatly help him with a booster seat that will allow him to see the landscape and follow the movement of the car with his eyes. Naturally, avoid holding his attention with fixed objects, such as a book, drawing or portable DVD. Also watch out for strong scents and sudden accelerations.
It is mainly between the ages of 3 and 12, with a "peak" between 10 and 12 years old, that children are prone to motion sickness; by adolescence, symptoms should lessen and even disappear in most cases.
In the meantime, this condition is very annoying for those who like to travel and who prevent themselves from it because the symptoms are really unpleasant! Here are some prevention tips that should help reduce them.
- Rest. A well-rested child reacts less strongly to motion sickness, so a good night's sleep before the big departure would be ideal!
- Eating. An empty stomach predisposes to motion sickness. A good meal that is neither too greasy nor too heavy, or at least a sustaining but unsweetened snack will help him endure the trip.
- Air. Good air circulation in the vehicle will also help reduce the severity of symptoms.
- Stops. If the child consistently suffers from motion sickness every time you take a long trip, schedule regular stops along the way. A 5 to 10 minute stop every hour is better than a crash stop because his nausea hasevolved into vomiting!
Treatments for motion sickness
There are natural solutions to counter motion sickness, such as drinks made with ginger or lemon.
If the natural ways don't work, don't hesitate to talk about this subject with your doctor or pharmacist so that he can advise you properly on the products that can reduce or even eliminate the symptoms of motion sickness like the Gravol.
