Motion Sickness: Why It Happens, and What You Can Do About It
Have you ever felt perfectly fine driving a car, only to become nauseated within minutes of sitting in the passenger seat? Or found that reading a book or looking at your phone during a trip makes you feel sick?
If so, you're not alone. Motion sickness affects millions of people each year and can occur in cars, boats, airplanes, amusement rides, and even virtual reality.
What Causes Motion Sickness?
Your ability to maintain balance depends on three sensory systems working together:
Your eyes, which provide information about your surroundings.
Your inner ear (vestibular system), which detects head movement and acceleration.
Your muscles and joints (proprioception), which provide information about the position and movement of your body.
Normally, these systems provide consistent information. Your nervous system continuously integrates these signals to create a clear understanding of where you are and how you're moving.
Motion sickness develops when these signals don't agree.
For example, imagine reading a book in a moving car. Your eyes are focused on a stationary page, suggesting that you are relatively still. At the same time, your inner ear detects the car accelerating, braking, and turning. This mismatch between what your visual and vestibular systems are reporting is known as sensory conflict, the leading scientific explanation for motion sickness.
The result can be nausea, dizziness, sweating, fatigue, pallor, and, in some cases, vomiting. Although unpleasant, these symptoms are normal physiological responses to conflicting sensory information.
Why Are Some People More Susceptible?
Some individuals are naturally more sensitive to sensory conflict than others. Motion sickness is more common in children, people with migraine disorders, and individuals with certain vestibular conditions. It may also become more noticeable following a concussion or other disorders affecting the balance system.
Can It Be Treated?
In many cases, yes.
Simple strategies can help reduce sensory conflict, including:
Looking toward the horizon instead of at a phone or book.
Sitting where movement is less noticeable, such as the front seat of a car.
Taking regular breaks from screens while travelling.
Ensuring good ventilation and staying well hydrated.
For some people, medications may also be appropriate, particularly during unavoidable travel.
If motion sensitivity persists, especially after a concussion or an inner ear disorder, vestibular rehabilitation may be beneficial. Treatment often includes gaze stabilization, balance training, and gradual exposure to movement. These exercises help the nervous system become more efficient at interpreting sensory information, allowing many people to tolerate movement with fewer symptoms over time.
The encouraging news is that the nervous system is remarkably adaptable. With an accurate assessment and the right treatment, many people can significantly reduce motion sensitivity and return to travelling, exercising, and everyday activities with greater confidence.
References:
Golding, J. F., & Gresty, M. A. (2015). Motion sickness: Current knowledge and recent advance. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, 21(10), 770–775.
Lackner, J. R. (2014). Motion sickness: More than nausea and vomiting. Experimental Brain Research, 232(8), 2493–2510.
Strupp, M., & Brandt, T. (2018). The neurophysiology and treatment of motion sickness. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 115(41), 687–696.
Hall, C. D., Herdman, S. J., Whitney, S. L., et al. (2016). Vestibular rehabilitation for peripheral vestibular hypofunction: An evidence-based clinical practice guideline. Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy, 40(2), 124–155.
