What to do to avoid motion sickness?

Listening to music while traveling by train or plane stimulates the body to produce hormones such as endorphin, dopamine and serotonin, improving mood and reducing headaches and motion sickness.

Many people feel headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and nausea when traveling by vehicle, which greatly affects their psychology and health. Doctor Hoang Quyet Tien, Medical Information Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that it is estimated that one in three people suffer from motion sickness, car sickness, and air sickness, with varying degrees of severity depending on the time. Women and children are more susceptible to this condition.

According to Dr. Tien, music is a solution to help reduce headaches caused by motion sickness. When listening to your favorite music, the parasympathetic nervous system is affected, bringing a pleasant feeling. Music stimulates the body to produce endorphins - the body's natural pain-relieving hormones, improving mood. At this time, the body also releases the hormones dopamine and serotonin to relieve stress, limiting the symptoms of motion sickness.

When listening to music, the brain is distracted, focusing on the melody of the song and forgetting the symptoms related to headaches and nausea caused by motion sickness.

Listening to music helps reduce headaches when traveling by train or car. Illustration: Freepik — Listening to music helps reduce headaches when traveling by train or car. Illustration: *Freepik*

People with headaches can choose their favorite songs or relaxing music without words, slow tempo, repetitive melody, using wooden instruments to help relieve stress. ASMR music with a variety of sounds such as waves, rain, tapping, rustling, whispering also has a relaxing effect.

You should turn on the music at a low volume, you can use noise-cancelling headphones to increase sound quality and reduce surrounding noise, creating a quieter space.

To limit headaches and motion sickness, people need to get enough sleep and eat a light meal before departure, avoid spicy, greasy foods. Use therapeutic aromas such as mint, lavender, orange peel, tangerine..., suck on mint and ginger flavored candies.

Choose a well-ventilated seat such as near the driver or in the middle of the car, at the back of the boat, or near the window on planes and trains. Adults can take motion sickness medication as directed by a doctor. Avoid reading or using your phone while the car or train is moving as this can aggravate symptoms.

Dr. Tien suggests some natural nutrients such as blueberry and ginkgo biloba which help fight free radicals and increase blood circulation to the brain, reducing headache symptoms. The doctor recommends that people with headaches, prolonged nausea after a trip, dehydration, low blood pressure, and fatigue should go to the hospital for examination.

Xuan Diem

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