Motion Sickness

Summary

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. It can then lead to dizziness and nausea and vomiting.

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.

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.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Learn More

• Car Sickness American Academy of Pediatrics
• Ginger National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
• Human Balance System Vestibular Disorders Association
• Mal de Debarquement (Sickness of Disembarkment) Vestibular Disorders Association
• Motion Sickness American Academy of Family Physicians
• Motion Sickness: First Aid Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Travelers’ Health: Motion Sickness Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Motion Sickness National Institutes of Health

Genetics

• Motion sickness: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine

Journal Articles

• Motion Sickness