Travel sickness describes sickness associated with motion which can also be referred to as seasickness (for boat trips), air sickness (planes) or car sickness depending on which mode of transport you are using!

It involves several horrible symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Often when people start to get motion sickness they will go a little bit pale and start to produce excess saliva.  They may also become drowsy or tired and start to breath more rapidly than normal.

Out of the people who are more likely to suffer from motion sickness such as those who regularly suffer from migraines and those with heavy periods there are two groups which are of particular interest to WonderBaba.  These are pregnant women and children between the ages of three and twelve years.  Children from two onwards are more likely to suffer from travel sickness but they tend to grow out of motion sickness by the time they are 12 thankfully!

Sometimes motion sickness improves once your body gets used to the change in environment, for example your child may improve a few hours into a journey.  Sometimes however the only thing to stop the sickness is to stop the journey!  This clearly isn’t always practical so I’ll summarise some treatment options which are worth trying now!

Medicines which help!

• Stugeron

  This contains cinnarizine 15mg which is an antihistamine that helps to reduce nausea during travel sickness.  It is suitable for adults and children over five years of age at the following doses:

  It should not be taken if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.  It is best to take it after food.  It is good to be aware that it may cause your child to be a little drowsy so make sure to give them allowances for this.

• Kwells

  The active substance in Kwells tablets is hyoscine hydrobromide. Hyoscine hydrobromide temporarily reduces the effect of movement on the balance organs of the inner ear and the nerves responsible for nausea.  Because Kwells tablets melt in the mouth, absorption into the bloodstream is very rapid and they can be taken up to 30 minutes before travelling or at the onset of sickness.   These are only suitable for children over ten years of age – so not quite WonderBabas but maybe their older siblings or parents!!  The dosage information is as follows:

Alternative Products

• CaldeKids Travel Pops

CaldeKids travel pops are great for settling childrens tummy’s during travel.  They contain ginger, peppermint, and lemon juice and a little sugar and some apple flavouring which combined taste really appealing to children and have a positive effect on their digestive system.  The recommended usage is one to three lollipops per day.  For best effect use them 30 minutes before travelling.   These are available by clicking here!

• Ginger

  Ginger is naturally helpful for motion sickness but not always the easiest think to get your child to take!  Consider giving a luke warm tea (not real tea!!) made just with water, some grated ginger and lemon.  Ok well my kids wouldn’t drink it but your might and i’m trying here!! Ok…better idea – grab a pack of ginger biscuits – in moderation of course 😉

• Acupressure Bands

  Ok so there is no scientific evidence that these work but honestly I’ve had so many people come into me in the pharmacy with success stories that they are definitely work a go! I’ve no first had experience on this product as none of mine suffer from car sickness yet thankfully! They work by applying pressure to a certain point on the wrist to reduce nausea and they certainly can’t do any harm! They are recommended for children three years and up – just make sure the band is fitting snugly!!  I have them available to purchase by clicking here!

Wonder Tips!

• Try to get your child to sit still – this is easy in a car due to the godsend that is a five point harness! For older kids or on a plane or boat try to get them to sit in the one spot and focus on something ahead of them in the distance – like the horizon.
• Use a cushion to support your child’s head in one position.
• Don’t encourage reading or games as this can make things worse!
• Do try to let your child fall asleep in the car as closing your eyes can help you to feel better.
• Try to distract your child with a story – even an audiobook so you don’t have to read yourself! We currently are listening to David Walliams in the car and the kids seem to love it! Also try singing or playing the ‘I spy’ game – In our house we don’t all know our sounds and letters yet so we play ‘I spy colour game’ which works by spotting things the colour red or blue etc!
• Don’t let the car get too warm or stuffy – open a window if needs must or if you are on a plane turn on the aircon or if your on a boat take a trip to the top deck!
• Get your kids to eat small meals often before a journey so that you avoid a large meal just before departure time.
• Encourage plenty of fluid the day of travel to prevent dehydration which may worsen nausea.
• Try to get your child to practice deep breathing – this is such a useful skill for them to have anyway for any time they are trying to focus or remain calm!   Good ways to teach them to do this is to ask them to pretend to smell a flower, or to blow bubbles, or even to pretend they are blowing out candles on their birthday cake!
• This last one is pessimistic but practical – always have a sick bag and fresh clothes ready.

I hope you have found this article helpful and if you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to contact me by sending a private message to the WonderBaba facebook page (www.facebook.com/wonderbabacare) or by calling me (Sheena) at Milltown totalhealth Pharmacy in Dublin 6 on 012600262.  I’m always happy to help!