# Car Sickness **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 26, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795 "2009-08-26T18:07:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tattman40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tattman40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tattman40)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/1 "2009-08-26T18:07:11Z")
I do alot of driving and the whole time I feel fine. As soon as I’m a passenger, I get a feeling of car sickness. Not to the point of throwing up, just nausea. Does anyone else get this? ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/2 "2009-08-26T18:18:51Z")
Yes. My WAG is that when you’re driving, your brain understands that you’re about to corner because your arms are moving the steering wheel. You don’t get that feedback when you’re a passenger, hence the car sickness. ---
**Author:** ![Mom-of-Andrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@Mom-of-Andrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mom-of-Andrew)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/3 "2009-08-26T18:25:22Z")
I don’t, but **PopofAndrew** does. He claims it’s my driving :rolleyes: I claim it’s his control freak tendencies 😃 Since it happens to him no matter who else is driving, I’m going to go with **Sandra\_nz** as the reason for both of you. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/4 "2009-08-26T18:43:49Z")
I am very prone to motion sickness in a car, particularly if I ride in the back seat or if I try to read anything or look at a map. The only cure is to stop the car or get behind the wheel myself. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/5 "2009-08-26T18:44:42Z")
I’ve never been able to read while riding in a car without feeling nauseous pretty quick. In the last few years it’s progressed to the point that just a quick glance at a map will give me that familiar ookey feeling. I’ve always figured it was an inner ear thing but maybe it’s partly psychosomatic too. Good thing I never get bored watching the scenery roll by. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/6 "2009-08-26T18:53:35Z")
I don’t get motion sickness (almost did once), but prolonged reading in a car will give me a slight headache. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/7 "2009-08-26T19:24:47Z")
Yes. Motion sickness is caused by the differing signals sent to your brain: your inner ear tells your brain you are jostling around. Your eyes tell your brain that you are motionless (relative to the car). When you are a driver, you look outside the car and get visual clues of motion that synch with your inner ear signals. If you are a passenger, try to sit in the front seat (big window) and look out the window. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/8 "2009-08-26T19:27:52Z")
often motion sickness is caused or worsened by your motion sensation in your ear not agreeing with your visual sensation. not looking outside your vehicle/ship/aircraft can make it worse. or if the motion is not well synchronized with the visuals it can be a problem. being a passenger might be worse if you are not looking out at the direction of motion. not being a driver also may have more because not being on task allows your mind to sense the feeling. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/9 "2009-08-26T19:34:10Z")
Just to repeat what others have said, but with some solid advice. You’re getting car sick because your inner ear feels you moving all around, but your eyes are likely looking at something in the car, which isn’t moving. The solution is to keep looking outside the car. Get your ears and eyes seeing and feeling the same thing. An extremely hilly drive may overcome this, like getting seasick, but it should help. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/10 "2009-08-26T19:42:09Z")
Another person suffering from motion sickness here. Always carsick-- sometimes to the point of having to get the driver to stop the car so I can barf. When I drive, I’m fine. About 2/3 of the members of my family suffer from car sickness, intensely in childhood. I’m always the first to hit sick bay when on a boat/ship/ferry. I’m the only person I know who’s used the barf bags in airplanes, and more than once. The only solution was taking dramamine (gravol) ahead of time and sleeping throughout the trip. That’s not ideal, if the trip is meant to be a sightseeing one. Now I can’t do gravol anymore due to thyroid problems. This is crazy, but here goes: I suffer from motion sickness (nausea, not vomiting to this day) in IMAX theatres. All those solutions of looking outside the car just don’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/11 "2009-08-26T20:20:02Z")
Oh, yeah, IMAX theatres: I get nauseated there too. Bleh. I hate motion sickness. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/12 "2009-08-26T20:20:36Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > I am very prone to motion sickness in a car, particularly if I ride in the back seat or if I try to read anything or look at a map. The only cure is to stop the car or get behind the wheel myself. Same here. All I can do is sit and stare straight ahead. Even looking out the side window triggers it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/13 "2009-08-26T20:22:32Z")
> [@Karen\_Lingel](#): > > Yes. Motion sickness is caused by the differing signals sent to your brain: your inner ear tells your brain you are jostling around. Your eyes tell your brain that you are motionless (relative to the car). > > When you are a driver, you look outside the car and get visual clues of motion that synch with your inner ear signals. If you are a passenger, try to sit in the front seat (big window) and look out the window. Why do some people get it and others don’t? I’ve never had motion sickness, while my wife gets it a little. I can read in the car and work on the computer, while she can’t do either. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/14 "2009-08-26T20:27:13Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Why do some people get it and others don’t? Karma? ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/15 "2009-08-26T20:35:41Z")
One possible way to get rid of car sickness is to knock out one of your vestibular nerves. As I mentioned in another thread, I had (have?) vestibular neuritis. I can’t walk in the dark any more but at least I can read now read during those long car trips. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/16 "2009-08-26T20:36:23Z")
I’m not kidding when I say I get motion sickness in a hammock. Swings are bad too. Driving is OK but not riding, but it gets better that larger the vehicle; full-size busses, trains, etc., are OK. Bonine is my best friend whenever I have to be a passenger. I actually hold it against my parents that they made me ride on long trips on the brink of vomiting when there were drugs to help me. ---
**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/17 "2009-08-26T23:36:57Z")
Yerrrg, motion sickness. I’ve found that ‘distracting’ my inner ear with listening to music on headphones helps a lot, and can short-circuit nausea. My family knows that if I’m resolutely staring out the window and can hear my music blaring from my ears that there’s a chance I may need them to pull over. 🙂 * * * \<\< How many of you believe in telekinesis? Raise my hand! \>\> ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/18 "2009-08-27T04:35:16Z")
Yep, it’s definitely caused by the disconnect between eye and inner ear. I get motion sick when riding but never when driving. Also get sick when on a merry-go-round, a train, a plane, a boat, sitting still in an IMAX theater, and looking through a teaching microscope when someone else is “steering”. Dramamine is my best friend. If you want to avoid drugs I’ve found that ginger is a very effective anti-nausea remedy, either in candy form or capsules from the health food store. It doesn’t last as long as dramamine but it doesn’t make you sleepy either. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/19 "2009-08-27T13:33:32Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Why do some people get it and others don’t? I wonder if it’s hereditary? My father gets it, and my mom, although to a much lesser extent. My husband doesn’t get sick at all, and only one of my kids gets sick. The other one can read or play his gameboy in the car, to the bitter envy of his brother. ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795/20 "2009-08-27T14:03:47Z")
Bane of my life: Ipod, movies with hand-held camera or effects, (Twister - \* shudder \*) microfiche, theme park rides; all these and more _in addition to_ regular car sickness. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-sickness/507795.md?page=2)