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None of our 4 children have ever been car sick and we could take them anywhere. This past week we loaded up the little girls and the 8 year old threw up half way to the beach. We had stopped for a meal about 40 minutes before so we chalked it up to that. On the way back she had a light breakfast but still got car sick. I am really surprised. Absolutely nothing was different this time. Same car, car seat, everything. She and her sister were playing dolls and even tho we reminded her to look out the window frequently she still erped.
Anybody have any explanation? She has been fine since we've been home so I know she isn't sick.
None of our 4 children have ever been car sick and we could take them anywhere. This past week we loaded up the little girls and the 8 year old threw up half way to the beach. We had stopped for a meal about 40 minutes before so we chalked it up to that. On the way back she had a light breakfast but still got car sick. I am really surprised. Absolutely nothing was different this time. Same car, car seat, everything. She and her sister were playing dolls and even tho we reminded her to look out the window frequently she still erped.
Anybody have any explanation? She has been fine since we've been home so I know she isn't sick.
It's probably just the focusing attention inside the car thing. Whenever I look down (at a book, at the phone, at anything), I start to get sick after about 10 minutes. Looking out the windows will help, but only if you're basically doing that continuously. It doesn't help me to just look out if the balance of my time is spent looking inside the car. Even if I stop looking down and switch to looking out the window, it takes a good 5-10 minutes before I start feeling better.
Maybe switch to family games where you look for stuff out the windows? Animals? License plates? Alphabet game? Singing?
Motion sickness is common. It can come on suddenly, people aren't necessarily born with it (imagine all those puking babies in strollers if that were the case). She might have a bit of wax buildup in her ear; even that can trigger an episode. I'd suggest having her ears checked, if it happens again. Maybe see how she feels when she's in a car, but has NOT had something to eat just prior to the drive. Like maybe, on the way to lunch. Let her look in or out the window, don't change anything else. Just have her in the car on an empty stomach.
It could just be coincidental. Or it might be some kind of inner ear imbalance, or even a mild infection. Or as I said - something as benign as a plug of wax in one ear. Also might have her checked for astigmatism, if she's showing -any- visual focus weakness at all.
I used to get car sick all the time. Then mom put me in the front seat instead of the back and let me crack open the window an inch for fresh air, and I was fine. Centrifugal motion still gets me sick if it's repetitive. So - one "round" on the rollercoaster loop is fine. The ride that goes around and around and around and around, not fine. I'm also partially deaf, moreso in one ear than the other. That probably accounts for my motion sickness, but it doesn't explain why I only get sick when I'm experiencing repetitive centrifugal motion, and not, for instance, on a boat.
But whenever someone has any kind of motion sickness, the first place to look, is the ears.
I'd get her checked out by a doctor to make sure it isn't some sort of inner ear infection or some other type of ailment that is upsetting her sense of equilibrium. If this checks out -well, some people are just prone to motion sickness.
In addition - do all the typical things. Keep her hydrated. Make sure she isn't reading in the car or looking down at a screen (this is a big motion sickness trigger). Make sure she has something in her stomach before a long trip (nothing greasy, though).
Here's another thing you can try. There are these acupressure wrist bands (I believe they are called Sea Bands. They are marketed towards folks who get sea sick, but it works for any type of motion sickness. I've used them myself and they work like a charm!) - they look like sweat bands, but they have these plastic bumps on the inside. The plastic bumps press on these pressure points on your wrist that alleviate nausea or dizziness. Next time you go out for long road trip - slip these on her wrists. I used to take dramamine - but now I use these instead. They work like a charm. People swear by them. Fairly inexpensive ($15-20) - you can find them at most drug stores.
Thanks guys. She does have a tendency to build up wax in her ears so when she gets home from school I will check that out. Great tips. I will try those wrist bands next time. By law she can't be in the front seat and anyway she likes being in her booster seat in the back with her sister.
Suggestion for the booster seat then - make sure it's behind the passenger seat, not behind the driver's seat. Being able to see mommy will give her more impetus to look UP. Also, the wrist bands: last cruise I was on, it seemed everyone and their brother was using them. And everyone and their brother was feeling awesome and having a great time. Since the only people who wear them, are people who worry about being seasick, I'd say it really does have a profound effect. I was blessed with sealegs so can't speak from personal experience on these bands. But they really do seem pretty remarkable, from what other people who -do- use them, have told me themselves.
The Good News: I suffered on and off from car sickness around your child's age, eventually I got over it around 16 yo or so, though it will randomly occur once or twice a year as an adult. Also, it NEVER effected me on boats, trains or planes, just the car.
What worked best for me, and maybe will work for you guys is to absolutely have your child be in control of a window, it really helps to crack it and then close it as necessary. Make sure "child window locks" are off if you have any, the child really needs to be in control as there is no time to waste. Also, no reading, including texting is a huge help. Soft music to focus on with eyes closed is great. Being able to sit in the passenger seat seems to practically cure it, and once you get that "sick" feeling, almost every smell seemed to irritate it, especially the smell of coffee (for me at least). You are right to try to avoid eating right before a trip, contents in the stomach are no help. The best thing my parents did was to pull into places every 40-60 minutes just so I could get out and strech my legs and BREATH AIR, a 10 minute rest stop would usually ward off actual vomitting during a prolonged trip. Also, does this only happen with one particualr driver? My poor Dad has a way hitting the acelerator again and again that is just terrible!!!! It makes the ride very jerky. There might be someone in the family that has a driving style more irritating of the problem than another. I totally agree with having the ears checked as well.
One other thing that worked for me was brushing my teeth or using mouthwash before the trip, and my parents would bring mouthwash for me to use during pit stops. That really helped me around the ages of 8-11, that fresh feeling in your mouth does alot of good. Though chewing gum or sucking on mints during the rides didn't seem to do much.
Another vote for getting her checked for astigmatism. My brother had horrible problems with car sickness growing up. When he finally had the astigmatism corrected with eye glasses the vast majority of the car sickness stopped. Doc said it was a common problem.
Another vote for getting her checked for astigmatism. My brother had horrible problems with car sickness growing up. When he finally had the astigmatism corrected with eye glasses the vast majority of the car sickness stopped. Doc said it was a common problem.
Wow that was just a guess out of left field on my part. I was diagnosed with astigmatism when I was a kid and wore glasses for like - four months maybe. Hated wearing glasses so I just didn't wear them much at all. I don't get carsick anymore, and up until 2 years ago had 20/20 vision. The eye doctor insists it still is 20/20 but I wear 1.5x reading glasses, and squint a lot now, so I'm thinking maybe my eyedoctor needs glasses
Back on topic - yeah I wondered if astigmatism might have something to do with it. Made sense that it would, given the nature of astigmatism. You can "see" just fine. But everything looks like it's moving, even if it's not. A spot on the wall suddenly becomes a millepede. And yet, when you try to follow its movements by focusing on it, you discover it's not moving at all.
Glasses can correct that. But apparently it can sometimes correct itself.
My dd began getting carsick around age 4/5. She's an adult now, and still gets sick if she's not riding in the front, but even then she still has to take Dramamine. Of course kids under 12 shouldn't ride in the front seats with airbags, so that probably isn't an option for you. Wristbands never helped. Some kids outgrow carsickness, though. When she was younger we found the best place for her was in the center of the backseat, so she could see straight ahead where we were going. Looking forward at people's heads or out the sides of windows at passing scenery would make her sick much faster. Also, riding in cars with lower seats would make it worse.
Editing to say I just found the same advice I gave about looking ahead online:
LOOK OUT THE WINDOW. Typically the driver of a car will not get nauseous, but the passengers will. If you are not the driver, help your eyes register movement by watching the road ahead of you, not out the side window. A child should sit in the center of the back seat so they can see out the front window. Their focus should be ahead, not in the car. If your child is small, use a car seat that elevates them so they can see out the window.
Read more: How to Stop Motion Sickness Without Pills or Medicine | eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/how_5515725_stop...#ixzz1IfSW1mwP
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