2023-09-05 16:00:17
Do you get dizzy when you travel by car? Perhaps it is a motion sickness situation. Keep reading and we’ll tell you what it is and why it happens.
Last update: September 05, 2023
Car sickness can occur for a number of reasons. This includes from the position you occupy in the vehicle, to having a predisposition or suffering from some pathology in which this symptom manifests itself. Next, we will explain it to you in more detail and you will know how the effects can be attenuated.
balance system
The body has a system that allows it to maintain balance. It works thanks to the interaction and exchange of information between its various components, which are:
Semicircular canals of the inner ear. The eyes, which collect information from the environment. Receptors in muscles and joints, which report movement. Receptors in the legs and spine, which report on the position of the body. Brain, brain and spinal cord, which process information from the senses and feed back to the locomotor system.
When they are harmoniously coordinated, everything goes well; and we can walk, stand, sit or get up without falling or stumbling. However, this is not the case every time. As we will see below.
Motion sickness or motion sickness
When coordination fails, between the components of the system described above, contradictory messages are received. Then, what is known as motion sickness or kinetic dizziness can take place.
This frequently occurs in people who travel. So when you feel car sickness, may be due to a mismatch in the balance system or a lack of coordination in it.
In this sense, the view says that you are in a fixed position. And this does not agree with what the body perceives. It senses that you are moving forward, or moving up and down, when there are jumps over obstacles on the road.
In addition to this, the sensation of loss of balance or sense of orientation, it can go accompanied by cold sweating, sudden paleness, nausea, vomitingamong other symptoms.
Conditioning factors and enhancers
Besides, the feeling of dizziness or the possibility of it occurring may be increased in some circumstancessuch as the following:
Speed and curves: the faster the travel and the windier the road, the more likely you are to get car sickness.
If you are in the front seat: it is possible that you are observing the road and your eyes capture movement; while if you go in the back there is more tendency to fix your eyes on some point.
unexpected jumps: in a boat there is a constant swing up and down; this can also occur on a car trip, due to obstacles or uneven terrain, as noted. But, in the people in the positions in front, the view oscillates vertically, unlike the one behind.
You are looking in the opposite direction: Dizziness may also be more intense or more frequent if you are looking in the opposite direction of travel, as occurs in some large limousine-type vehicles, and on trains or subways.
Age: It is considered that in children under 12 years of age, the brain may not yet be mature enough in terms of balance control.
Other reasons why you feel dizzy in the car
The reasons why you may feel dizzy in the car are varied; and not in all cases it is motion sickness, but of situations that have to do with health before the trip or something that triggers a reaction during it. Let’s look at other possible causes.
Height above sea level
If you take a trip and start at a certain height, and then go up, it would not be strange that at some point you feel dizzy in the car, since there is less oxygen concentration. This is what is known as altitude sickness
cervicopathies
Cervicopathies can be another situation related to dizziness. It is the case of what occurs, for example, in whiplash injuriespresent in people who have had a car accident.
Blood circulation
When there is not good circulation, the brain does not receive enough blood. So it is normal for you to feel dizzy. This, in turn, can be related to heart problems, high cholesterol levels, hypoglycemia, alcohol consumption, among others.
Neurological disorders
There are some nervous system problems that can affect your sense of balance, such as:
Sclerosis Spondylosis Vestibular neuritis
Vertigo
vertigo It is a condition in which dizziness is usually manifested. It may be benign postural vertigo, which occurs when turning the head or changing position; For example, this is something that happens in a car when you look to see if another car or a pedestrian is coming.
Other disorders and conditions
Anxiety Migraines Pregnancy Acoustic neuroma Herpes zoster oticus Head injury Ménière’s disease Persistent phobic postural dizziness Cyberdizziness from persistent use of electronic devices
How to avoid car sickness
Just as various factors condition or intensify car sickness, there are ways to avoid it or reduce its impact. First of all, if you are prone to suffer from this problem, It is recommended that you go in the front seat.
Even, when driving, the possibility is greatly reduced, since this demands more attention and, therefore, the vision and the brain are better integrated in the processing of the information required by the balance system. Although there are also people who get dizzy while driving.
If you have no choice but to ride in the back seat, or as a passenger on a bus, the best way to try to reduce the effects of motion sickness is Go observing the horizon, with your eyes raised, and avoid keeping your eyes fixedeither reading a book or watching the mobile.
It is also suggested that the driver avoid going at high speed, taking curves or passing obstacles, as well as accelerating or braking abruptly; especially if he is with people who are susceptible to motion sickness.
Other recommendations
Open the windows, if you notice any signs of dizziness. Avoid getting in the car immediately after eating. Try to relax and distract yourself, talking to other people. If you’re not driving, close your eyes or even try to sleep to notice movement less. On long trips, you have to stop every once in a while to stretch your legs and clear your head a bit.
¿Do you need treatment for car sickness?
It is possible that people who suffer from car dizziness frequently require some medication, to reduce the episodes or attenuate the symptoms. This is the case of those who suffer from any of the aforementioned conditions.
A tales fines, there are drugs such as dimenhydrinate, which can be purchased without a prescription. But care must be taken with this medicine, because it can have a side effect, which is drowsiness.
Therefore, it is not advisable to consume it if you are going to drive. It should be noted that, before ingesting it, the recommendation is consult your doctor first, if you plan to travel and you present this problem.
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