Helpful Tips to Stay Healthy and Safe While Travelling This Summer | Vaya
Travel can make you feel exhausted even when you’re sitting still due to several factors related to motion sickness and the conditions of the journey. Here’s an explanation of why this happens:
Long Journeys: The longer you travel, the more likely you are to experience motion sickness. This is because the body accumulates the unpleasant sensations from the repetitive movements during the journey, such as the rocking or swaying of a vehicle.
Visually Stimulating Activities: During long journeys, people often engage in visually stimulating activities like reading, watching movies, playing video games, or scrolling through social media. These activities divert your attention from the vehicle’s motion, leading to a mismatch between your visual and vestibular (balance) systems. This can confuse your brain and make you more prone to motion sickness.
Temperature and Air Conditions: In the summer, the interior of a vehicle can become quite hot, which can exacerbate motion sickness symptoms. Your body has to work harder to regulate its temperature through sweating and breathing, which can contribute to motion sickness symptoms. Using air conditioning can help regulate the temperature, but for some individuals, it may worsen motion sickness due to the airflow and ventilation.
Unpleasant Smells: Unpleasant odors, such as traffic fumes, cigarette smoke, and other strong scents, can also exacerbate motion sickness. This is more pronounced during the summer travel season when air pollution is higher and materials inside the vehicle can become heated.
Traffic Conditions: Changes in speed, especially abrupt accelerations and braking, can make motion sickness worse. Traffic jams can lead to frequent speed changes, which can be physically uncomfortable. The psychological stress of delays, anxiety, tiredness, stress, and irritation can also contribute to motion sickness symptoms.
To minimize the risk of feeling exhausted during travel, consider the following tips:
For the Driver:
Take regular breaks to allow passengers to rest and reduce their symptoms.
Drive smoothly, avoiding hard acceleration, braking, and sharp turns.
For Passengers:
Sit as far forward in the vehicle as possible to minimize motion sensations.
Avoid looking at screens or reading while the vehicle is not moving at a constant speed. Instead, focus on the horizon.
Close your eyes or try to sleep to reduce activity and soothe the body.
Tilt your seat back to reduce the impact of the vehicle’s movements.
Engage in car games or activities to distract from motion sickness symptoms.
Additionally, placebos and simple remedies like offering a sweet, a piece of gum, a sip of water, or fresh air while talking up their effectiveness can provide psychological relief to passengers experiencing motion sickness.
By following these tips and being mindful of the factors that contribute to motion sickness, you can have a more pleasant and comfortable travel experience.
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