• Question: why do people get travel sick?..

    Asked by amy0306 to Aime, Akshat, Diana, Gemma, Judith on 23 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Judith McCann

      Judith McCann answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Basically you brain takes in data from all over your body, tastes, smells, vision etc. Motion sickness comes when things don’t add up and your brain can’t make sense of it.

      In your inner ear there is a fluid filled loop with tiny hairs in that tells your brain which way up you and and uses this for balance. But your brain can also use your vision to tell which way is up/down and uses this to balance. When both things are saying a slightly different thing, which is what happens when your moving a lot, this is when you get motion sickness, as your brain can’t put the two things together properly!

    • Photo: Akshat Rathi

      Akshat Rathi answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Funnily enough, the only time I have travel sickness is when I take a bus on a long journey. And I suspect it mostly happens when the bus is going through hilly regions taking big turns.

      Judith is right that when the perceived sense of position does not match with the actual then you feel a bit dizzy. To deal with travel sickness, I just go to sleep. This way my brain does not have to keep working on where I am. 🙂

    • Photo: Gemma Sharp

      Gemma Sharp answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Judith’s pretty much covered this one 🙂

      I don’t actually get travel sick, so I don’t know what my brain’s doing when I’m in the car!

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