What Causes Motion Sickness?
4 Answers
Motion sickness is a type of kinetosis, which is further classified into car sickness, sea sickness, air sickness (aero sickness), and space sickness depending on the mode of transportation. Kinetosis is a condition caused by any form of accelerated motion—such as bumps, sways, or rotations—generated by cars, ships, or airplanes, which stimulates the human vestibular nerve. 1. Introduction: The vestibular apparatus in the inner ear is the body's balance-sensing organ, consisting of three semicircular canals and the utricle and saccule in the vestibule. It can detect stimuli from various specific motion states. 2. Additional Information: Compared to adults, children are more prone to motion sickness and experience more severe symptoms. This is because the vestibular function is not fully developed before the age of 4, gradually maturing after 4 years and reaching full development by age 16. As the vestibular function progressively improves, a child's motion sickness symptoms will lessen and eventually disappear.
I can relate to motion sickness, which is mainly caused by the brain receiving conflicting signals. The balance organ in the inner ear tells your body it's moving, but if you're staring at your phone or a book with stationary objects, your eyes say you're not moving, leaving your brain confused and causing dizziness and nausea. Additionally, sudden braking or fast turns can overwhelm the inner ear with rapid changes in acceleration. Poor ventilation or unpleasant odors like gasoline can irritate the respiratory tract and worsen nausea. It's advisable not to eat too much before traveling, focus on distant scenery to help synchronize your senses, and bring peppermint candy or crack a window for fresh air to alleviate discomfort.
When I drive my family out, it's common for children to experience motion sickness, which is related to the sensitivity of their inner ear balance system during growth. Bumpy rides or frequent acceleration and deceleration cause a mismatch between visual and motion sensations, leading to nausea when the brain can't cope. Additionally, an uncomfortable car environment, such as being too stuffy or having lingering food odors, can stimulate increased gastrointestinal motility and trigger vomiting. To prevent this, I usually have passengers sit in the front or by the window for better ventilation, drive as smoothly as possible to avoid sudden braking, take frequent breaks to stretch and adjust, and avoid heavy snacks in the car to prevent worsening the situation.
Common causes of motion sickness on long-distance buses are largely environmental factors. When the air inside the vehicle is stuffy or the temperature is too high, I tend to break out in cold sweat and feel dizzy. This is because heat, humidity, and foul odors can disrupt the brainstem's control center, accelerate intestinal movement, and trigger nausea. Additionally, if passengers lower their heads to play with phones or read books while the vehicle is shaking, the brain's coordination imbalance worsens the symptoms. The solution is simple: when driving, adjust the air conditioning to ensure fresh ventilation, use air fresheners or natural scents like lemon to neutralize odors, and avoid sitting on an empty stomach or eating greasy foods to balance gastrointestinal pressure.
