Motion sickness

Motion sickness happens when your brain gets confused by the signals it's receiving from your eyes and ears. You see that you're moving, but your ears tell you that you're still. This can happen when you're in a car, plane, or boat, for example.

When your brain gets mixed signals like this, it can make you feel dizzy, unsettled, and can even make you sick to your stomach. This is what we call motion sickness.

Your brain and body usually have a good understanding of when you're moving and when you're not. For example, when you're running or jumping, your brain knows that you're moving because your eyes see things passing you by quickly and your inner ear feels the movement. But when you're sitting in a car or airplane, your eyes might tell your brain that you're sitting still, but your inner ear feels that you're moving. Your brain then gets confused and sends signals to your body that can make you feel sick.

Some ways to help prevent or lessen motion sickness include looking out into the distance (as opposed to looking at things nearby), taking deep breaths, eating light and easily-digestible foods before traveling, and trying to relax as much as possible during the trip.