Head
Travel sickness
The nausea, dizziness, cold sweats and queasiness that some people feel when travelling by car, boat, plane or fairground ride, caused by a mismatch between what the eyes see and what the inner ear senses.
Education and reference only. This explains the common causes of travel sickness and the warning signs that need urgent help, in plain language — it is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a clinician. If you feel very unwell or are worried, seek medical help.
Quick answer
What is travel sickness?
Travel sickness, or motion sickness, happens when the brain receives conflicting signals about movement: the balance organs of the inner ear sense motion while the eyes, fixed on something inside the vehicle such as a book or phone, do not — and this mismatch produces nausea, sweating, paleness, dizziness and sometimes vomiting. It is very common, especially in children, and usually settles soon after the journey ends.
- Get urgent help: Seek urgent help for severe, persistent dizziness or vomiting that continues when you are no longer travelling. Seek urgent help if dizziness comes with slurred speech, weakness, numbness, double vision or a severe headache — call 999, as this can be a stroke.
- Self-care: Several simple steps reduce travel sickness.
About travel sickness
Travel sickness, or motion sickness, happens when the brain receives conflicting signals about movement: the balance organs of the inner ear sense motion while the eyes, fixed on something inside the vehicle such as a book or phone, do not — and this mismatch produces nausea, sweating, paleness, dizziness and sometimes vomiting. It is very common, especially in children, and usually settles soon after the journey ends. While the everyday cause is motion-sickness itself, similar feelings of nausea with movement can occasionally come from inner-ear conditions such as labyrinthitis or menieres-disease, and people who get migraine or have vertigo may be more prone to it. Travel sickness is unpleasant but not dangerous in itself; the main things to watch for are whether dizziness and nausea persist when you are not travelling, or come with new ear or neurological symptoms, which would point to another cause.
When to get help
Call 999 or go to A&E if travel sickness comes with any of these warning signs:
- Seek urgent help for severe, persistent dizziness or vomiting that continues when you are no longer travelling.
- Seek urgent help if dizziness comes with slurred speech, weakness, numbness, double vision or a severe headache — call 999, as this can be a stroke.
- See a doctor for new dizziness with hearing loss, ringing in one ear, or fluid or discharge from the ear.
- Seek help if you cannot keep any fluids down and are becoming dehydrated, especially in a child or older person.
- See a doctor if motion sickness is severe, new in an adult, or not helped by the usual measures.
When to see a doctor
Travel sickness usually needs no medical attention and settles with simple measures once the journey is over. See a doctor if it is severe, is new in an adult, or is not helped by the usual self-care, so that the cause can be confirmed and options discussed. More importantly, seek advice if dizziness or nausea persist when you are not travelling, or come with new symptoms such as hearing loss, ringing in one ear, severe headache, or any weakness, numbness or slurred speech, as these point away from simple motion sickness to another cause. Persistent vomiting with dehydration, particularly in a child or older person, also warrants help.
Not sure how urgent it is? It is always OK to call NHS 111 for advice, day or night.
What can cause it
Common causes of travel sickness
Travel sickness has many possible causes. Each links to a full, plain-language guide to that condition — what it is, how it's treated and when to seek help.
What helps
Self-care and what you can do
Several simple steps reduce travel sickness. Look out of the window at the horizon or a distant fixed point rather than reading, looking at a screen or facing backwards, so that what your eyes see matches the movement your inner ear feels. Sit where there is least motion — the front seat of a car, over the wing of a plane, or mid-ship on a boat — and keep fresh air flowing. Travel after a light meal rather than on a very full or completely empty stomach, avoid strong smells, and break up long journeys with stops. Slow, steady breathing and distraction, such as listening to music, can help, and many people find ginger or acupressure bands useful. For children, frequent small drinks and keeping them comfortable and reassured make a difference.
Answers
Travel sickness: frequently asked questions
Why do I feel sick when travelling?
Travel sickness comes from a mismatch between what your inner ear senses and what your eyes see — for example when you read in a moving car. The brain receives conflicting signals about movement, which triggers nausea, sweating and dizziness.
How can I prevent travel sickness?
Look at the horizon or a distant fixed point rather than a book or screen, sit where there is least motion, keep fresh air flowing, and travel after a light meal. Slow breathing, distraction, ginger and acupressure bands help many people.
Why do children get travel sickness more than adults?
Children are especially prone to motion sickness, and many grow out of it. Keeping them looking out of the window, well ventilated, comfortable and reassured, with frequent small drinks, helps reduce it.
When should travel sickness be checked by a doctor?
See a doctor if dizziness or nausea persist when you are not travelling, if there is hearing loss or ringing in one ear, or if there is severe headache, weakness, numbness or slurred speech, which need urgent help. Severe or new motion sickness in an adult is also worth assessing.
Sources
Where this is drawn from
- NICE CKS: Motion sickness.
- British Association of Otorhinolaryngology
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