Avoid Motion Sickness Using Essential Oils

Avoid Motion Sickness Using Essential Oils

Anyone who suffers from the nausea associated with motion sickness tends to avoid situations causing the misery.  Some people outgrow the problem, but most do not.  If you or your family are prone to motion sickness, read on to learn how essential oils can help end the problem. 

What Causes Motion Sickness?

Travelling in a car, boat, plane or spinning around on a carnival ride causes confusion among your senses.  Your eyes are looking ahead, but your muscles feel motion up and down.  Your ears are sensing changes too. This confuses the brain and it doesn’t know how to address the mixed signals.  You end up feeling dizzy and sick. 

Your sense of balance is managed by the vestibular system in your body.  The inner ears are part of this system.  They control your sense of balance.  The inner ear canals are filled with a fluid which moves with motion.  As the fluid moves, there are signals sent to the brain telling it that you are standing or lying down. 

Next, you brain receives the signals and reacts appropriately – normally.  However, things don’t work out when the brain receives confusing signals. 

For example, you are on an airplane and look out the window.  Upon takeoff, there is a change in altitude and cabin pressure. This changes the fluid in your inner ears.  You look outside and see clouds or the earth below giving the appearance that you aren’t moving or moving slowly.  Now your brain doesn’t know if you are up or down and the nausea begins. 

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If you’ve ever stepped off a carnival ride or boat after sailing on the ocean, your feet tell the brain that you are on solid ground, but you still feel the swells of the ocean up and down and up and down.  Ugh.  The result is motion sickness.

There are plenty of over-the-counter aids available to help.  However, if you opt for more natural motion sickness remedies, there are a few essential oils to help. 

Ginger

This favorite food spice is also an essential oil used to quell the nausea related to motion sickness.  Include ginger essential oil as part of your travelling mini-medical kit.  The simplest approach is to add done to two drops of Ginger essential oil to a glass of water before travel.  If it’s a long trip, it’s safe to have another drop or two in water, or even rub between your hands and inhale the aroma for quick relief.

Mint

Essential oils from mint plants are also effective for calming an upset stomach due to motion sickness or digestive problems.  Children prefer spearmint over peppermint as it has a milder flavor.    

Application

Anytime you suddenly feel nauseous, or before events where you know you might, try applying any of the above oils to your skin topically to breathe in the soothing scent, and feel a sense of calm.

End Travel Blues Using Essential Oils

There’s nothing like having to use a puke bag in front of 50 other passengers to make their holiday flight unforgettable.  You won’t forget it soon either.  Motion sickness can happen when travelling by car, bus, train, plane or even carousel.  Whether you experience the nausea or are part of the clean-up crew, you can put an end to the nausea using mint and ginger essential oils.