Car sickness, preventing and coping with it

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." Mark Twain

Unfortunately I suffer from car sickness myself so am deeply sympathetic to other sufferers. In fact I have been known to get car sick behind the wheel as I drove. I can also get sea sick simply watching a yacht in rough seas on television.

With one daughter equally afflicted I have learnt some great tricks along the way to help prevent or ease car sickness. The only full outright fully effective prevention is medication. But failing that this is what we have found that helps.

• Ginger ale, ginger beer, ginger snaps - ginger is great for nausea as is peppermint. Sucking mint sweets as you drive can help
  
  
• Ready salted crisps / chips. Once you start to feel sick this is brilliant as easing things for a bit
  
  
• Don't look down as this can trigger things. To read or play electronic games in the car it is best to do this lying down on the seat and looking up at the book or device
  
  
• Sit in the front seat or as close to the front of the vehicle as possible and where you have the clearest view of the horizon
  
  
• Pick a spot as far away as you can see and just focus on that for a few minutes. Don't watch the road flashing past
  
  
• Breath deep through your mouth, not your nose
  
  
• Wear wrap around sun glasses
  
  
• Try not to have a big meal before travelling but never travel on an empty stomach
  
  
• Try to focus on the horizon straight ahead - don't look from side to side or turn around to talk to those behind
  
  
• Get plenty of fresh air – open the windows
  
  
• Try and sleep
  
  
• Choose your route - the straighter the better. We avoided some of the more twisty scenic routes on some occasions as we both knew we'd be so sick we wouldn't enjoy the trip
  
  
• Failing all the above take a break and stop for ten minutes
  
  
• If you are too late for any of that, make sure you always carry an empty plastic shopping or ziploc bag to act as a catch all. Flexible containers like bags are the best option as they are always to hand, easy to dispose of in their entirety and can be easy to put where you need them.