Can You Get Motion Sickness on a Train
Many people know what motion sickness feels like, and up to one in three have experienced at least some of its typical and uncomfortable symptoms, which include nausea, dizziness, cold sweats, and vomiting. It’s especially common among children, women, and people with migraines or whose family members are sensitive to motion. While many people connect motion sickness with long car rides on windy roads, or bus and plane travel, you may ask: Can you get motion sickness on a train?
By reading this article, you will learn the answer to this question, find out why people get motion sick, and tips, tricks and medications that can help you travel more comfortably.
Why do People Get Motion Sick?
The root cause of motion sickness stems from a sensory conflict in the brain between what your eyes perceive and what your inner ear, which is responsible for balance, feels. More specifically, the vestibular system in your inner ear is involved, since it detects motion and orientation. When eyes and ears start sending conflicting signals to the brain, this confuses the brain and causes symptoms like dizziness, nausea, or sweating. These symptoms can range from mild to severe. An example of this mechanism is when you are inside a car, and your inner ear perceives movement. However, if you focus on the still surroundings inside the car or you look at a screen while the vehicle is in motion, your brain may become disoriented by the conflicting signals and cause motion sickness.
Can You Get Motion Sickness on a Train
Yes, you can get motion sick on a train, but this response is less common among train travellers than it is for people taking a car or boat. This is because trains often follow less windy routes and frequently move in one direction. However, it does happen, especially in people prone to motion sickness. While only a small number of people report experiencing notable symptoms on conventional trains, the number quickly rises when tilting or high-speed trains are involved, or the journey is long. On tilting trains, for example, up to 27% of train riders may experience discomfort, often mild nausea or dizziness. Other contributing factors may include sitting facing backward, reading or looking at a screen, and travelling along a route with frequent curves, tunnels, or sudden stops.
Tips and Tricks for Train Travel with Motion Sickness
If you are among the people who get motion sick on trains, avoiding train travel altogether is neither practical nor advisable, as it limits your freedom to live your life and explore the world. However, some tips and tricks can help you travel more comfortably and reduce or even eliminate your motion sickness. One of the easiest measures you can take is changing your seat and sitting forward-facing near the middle of the carriage. Facing in the direction of travel often feels more natural, while the motion of the train is usually smoother in the centre of the train.
Another essential tip many people benefit from is looking outside the window while the train is in motion. While doing so, try focusing on the horizon or scenery, since this can help alleviate the dissonance between sensory signals from your eyes and your inner ears. Similarly, this means you should avoid reading or looking at screens for too long, as this has the opposite effect. Opening a window for fresh air or to reduce nausea, replacing heavy meals with light snacks and small sips of water, can also help. Additionally, trying out different alternative remedies such as ginger, acupressure wristbands, or relaxation techniques may also be beneficial, with effects varying from person to person.
If these measures don’t help you relieve your motion sickness, there are over-the-counter remedies available like meclizine and cinnarizine. If you know you easily get motion sick on trains, taking this type of medication before you start your journey is recommended for the best effect.
