Road trips are never easy, but they are far more unpleasant when your child repeatedly vomits in the back seat because they’re carsick.
I know, because that’s what happens whenever I drive more than an hour with my 8-year-old.
She’s now had enough practice to neatly throw up into a plastic bag,
but I feel for her every time it happens and wonder what I can do to ease her misery.
This summer, we took multiple road trips, and we tried many remedies: moving her position inside the car,
acupressure wristbands, bizarre-looking anti-motion sickness glasses, Dramamine.
Some things worked better than others, and during each experiment I wondered why motion sickness —
nausea and vomiting induced by riding in cars, boats, planes or using virtual reality devices — occurs in the first place.
Why are some people more susceptible than others? Are there research-backed cures,
or is trial-and-error really the best approach? I interviewed four motion sickness experts to get answers.