While flying provides you with a convenient way to travel long distances, one of the drawbacks is that you typically have to deal with turbulence at some point. The motions that planes go through from turbulence can make you feel nauseous. Although pilots do their best to avoid turbulence, it’s not always possible. Thankfully, there are some steps you can take in order to prevent feeling airsick during your flight.
What Causes Turbulence?
Planes can go through turbulence due to several causes. When your plane is near the ground still, heavy winds can cause some slight bumpiness. As your plane goes higher into the air, you might experience turbulence from rising air, jet streams or even the plane’s wake vortex. Pilots study current weather patterns and other factors to anticipate where turbulence might occur, so they can avoid it if possible. Otherwise, they try to keep the plane flying as smoothly and steadily as they can.
How Can You Prevent Airsickness?
Airsickness happens when there’s a discrepancy between what your ears and eyes are experiencing. If your inner ear feels movement going on and your eyes don’t, you can end up feeling nauseous. If you’re prone to airsickness, even mild bouts of turbulence can leave you feeling queasy. Since slight turbulence is fairly common from time to time, you should consider doing the following in order to have a nausea-free flight.
Watch Where You Sit
When choosing your seat on a plane, try to get one that’s right on the wings of the plane or near the front. These areas of the plane offer more stability during flight, so you’re less likely to experience a lot of bumpiness when turbulence occurs.
Eat Light Before Flying
You might be tempted to fill up on a big meal before your flight if you’re not expecting much in the way of airline food. However, this can end up irritating your stomach and making you more prone to feeling nauseous, especially if you have greasy, heavy foods. Instead of having a lot to eat before you fly, enjoy a light meal. Drink plenty of water with your meal, and stick to foods that are low in salt to lower your risk of dehydration.
Take Medication
Before your flight, talk to your doctor about medications that are designed to help with motion sickness. Taking this type of medication can help prevent you from experiencing symptoms of airsickness. Keep in mind that certain types can make you sleepy, so ask your doctor about medications that are non-drowsy, especially if you have a short flight.
Don’t Read or Play Games
During your flight, don’t try to read a book or play a game on your mobile device. These activities can make airsickness worse, since you have to hold your book or device near your eyes. Instead, try listening to music or audio books to help you feel more relaxed. Keep in mind that watching a movie on the screen that’s on the back of the seat in front of you is usually fine to do with airsickness, since it’s farther away from your eyes.
Open the Air Vent
Open the vent above you to prevent you from feeling too hot. Letting cool air from the vent blow onto you can help you stay calmer and more comfortable when turbulence occurs.
