Can you build up immunity to motion sickness?

Building Immunity to Motion Sickness: Strengthening Visuospatial Skills

Motion sickness, a common affliction while traveling by car, plane, or boat, can cause unpleasant symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. While there are various remedies and medications available to alleviate symptoms, the question remains: can you build up immunity to motion sickness?

According to recent research, the answer is a promising yes. Researchers have discovered a direct link between strong visuospatial skills and reduced susceptibility to motion sickness. Visuospatial skills refer to the brain’s ability to process and manipulate visual information, including spatial relationships and the orientation of objects.

The study, published in the journal “Experimental Brain Research,” involved exposing participants to motion-inducing stimuli while measuring their visuospatial skills. The results showed that individuals with better visuospatial skills experienced significantly less motion sickness. This suggests that strengthening these skills could effectively mitigate symptoms and enhance resilience against motion-induced nausea.

One way to improve visuospatial skills is through targeted training. Various exercises and activities can challenge and develop these abilities. For instance, playing video games, solving puzzles, and engaging in spatial reasoning tasks can all contribute to improving visuospatial processing.

By engaging in these activities, individuals can practice coordinating visual cues with their body movements and developing a better understanding of their orientation in space. This enhanced spatial awareness can help the brain better anticipate and compensate for motion-induced sensory conflicts, leading to reduced susceptibility to motion sickness.

While building immunity to motion sickness may not be instantaneous, consistent training and practice can gradually improve visuospatial skills and reduce symptoms over time. By incorporating visuospatial training into their routines, individuals can potentially increase their resilience against motion-induced nausea and enjoy smoother travel experiences.

In addition to targeted training, other factors can also contribute to reducing motion sickness, including:

• Choosing seats in vehicles that provide a wider field of view
• Avoiding screens and reading during travel
• Getting fresh air and minimizing exposure to odors
• Staying hydrated and eating light snacks before traveling
• Using anti-nausea medications or natural remedies such as ginger

By adopting these strategies and actively improving visuospatial skills, individuals can effectively combat motion sickness and enhance their overall travel comfort.