Natural remedies for motion sickness: what helps and what does not
The natural remedies with the best evidence cost nothing: a steady view of the horizon, fresh air, a still head, slow breathing and stopping the motion. Ginger probably takes the edge off the nausea. Acupressure bands have not beaten placebo in trials. Food and drink matter mostly before you travel: light, plain and in small amounts.
Motion sickness is a common, temporary response in healthy people: the eyes and the inner ear report different movement and the brain objects. That is why the remedies that work best are the ones that give the eyes the motion the inner ear is feeling, and why no tea or wristband can do the whole job. Below, each remedy carries the verdict its own evidence page gives it, from the trials we could find rather than from the packaging.
What are the top-rated natural remedies for motion sickness?
Ranked by evidence, not popularity. The horizon is the only one the CDC Yellow Book describes as giving some protection; ginger, breathing, gum and music probably help; the bands are mixed; the glasses failed their one controlled test.
The best-evidenced free remedy. The CDC lists a horizon view as giving some protection on ships, in buses and in cars.
Reading removes the view that keeps your eyes and inner ear in agreement.
A longer exhale than inhale, repeated. It works in any seat and any cabin.
Reduced vomiting and cold sweats in a trial of naval cadets at sea, though the CDC rates the overall evidence weak. It works on the stomach, not the inner ear.
Small studies, a plausible mechanism, and nothing to lose.
Pleasant music reduced reported symptoms in lab studies, mostly by distraction.
No trial has tested it, and everyone from the NHS to ship's doctors recommends it anyway. Harmless and free.
Two lab trials with opposite answers. The larger found Sea-Band-style bands no better than placebo, and the CDC says the same.
Evidence for other kinds of nausea, none for motion sickness.
The one placebo-controlled trial found no benefit over identical frames with the liquid removed.
What are some home remedies for nausea from motion sickness?
The ones that help are about position, air and pace, and you can do all of them in the next minute. Sit where you can see forward, fix your eyes on the horizon or a distant fixed point, and keep your head still against the seat. Open a window or aim a vent at your face. Put the phone and the book away. Breathe out slowly, longer than you breathe in, and keep doing it. If you can stop the motion for two minutes, do: a short walk in fresh air resets most mild episodes.
At home before a trip, the useful preparation is ordinary: a proper night's sleep, no alcohol the night before, a light plain meal and water. The CDC lists sleep loss and alcohol among the things that make motion sickness worse. A piece of ginger, a ginger chew or a ginger capsule taken before you leave is the one swallowable home remedy with a trial behind it, and it is drug-free; check with a pharmacist first if you take regular medicine or are pregnant. Peppermint, lemon and cold packs are harmless, pleasant and untested.
What foods can help relieve an upset stomach?
Plain, dry and small. Crackers, dry toast, a banana, plain rice or a few pretzels sit well because they are easy to digest and do not smell. Eat a little before you travel rather than nothing, since an empty stomach is as bad as an overfull one, and keep snacks small on the way. Avoid greasy, spicy and very sweet food, big meals, strong coffee and alcohol before and during the journey. Once nausea has started, do not force food: wait for it to settle, then start again with something dry. Our what to eat before a trip guide has a longer list.
Which drink can stop vomiting?
None, and gulping anything makes it worse. What helps is small sips of water once the retching has settled, which is the NHS advice for anyone being sick. Fizzy drinks and fruit juice are not useful, and ginger ale has never been tested for motion sickness: a lab analysis of one popular brand found no ginger root protein in it at all. Cola, flat or otherwise, is folklore. Oral rehydration sachets from a pharmacy replace what you lose if the vomiting goes on. Vomiting from motion should stop soon after the motion stops; if it does not, or you cannot keep fluid down, have been vomiting for more than 2 days or have signs of dehydration, the NHS says to get urgent advice. Vomit with blood in it, green vomit, a stiff neck or a sudden severe headache means emergency care.
Do natural remedies work as well as tablets?
For prevention, no. The antihistamine tablets and the scopolamine patch have stronger trial evidence than any natural remedy, which is why the CDC lists them as the usual medicines. They also cause drowsiness and a dry mouth, they work best taken before travel, and they do little once nausea has started. The natural measures cost nothing, cause no drowsiness, and are the ones you can still use mid-journey. Above both, the CDC puts habituation: regular, gentle exposure to the motion, which it calls the most effective countermeasure of all. The medicines are compared label by label in the medication guide.
A drug-free option on your phone
Every remedy above shares one limit: it asks for your eyes, your stomach or a stop. Dizzout is a drug-free app for iOS and Android that plays precisely calibrated audio through any standard headphones, wired or Bluetooth. It is built for use once symptoms have started, it works with your eyes closed, and it needs no special hardware. Dizzout states relief in about 90 seconds. It is free to download, with a paid subscription for full access, and it sits alongside the free measures on this page rather than replacing them.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best natural remedy for motion sickness?
A steady view of the horizon, with your head still and screens away. It is the only free remedy the CDC Yellow Book describes as giving some protection, it works in cars, buses and on ships, and it costs nothing. Ginger taken before travel probably helps the nausea itself, and slow breathing helps in any seat.
Does ginger really help motion sickness?
Probably, a little. In a trial of 80 naval cadets at sea, powdered ginger taken before sailing reduced vomiting and cold sweats compared with placebo. It appears to act on the stomach rather than the inner ear, so it takes the edge off queasiness more than it stops the sickness from starting. The CDC calls the evidence weak and contradictory. If you take regular medicine or are pregnant, ask a pharmacist before using ginger as a supplement.
Do acupressure wristbands work?
The trials disagree, and the larger one found the commercial bands no better than placebo, whether worn correctly or not. The CDC Yellow Book says the same and adds that placebo effects can be strong, so a traveler who finds them helpful may still use them. They are harmless; just do not make them your only plan for a crossing that matters.
What foods help an upset stomach when you are travelling?
Plain, dry and small: crackers, dry toast, a banana, plain rice, small sips of water. The NHS advises a light meal before travel rather than a heavy one, and the CDC lists alcohol among the things that make motion sickness worse. Greasy, spicy and very sweet foods sit badly, and an empty stomach is no better than an overfull one.
Which drink can stop vomiting?
None stops it, and gulping anything makes it worse. The NHS advice for anyone being sick is small sips of water, taken once the retching has settled. Fizzy drinks and fruit juice are not helpful, and ginger ale has never been tested for motion sickness: one analysis found no ginger root protein in the drink at all. If you cannot keep fluid down, have been vomiting for more than 2 days or show signs of dehydration, get medical advice.
Are natural remedies as effective as motion sickness tablets?
For preventing motion sickness, the antihistamine tablets and the scopolamine patch have stronger trial evidence than any natural remedy, at the cost of drowsiness and a dry mouth, and they have to be taken before travel. The natural measures cost nothing, cause no drowsiness and can be used once symptoms have started. The CDC Yellow Book puts one thing above both: habituation, which is repeated exposure to the motion. Most travelers who get sick regularly end up combining a good seat, the horizon, breathing and either a tablet taken in advance or a drug-free option for the moment it hits.
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This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. Dizzout is a wellness app and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. Speak to a doctor if symptoms are severe or persistent.