Travel Guides Road Trips
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Caitlyn Knuth
For many adventurers, getting out on the open road to experience new places is exciting. Settling in and heading into the unknown at your own pace can be thrilling. However, if you’re someone who struggles with motion sickness, there’s a good chance the reality of the road trip isn’t always as smooth as you’d like.
Feeling carsick is enough to diminish the fun of any outing, no matter how excited you are to be exploring. For those who get carsick easily, even a necessary drive to an appointment can be trying. If you find yourself feeling nauseous or dizzy when spending any significant amount of time in a car, you’re not alone. Seattle Children’s Hospital reports, “As a car passenger driving on winding roads, 25% of people will have symptoms. Under extreme conditions (e.g., high seas) over 90% of people have symptoms.”
The experts at Mount Sinai cite motion sickness as the result of inner ear sensitivity. As you move along in a car, the sensitive inner ear notices movement, but the eyes send signals of stationary landscapes. The conflicting messages can cause motion sickness quite rapidly.
Dizziness, nausea, and even vomiting are all unpleasant symptoms of being carsick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long recommended sitting in the front of the vehicle and staying well-hydrated to reduce these symptoms. Now, those who suffer from motion sickness have more options. Thanks to the Seetroën motion sickness glasses from the French car company, Citroën, the newest weapon in the fight against carsickness is here.
A design to balance the senses
Seetroën/YouTube
While it’s fair to say that motion sickness glasses aren’t the most stylish product on the market, their effectiveness overshadows their less-than-fashionable appearance for many who choose to don a pair in the car. The glasses are designed with large front frames as well as side frames that effectively cover the peripheral lines of vision. This is meant to equalize the wearer’s sensitivity to motion from all angles and reduce the chances of feeling ill.
As Reader’s Digest points out, one thing these motion sickness glasses aren’t designed to include is lenses. Leveling liquid in all four holes of the frame is used instead as a way to purposefully redirect eyesight. The leveling liquid in the frame adjusts the visible horizon line and ultimately, helps align the messages the inner ear and eyes are sending to the brain while you’re moving in the car. The result is designed to reduce feelings of nausea and dizziness that can put a damper on a road trip.
Motion sickness can affect vehicle passengers of any age so these glasses are designed to accommodate that fact. They’re a one-size-fits-all product that can easily bend to accommodate varying ages and sizes. They also come with a travel pouch included so you can leave them in the car and have them available whenever you need them.
A simple solution for a better on-the-road experience
Sorapop Udomsri/Shutterstock
There’s no way around it: You’re going to look a little goofy wearing these motion sickness glasses. However, if putting them on is what it takes to help you avoid feeling carsick altogether, it’s a small price to pay for an amazing road trip. The good news is, they’re designed to work quite quickly and don’t have to be worn continuously to be effective.
Whenever you start feeling dizzy or nauseous, using the glasses for about 10 minutes is typically enough to help your senses find equilibrium again, reports Reader’s Digest. Those prone to carsickness that comes specifically from reading or watching digital entertainment while riding in a vehicle might find wearing these glasses exclusively during those activities is enough to keep nausea at bay. Of course, if you don’t want to feel carsick at all during your trip, having the glasses on from the moment you pull out onto the road is an effective strategy too.
When you suffer from motion sickness, it’s easy to find yourself worrying about every road trip on the calendar. Having these glasses handy could be a simple and convenient way to let go of that stress and focus on the fun ahead instead. Give them a try, take some funny pictures of your new take on fashion, and above all, make the most of a carsickness-free experience all the way to your final destination.
