UK Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance in the UK - Expert Travel Insurance Information Providers
Excellent value for money, Instant cover in 3 simple steps
Most medical conditions covered, Outstanding customer service
Environment We care about the environment.
- Altitude sickness, motion sickness, heat and cold
- Backpackers Travel Advice
- Before you go: advice for travellers
- Cuts, Bites & Stings
- Diseases and Ailments picked up whilst travelling
- First Aid advice for travellers
- Food and Drink: Advice for travellers
- Health Information
- Infections and diseases picked up whilst travelling
- Preventing travel sickness
- Visas
- Women's Health
Make sure that any Travel Insurance you use is authorised and regulated by the FSA
Preventing travel sickness
What is travel sickness?
Travel sickness occurs when the brain receives a message from the balance organs in the inner ear that conflicts with the messages being received from the eyes and stomach. For example, if you are reading a book while travelling in a car your inner ear will sense the motion of the vehicle but your eyes will be looking at a stationary object. The resulting confusion in your brain can lead to nausea, dizziness, lethargy and sometimes vomiting.
Who is susceptible?
Travel sickness can affect anyone, but the incidence seems to reduce with age. Women seem to be more susceptible than men.
How can it be prevented?
There are a number of effective measures you can take to prevent to onset of travel sickness:
In the car
- Sit in the front seat.
- Make sure you can see out of the window. If you are in the back of the car the middle seat is best but only if that position has its own seat belt.
- Look straight ahead at the horizon if you can.
- Keep your head still.
- Avoid reading in the car. Listen to CDs and talking books instead.
- Take plenty of cool water to sip along the journey and try sucking a boiled sweet or mint.
- Try eating a light snack before the journey - both hunger and feeling over-full can exacerbate travel sickness.
- Take a travel sickness tablet before you set off.
- Ginger is effective against nausea - sip ginger tea, take crystallised ginger or look out for ginger supplements.
On a plane
- Avoid the tail section
- Get a window seat, so you can look outside
On a boat
- Stay outside on the deck and keep focussed on the horizon
- If you are inside the boat, it is best to lie down flat on your back and be near the centre of the ship
On a coach
- Don't sit over the wheels
- Sit where you can see the view out of the front windscreen
- Avoid the back of the bus
- Sit near an open window