How to Stop Sickness on a Lehi Charter Bus

Motion sickness can ruin even the most exciting bus trip, but a comprehensive strategy—combining seating tactics, sensory alignment, dietary measures, natural aids, habituation exercises, and medications—can keep queasiness at bay and help you arrive feeling refreshed.

Quick Answer

If you’re worried about motion sickness on your next bus ride, there are several things you can do to prevent it. Choose a seat over the front wheels and keep your eyes on the road ahead. Avoid reading or looking at screens. Bring ginger chews, peppermint candies, or plain crackers to settle your stomach. Wear an acupressure wristband on your inner forearm if you have one. Keep fresh air flowing and sip water or electrolyte drinks. If you know you’re very prone to motion sickness, talk to your doctor about taking medication like meclizine or using a scopolamine patch before departure. Combining these strategies will help you conquer nausea and enjoy every mile of your charter bus adventure.

What Is Motion Sickness?

Motion sickness is a common condition that occurs when there’s a mismatch between the movement your inner ear senses and the visual cues your eyes receive. It often strikes during travel by car, bus, train, plane, or boat—any situation where your body feels motion but your surroundings look stable, or vice versa. Typical symptoms include dizziness, nausea, cold sweats, headache, and sometimes vomiting. On a charter bus, motion sickness can develop quickly, especially on winding roads or if you’re focusing on a book or screen rather than the passing scenery. It affects people of all ages, though children and those with migraines or vestibular disorders are particularly susceptible.

What Causes Motion Sickness?

Motion sickness is triggered by conflicting signals sent to your brain from your vestibular system (in the inner ear), your eyes, and your body’s sense of position (proprioception). For example, if you’re riding a bus and reading a book, your inner ear feels the bus swaying and bouncing, but your eyes see only the stationary pages. This sensory disagreement confuses your brain, which reacts by activating the area that controls nausea and vomiting. Factors like poor ventilation, strong odors, anxiety, dehydration, hunger, or having just eaten a large meal can make symptoms worse. Genetics also play a role—if your parents get carsick easily, you might be more prone as well.

6 Tips to Prevent Motion Sickness

Pick the Right Seat on Your Bus

Where you sit matters! On a charter bus, choose a seat near the front, ideally over the wheels, where motion is least pronounced. That’s where you’ll feel less up-and-down bounce and side-to-side sway compared to seats in the rear. Always face forward, keeping your head and eyes aligned with the direction of travel. Fix your gaze on the road ahead or a distant landmark through the windshield. This helps synchronize what your eyes see with what your inner ear feels, reducing sensory conflict. Use the seat’s headrest to stabilize your head, or recline slightly to minimize jostling. If you start to feel queasy, change your posture or stand briefly in the aisle to reset your balance system.

Control Your Sensory Input

Reducing conflicting signals to your brain is key. Open a window or adjust the overhead vent for a steady flow of fresh air—stale, stuffy conditions can intensify nausea. Avoid activities that focus your vision on a fixed point inside the bus, like reading, texting, or watching movies on a phone or tablet. These tasks increase the disconnect between your eyes and inner ears. Instead, listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks with your eyes closed. If you begin to feel sick, take slow, deep breaths from your diaphragm. Controlled breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, helping suppress the urge to vomit. Pleasant auditory distractions also help extend your tolerance for motion.

Snack Smart and Stay Hydrated

Your diet before and during the trip impacts your susceptibility to motion sickness. Eat a light, bland meal an hour or two before departure—think toast, crackers, bananas, or apples. Avoid greasy, spicy, acidic, or heavy foods that can upset your stomach. Ginger is a proven natural antiemetic: bring ginger ale, ginger tea, or ginger candies to nibble on throughout the ride. Peppermint candies or chamomile tea can also calm your stomach via soothing flavors and aromas. Sip water or an electrolyte drink regularly to stay hydrated, but skip alcohol, caffeine, and carbonated sodas, which can dehydrate you or increase bloating. Hunger and dehydration both lower your resistance to nausea.

Try Natural Remedies

Several non-drug aids can help prevent or relieve mild motion sickness. Acupressure wristbands, worn on the inner forearm about three finger-widths below your wrist crease (the P6 or Neiguan point), apply gentle pressure that may reduce nausea for some people. You can buy these online or at many drugstores. Sucking on peppermint or chamomile lozenges, or inhaling their scents, engages your olfactory pathways to modulate the brain’s nausea center. Some travelers find relief from vitamin C supplements or rose-scented aromatherapy, though evidence for these is less robust. Experiment to find which natural options work best for you, and combine them with other preventive steps.

Use Medication When Necessary

If you know you’re highly prone to motion sickness or past remedies haven’t worked, consider medication—but always check with your doctor first. Over-the-counter antihistamines like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or meclizine (Bonine) are effective if taken 30-60 minutes before travel, though they may cause drowsiness. Meclizine is usually less sedating and lasts longer, making it a good choice for long bus trips. Prescription options include the scopolamine transdermal patch, which you stick behind your ear 6-8 hours before departure and replace every three days. Scopolamine is less likely to make you sleepy but can cause dry mouth or blurred vision. Newer prescription drugs like tradipitant show promise for severe cases. Medications work best when combined with behavioral strategies.

Build Your Tolerance Over Time

The more often you expose yourself to mild, controlled motion, the more your brain can adapt and dampen its nausea response. Try vestibular rehabilitation exercises at home: turn your head side to side while focusing on a stationary target, or practice standing on a balance board. Start with brief sessions that provoke only mild dizziness, let symptoms resolve, and repeat once or twice daily, gradually increasing duration and complexity. Some people benefit from slowly lengthening their bus rides or sitting closer to the back as they gain tolerance. Regular habituation desensitizes your vestibular system, leading to lasting reductions in motion sickness symptoms.

Enjoy a Nausea-Free Bus Trip

Motion sickness doesn’t have to derail your next charter bus journey. By choosing the right seat, aligning your senses, eating and drinking wisely, leveraging natural aids, practicing habituation, and using medication if needed, you can master your symptoms and make the most of every mile. Book your bus rental with Charter Bus Rental Lehi today and ask about our best amenities for sensitive riders. With the right preparation, you’ll arrive at your destination ready to enjoy the day instead of recovering from nausea.