Why do I feel sick in a car but fine when I am driving?

Drivers rarely get motion sickness because they anticipate the car’s movements and look at the road ahead, so their eyes and inner ear agree. Passengers, especially those reading or on a phone, get conflicting signals. Looking at the horizon and sitting in the front seat can help passengers feel more like the driver.

What is the best seat to avoid travel sickness?

Choose the spot with the least motion and the best forward view: the front seat of a car, over the wing on a plane, and mid-ship on a boat, always facing the direction of travel. Good ventilation and a clear view of the horizon help; avoid rear-facing and windowless seats.

Do ginger and acupressure wristbands actually work?

Some travellers find ginger or P6 acupressure bands helpful, and both are low-risk to try. However, the evidence that they prevent motion sickness is limited and mixed, so they should not be your only plan for a long or rough journey. Behavioural measures and, if needed, medication are more reliably effective.

When should I take motion sickness medicine?

Take preventive medicines before the journey begins — many need around 30 minutes or more to work, and patches take longer — because they work far better at preventing symptoms than stopping them once vomiting has started. Ask a pharmacist which option suits you, and check suitability for children or in pregnancy.

Is motion sickness ever a sign of something serious?

Ordinary motion sickness is not dangerous and settles once movement stops. But if dizziness or spinning continues when you are not travelling, or you have neurological symptoms like severe headache, hearing loss, double vision or weakness, see a doctor, as these are not features of simple motion sickness.

Motion Sickness in Singapore: Prevention & Treatment

Written & reviewed by the BestDoctors.sg editorial team · Last updated 25 Aug 2026 · General information, not medical advice

Motion sickness (travel sickness) is the unwell feeling — nausea, dizziness, cold sweats — brought on by movement during travel. It happens because of a sensory mismatch: the balance organs of the inner ear sense motion while the eyes may sense something still, such as a book or a cabin, and the brain becomes confused. It is a normal response rather than a disease, usually settles once the motion stops, and can be reduced with simple behavioural measures and, if needed, medication.

Not sure which travel clinic you need?

Message our care team on WhatsApp. Tell us what’s going on and we’ll help you find the right travel clinic — free, with no obligation.

Chat with our care team on WhatsApp

Not sure who to see? Find the right specialist →

In a medical emergency, or for severe or sudden symptoms such as breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting or stroke signs, call 995 immediately.

Motion sickness is rarely dangerous, but dizziness or spinning that persists when you are not travelling, or comes with neurological symptoms such as severe headache, hearing loss, double vision or weakness, is not ordinary travel sickness and needs a doctor.

Why it happens

The classic trigger is reading or looking at a phone in a moving car: the eyes tell the brain “still” while the inner ear says “moving.” When these signals disagree, the brain triggers nausea, dizziness and the other symptoms. It is a physiological response to conflicting motion information, not a sign of anything wrong with the body.

Who is at risk and what triggers it

Almost anyone can get it with a strong enough stimulus, but children, pregnant women, people who get migraines and those with a past history are more prone. Triggers include car travel (especially winding roads and back seats), boats and ferries in rough seas, planes in turbulence, and even fairground rides or VR headsets. Aggravating factors include reading or looking at screens while moving, not being able to see the horizon, stuffy air and strong smells, heavy or greasy meals, alcohol, and anxiety.

Symptoms

Typical symptoms are nausea and sometimes vomiting, dizziness, cold sweats, looking pale, increased saliva, headache, and feeling generally unwell or drowsy, sometimes with rapid, shallow breathing. They usually build during travel and ease once the motion stops. The main practical risk is dehydration from repeated vomiting.

Red flags

Ordinary motion sickness is not dangerous and resolves when movement stops. Seek medical review, though, if dizziness, spinning or balance problems persist when you are not travelling or after the journey ends; if there are neurological symptoms such as a severe or unusual headache, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, double or blurred vision, slurred speech, weakness, numbness, fainting or confusion; or if vomiting is severe with signs of dehydration. “Motion sickness” that is new, severe or worsening without an obvious travel cause needs a doctor to rule out an inner-ear or other condition. Within Singapore, call 995 for a genuine emergency such as sudden neurological symptoms.

Behavioural measures

Non-drug measures are the first line and low-risk. Look at the horizon or a fixed point ahead and keep your eyes on the outside world, and avoid reading, screens and close-up focus while moving. Choose the calmest seat — the front of a car, over the wing on a plane, or mid-ship on a boat — facing forward, and get fresh air and good ventilation while avoiding smoke and strong smells. Keep your head still and supported, recline or close your eyes and sleep if you can, eat light before and during travel, avoid excess alcohol, sip fluids, and break long journeys with stops.

Medicines and other options

Medicines work best taken before travel starts, not once vomiting has begun, and a pharmacist can advise. Antihistamines such as cinnarizine or dimenhydrinate are commonly used and can cause drowsiness, and hyoscine (scopolamine), as tablets or a skin patch, is often the most effective single agent but has anticholinergic side effects such as dry mouth and blurred vision — suitability, and use in children or pregnancy, should be checked with a clinician, and this guide gives no doses. Ginger and acupressure wristbands at the P6 point are popular and low-risk, but the evidence for them is limited and mixed, so they are best seen as optional adjuncts rather than a sole plan for a long or rough journey. Over time, repeated graded exposure to the triggering motion can reduce susceptibility.

Helping children with travel sickness

Children are especially prone to motion sickness, but a few measures help a lot. Seat a child where they can see out of the front window rather than looking down at a book, tablet or toy, and encourage them to look at the horizon; take regular breaks on long car journeys to get fresh air. Keep the car cool and well ventilated, avoid strong smells, and offer a light snack rather than travelling on a very full or empty stomach. Distraction — music, chatting, or games that involve looking outside — can help, and some children do better napping through a journey. Medicines are available for children, but suitability and the right product depend on age, so check with a pharmacist or doctor rather than using an adult remedy, and give any preventive medicine before the journey starts. If a child vomits repeatedly and cannot keep fluids down, watch for dehydration and seek advice.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if prevention measures and medicines are not controlling symptoms, if dizziness or vertigo persists after the journey or occurs without travel, if there are neurological red flags or hearing changes, or before travel if you need advice for children, pregnancy or existing conditions. If jet lag is also a problem on long flights, our separate guide covers that.

Sources

HealthHub (Singapore) — Motion Sickness: healthhub.sg
NHS — Motion sickness: nhs.uk
CDC Yellow Book — Motion Sickness: cdc.gov
Patient.info — Motion Sickness: patient.info

General information only. This guide is general travel-health information and is not a diagnosis or personalised medical advice. See a doctor or travel clinic — ideally 4–6 weeks before travel — for advice tailored to your destination and health. Any animal bite, scratch or lick in a rabies-risk area needs immediate wound washing and urgent medical care — do not wait. Fever after travel to a malaria or dengue area is urgent — seek care promptly and mention your travel. Call 995 (or local emergency services abroad) for sudden breathlessness or chest pain, confusion, seizures, or collapse.

Motion Sickness in Singapore: Causes & Prevention