Travel Free from the Nausea of Motion Sickness.

Airsick. Carsick. Seasick. Whatever you call motion sickness, one thing's for sure—you're definitely sick. You can turn pale, break out in a cold sweat, and just feel miserable. But the worst symptom by far is the intense nausea, which means that wherever you're traveling, the contents of your stomach may have their own Estimated Time of Arrival: Immediately.
You feel so awful because your brain has been double-crossed. Your body knows that it's moving, but your senses are saying it's stationary, and your brain reacts to this mixed message with a temporary short-circuit in the balance centers in your inner ear that causes the symptoms.
There are many different drugs that can help prevent or treat motion sickness. If you prefer a drug-free approach, however, here are some options.

AROMATHERAPY: Spray Your Car with Anti-Sickness Mist
To help relieve the nausea of motion sickness during a car ride, you can prepare a mist spray of essential oils, say David Schiller and Carol Schiller, certified aromatherapy instructors in Phoenix. Here's how to make it.
First, you'll need a glass bottle with a fine-mist sprayer to hold the sickness-fighting formula. (Plastic or other material can change the scent of the essential oils in the spray, and it's the smell of the oils that can help relieve the nausea.) Next, fill the bottle with 4 ounces of distilled water. (Tap water can add its own odor, but water that's been filtered through a reverse osmosis process is okay, say the Schillers.) Then add the following essential oils to the water.

• 70 drops of lavender
• 40 drops of lemon
• 20 drops of dill
• 10 drops of cedarwood
• 10 drops of spearmint

The dill, lemon, and spearmint am help settle your stomach, the lavender can help calm your nervous system (anyone who's had motion sickness knows that the nervous system can get very nervous: shaky, sweaty, and weak), and the cedar wood helps keep the fragrances in the air to do their healing work.
To use the mixture, shake the bottle well (be sure the cap is tight). Then, say the Schillers, close your eyes and spray about 10 times above your head so that the mist will fall in front of but not onto your face. Breathe deeply. You can use the spray anytime you start to feel sick during your trip, and you can also spray the car before you leave, which may help prevent motion sickness.
A few extra tips and cautions from the Schillers: The mixture has a shelf life of 3 years, but to keep its ingredients active, be sure to store it in a dark, cool, dry place and, as with all therapeutic substances, out of the sight and reach of children.

GINGER:
Ginger is the classic stomach-settling herbal remedy for the nausea of motion sickness, says Beverly Yates, N.D., a naturopathic physician and director of the Natural health Care Group in Seattle. And ginger tea is one of the best ways to make sure that you get the right dose of the herb.
To make the tea, buy some fresh ginger at your supermarket. Cut a slice of the root approximately the same thickness and length as your pinky finger. Slice off the sides just a bit to expose more of the ginger, then place the root in 3 cups of water and boil for 10 minutes. Pour it over ice and add a little lemon juice. "You can drink this tea before and during (ravel to prevent or remedy nausea," says Dr. Yates.

Another easy way to get plenty of ginger is to eat ginger candy, says Pam Fischer, founder and director of the Ohlone Center for Herbal Studies in Concord, California. "Just suck on it before and during your trip."

HOMEOPATHY:
Cocculus is effective for beating motion sickness, and it makes a great one-two punch when used with ginger, says Dr. Yates. Put two pellets of the 6C or 12C potency under your tongue and let them dissolve.
"Have the pellets on hand and take them as soon as you feel any symptoms of motion sickness, up to four times a day," she says. One day's treatment is usually enough to provide relief, Dr. Yates adds.

ACUPRESSURE: Press Your Upper Lip
The acupressure point above your upper lip, known as GV26, helps relieve nausea, says David Filipello, a licensed acupuncturist and director of the Acupuncture for Health Clinic in San Francisco. Using your index finger, press the indentation firmly (consistently but not painfully) for 30 seconds. You can do this technique every couple of minutes while you're traveling to prevent or help relieve nausea.

ACUPRESSURE: Relief Near Your Wrist
Another acupressure point that can help relieve nausea is PE6, located on your forearm, Filipello says. It's on the inside of your arm, three finger-widths above the wrist crease closest to your palm, toward your elbow. If you start to feel nauseated, press the point firmly for 30 seconds every couple of minutes.

ACUPRESSURE: Tug Your Ears
Simply grabbing your earlobes and gently but firmly tugging down on your ears increases circulation to the inner ears and helps prevent and relieve motion sickness, says Filipello. Do this as often as necessary before and during travel.