Travelling by car has become part of everyday life for most people. Unfortunately, however, there are individuals among us who have a huge problem with longer journeys in the car. For people who suffer from kinetosis, travelling can be a real horror. Many people have tried everything and still feel sick in the car on longer journeys. But according to new research published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, there is a very simple thing that could help such people.

What can help

People who suffer from kinetosis very often reach for drugs to make their conditions better. Those who don’t want to use medication, for example, suck on sweets or ginger lollies. Good advice, especially for children, includes taping over the navel or not eating too much food before the journey itself. Many reach for aromatherapy, as mint or lemon can help with soothing the stomach. Just take a sniff from the bottle.

For some, just sitting in the direction of travel and looking at a stationary point in the distance can help. There are some people who need plenty of fresh air in the vehicle, as well as adequate walking. And certainly people suffering from kinetosis cannot read while driving in the vehicle. It doesn’t just mean not reading magazines or books. They even find it uncomfortable to read something on a mobile phone or watch a tablet. So people who suffer from motion sickness avoid these activities.

━━ ( Source: Anton Luzhkovsky /  Unsplash+ )

Scientists have found a new solution

Researchers have now discovered that a very simple thing could help with kinetosis on the move. Music. The best music, according to the research, is happy, cheerful music. It’s said to be the most effective type of music for easing feelings of nausea. Then soft music was found to be the second best choice. Passionate music then helped relieve symptoms to a lesser extent than the two mentioned. The good news is that anyone can try this solution and it won’t cost them anything.

How the test went

The researchers induced nausea in the volunteers on a specially calibrated driving simulator and then started playing different types of music. And then they just observed the effects of the music. Of course, each person has different preferences in music. But it turns out that when it comes to nausea, almost everyone is similar. Cheerful music works best against motion sickness.

Specifically, researchers found that happy music alleviated motion sickness caused by driving by 57.3%. Soft music helped by 56.7% and passionate music reduced nausea by 48.3%. Sad music performed the worst. Yet it also helped to alleviate kinetosis. EEG data showed that participants’ brain activity in the occipital lobe changed when they reported feeling nauseous from driving. The better the participants felt, the more the activity measured by EEG returned to normal values.

Further research

More research with larger samples will definitely be needed. Indeed, it is necessary to validate EEG patterns as a quantitative indicator of motion sickness. This will then allow researchers to better understand the effect of music on kinetosis. In addition, the researchers also want to conduct studies in real-life conditions that may affect the brain differently than in a simulated situation. Of course, scientists also want to investigate the role of personal musical taste.