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Motion sickness occurs when the brain of a child or adult receives conflicting signals from movement-sensitive parts of the body: the inner ear (semicircular canals), information from the eyes, and nerves in the limbs.
Under normal circumstances, all three areas respond adequately and harmoniously to any movement. When the signals they receive and send to the brain are inconsistent—for example, if you watch fast movement on a movie screen, your eyes feel movement but your inner ear and joints do not—the brain receives conflicting signals and activates a response that can provoke unpleasant sensations. and painful symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, or vomiting. The same thing can happen when a child sits so low in the back seat of a car that they cannot see the picture from the outside. Her inner ear senses movement, but her eyes and joints do not.
An attack of motion sickness usually begins with a vague, vague feeling of being unwell, as well as indigestion (nausea), cold sweats, fatigue, and loss of appetite. This discomfort usually progresses to vomiting. A young child may not be able to describe the nausea, but will show unwellness by becoming pale and restless, yawning and crying. Later, he will lose interest in food (even his favorite foods) and may vomit repeatedly. This response may be affected by previous car trips that make him unwell, but the condition usually improves over time.
In order to alleviate the condition of the child during trips, doctors recommend choosing effective and safe pills for motion sickness for children. They reduce the excitability of the nervous system and reactions from the digestive system. This allows you to transfer travel better.
Rating of the top 5 best pills for motion sickness for children according to KP
We have compiled the most popular motion sickness remedies for children. Although they are effective and safe, before using any drugs, be sure to consult a pediatrician or neurologist to first rule out any possible pathologies that can give similar symptoms.
1. “Drama”
The drug is available in tablets, it is sold in pharmacies without a doctor’s prescription. It has an anti-swaying effect, and is acceptable for use in children from 1 year old. The main active ingredient is dimenhydrinate.
Indications:
- treatment or prevention of seasickness when traveling by car, on trains or on ships, in airplanes;
- treatment of disorders in the vestibular apparatus in children with various problems.
The drug has a sedative effect, antiemetic effect and antiallergic effect, relieves the feeling of dizziness when traveling (especially in a car for a long distance). The drug begins to work 15-30 minutes after ingestion, on average, the effect lasts up to 4-6 hours. To prevent motion sickness in transport, you need to take 1 tablet 30 minutes before leaving home.
Contraindicated in convulsive syndrome, peptic ulcer, acute dermatoses, epilepsy or bronchial asthma.
2. “Kinedril”
The drug is available in tablets, sold in pharmacies without a doctor’s prescription, the drug is acceptable for use in children from three years of age. The main active ingredients are moxastine in combination with caffeine.
Indications for use: treatment or prevention of motion sickness, nausea with vomiting during car trips, travel by any other means of transport. The medicine is used at least 40 minutes before the start of the trip, the tablets should be washed down with a sufficient volume of liquid (at least 50 ml). Doses depend on age, as well as the frequency of administration.
The drug is prohibited in violation of the absorption of lactose and galactose, under the age of 3 years. It is forbidden to violate the instructions for use and give large doses of medication.
3. “Aminalon”
The drug is available in tablets and powders in individual sachets. Sold in pharmacies by prescription. The basis of the drug is gamma-aminobutyric acid. It has a nootropic effect, normalizes metabolic processes in the brain area, helps to accelerate the excretion of metabolic products from tissues.
Drug indicated with different types of motion sickness, to stimulate mental development and treat neurological pathologies. When motion sickness is indicated, the drug is taken twice a day in a course of 3-4 days, in advance, before the start of the trip.
The drug is contraindicated in case of allergy to the components and individual intolerance. There are practically no side effects from taking it.
4. “Bonin”
The drug is available in chewable tablets, sold in pharmacies without a prescription. The main active ingredient is meclozine, an antiemetic and antihistamine drug. It has a sedative, sedative effect, effectively suppresses nausea with vomiting, helps with motion sickness.
Indications for admission: nausea and vomiting when traveling by any means of transport. However, it is allowed in children only from the age of 12, but it has a long-term effect, it lasts for a day.
Contraindicated in case of allergy to components, glaucoma and high blood pressure.
5. «Avia More»
The drug is available in tablets for slow absorption in the mouth, sold without a prescription. Refers to homeopathic remedies, the main active ingredients of the drug are sodium tetraborate mixed with white hellebore and kukulvan.
The drug helps in the adaptation of the vestibular apparatus to a variety of external sensory influences that are typical for movement in transport. Indicated for use in motion sickness and frequent motion sickness in a car or other modes of transport. Eliminates nausea with dizziness, malaise and weakness.
Contraindicated in galactosemia, insufficiency of glucose and galactose. The drug should be taken an hour before departure, slowly dissolving in the mouth, then taken every hour or two, but limited to 5 tablets per day.
How to choose pills for motion sickness for children
If you are going on a trip and your child has had motion sickness before, you can give him medication in advance to avoid problems. Some of these medications are available without a prescription, but ask your pediatrician before using them.
While they can help, they often cause side effects such as drowsiness (which means that when you get to your destination, your child may be too tired to enjoy the rest). Dry mouth and nose or blurred vision are also possible. Therefore, on the road, the child needs to be given plenty of fluids.
Popular questions and answers
We asked neurologist of the highest category Evgeny Mosin about the problem of motion sickness in children and the possible problems associated with this condition.
Why can motion sickness occur?
Seasickness most often occurs the first time you travel by boat or plane, or when the traffic is very heavy, such as from rough water or turbulent air currents. Stress and anxiety can also start this problem or make it worse.
What to do if the child is sick?
If this happens in the car, stop as soon as possible and let him get out and walk. If you are on a long car trip, you may need to make short stops, but it’s worth it.
If this condition develops on swings or carousels, stop the movement immediately and remove the child from the equipment.
Since “car sickness” is the most common form of motion sickness in children, many preventive measures have been developed. In addition to frequent stops, try the following:
• if the child has not eaten for 3 hours, give the child a light snack before the trip, which also helps in a boat or plane – this relieves hunger pangs, which seem to add to the severity of the symptoms;
• try not to focus the child’s attention on nausea – listen to the radio, sing or talk;
• Have him look at things outside the car, not at books or games.
If none of the above worked, stop the car, remove the child from the car seat, and leave the child on their back with their eyes closed for a few minutes. A cool cloth on the forehead also reduces symptoms.