I have been car sick since I was a child. Now, in adulthood, it rarely bothers me except when I try to read in the car. I know that car sickness is caused by fluid in the inner ear moving about so what difference does reading make? And for that matter, why am I never car sick when I'm driving?
the problem is the conflicting information reaching your brain. The fluid in your ears tells your brain that you are moving. Focusing your eyes on a book tells your brain that you are in fact imobile, et voila! Confusion = nausea, which if not corrected by aligning the information - either stopping the car, or looking out of the window, then vomiting follows.
Sorry, missed a bit - when you are driving, all your senses are focused on driving, so your eyes agree with your brain that you are moving, so no nausea.
My brother and I are 23 and 30 and have both been terribly car sick since childhood. I can't even look down in a car or on a bus or train, never mind read. Those accupressure bands you can buy in Boots etc do seem to help though.
I remember heering once that drivers are never sick because they lean into bends (even if only slightly so without realising it). So, years ago I tried doing that whenever I didn't feel good on a journey and it worked. Now I always do this and it works for me. And I can never read in a car.
I have exactly the same problem. Was very sick in the car as a child, and now it only happens when I'm reading. Personally, I reckon I've psychologically programmed myself to feel ill unless I'm concentrating on something outside the car.
Thanks for all your replies - they make a lot of sense though they don't explain why I can read perfectly happily on a bus! I suppose that's just me.
georgit79 - I know what you mean. As a child my vomit avoidance strategy was to try go to sleep, and now I can't help dozing off on any journey over 10 miles!
I read in a magazine once that if you feel sick in the car you should run your finger lightly up and down between your breastbone and your navel. I think it works or maybe it just works because I think it does!