Motion sickness on a plane

During turbulence or turns, the inner ear detects acceleration while the cabin may look still. That mismatch can produce nausea, dizziness, sweating, headache and vomiting. Anxiety, dehydration, fatigue and strong smells can make the experience harder, but symptoms can also happen without these factors.

When choosing a seat, consider a position over the wing and keep your gaze on the horizon or a stable point outside when possible. Keep your head supported, use the air vent for cool airflow, avoid reading and screens during turbulence, and choose light food with regular small sips of water. Tell cabin crew early if you feel unwell.

Ask a pharmacist or doctor about preventive anti-sickness treatment before flying. Drowsiness and reduced alertness are possible with some medicines, so check timing and interactions, particularly if you need to drive after landing or take other sedating products.

Seek urgent help for repeated vomiting with inability to drink, fainting, confusion, severe headache, chest pain, weakness, speech difficulty, or new hearing or vision changes. Arrange a review if dizziness or vomiting continues after landing, or if similar episodes happen when you are not travelling.

Ask about the safest preventive option for your medical history, when to use it before boarding, possible drowsiness, and whether a child or pregnant traveller needs different advice.