My 6 essential items for flights as a motion sick flier
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I’m a pseudo-frequent flyer that also happens to get motion sickness very easily. Obviously not everyone deals with motion sickness, but I think the items on this list could help make just about anyone’s flight more comfortable. So without further ado, here are my six go-to items for nausea-free flights…
This one may not be the most popular with the masses, but for me, it’s essential. Why? No, not because I’m really THAT concerned about germs.
The reason this is number one on my list is actually because of the strong smell of hand sanitizer. The alcohol in hand sanitizer is actually a very well known natural remedy for nausea, so I’m pretty proud of the fact that I cam to the same conclusion on my own before learning that it’s actually old news. I personally like it even better scented with a little lavender or eucalyptus just for fun (and potentially to mask the random food or body smells coming from my fellow passengers).
I’m not super picky about the brand here, but I do like Touchland hand sanitizers, and I’m eager to try this kind from ALŌH.
I love noise cancelling earbuds because 1) they reduce some of the loud airplane noises, 2) you can listen to music, a podcast, a book, etc. and 3) unlike over-ear noise cancelling headphones, they are not hot or claustrophobic.
With my tendency toward motion sickness, anything that makes me hot or inhibits air flow is a no-go. And because I usually don’t read or watch anything on a screen to avoid the nauseua that’s just about guaranteed if I do so, my entertainment options are limited to my ears.
I love these noise cancelling earbuds from Raycon, but I’ve also love JBL’s speakers and am interested to try the JBL Live Pro 2 earbuds.
This one can be a little tricky, but the biggest hack here is that ice is a solid! Obvious ,I know, but did you know that ice is truly considered a solid by the TSA, and that means you can bring an Owala, Stanley, or Hydroflask full of ice through TSA without a problem?!?! I recommend sipping all of the melted ice (aka water :)) before you get toward the front of the security line. That will help minimize any chance of getting stopped with it. Then, when you get inside the terminal, top of your ice with water from a water refill station.
The big obsession with ice/ice water is that the cold from the ice helps with nausea and the general meh feeling of motion sickness so so much. You can sip the water, suck on the ice, dampen a napkin and pat your neck and/or forehead… truly nothing feels better to a motion sick person that a blast of cold.
4. Relief Band
I know it sounds a little woo woo, and I can’t explain it, but I really do think my Relief Band helps prevent and abate nausea. If it’s just a placebo, I want to keep living in ignorance because I’m telling you it works. The Relief Band is essentially a band that looks like a smart watch that you wear nice and snug on your wrist, and it sends small (but mighty) electric pulses along your nerve and somehow interrupts or calms nauseous feelings.
I have the Premier style because I liked that it looks more like a smart watch and generally more sleek, but the Sport and Classic both have their own pros. The Sport style is waterproof with a longer battery life and the Classic has an long battery life, but is not rechargeable, so you have to figure out how to replace the batteries when it dies. (I kind of wish I’d gotten the Sport style honestly.)
Once again, don’t ask me how it works because all I know is that is does. Something about the aggressive cool freshness is a nausea killer. You could also get a similar effect from Altoids or other similar strong mints, but I like the intensity and cooling effect of the Listerine Breath Strips.
Another perk of this is obviously that they freshen your breath which would, of course, be especially helpful if you ever get to the point of no return and do, in fact, get sick.
Last but not least, I highly highly recommend bringing along a mini handheld fan. Listen, I know you might be like “That’s overkill. That’s so embarrassing. Isn’t that so loud? Don’t you get weird looks?” Actually, no. No, it’s actually pretty subtle, and planes are loud already, so no one really notices. If they do notice, they don’t care.
For me, the times when I really need the fan are during taxiing or when you’re waiting to deplane, it’s quickly getting hot and stuffy, and your nausea is lingering from a bumpy landing. And the other random perk of this fan is that it doubles as a power bank for when your phone starts to die.
And that’s it! Those are my motion sick essentials. I genuinely hope you try these out and notice a real difference on your next trip!
P.S. The one thing I didn’t mention that’s truly the most essential of them all is the will power to stay off of my phone. Just a friendly reminder that staring at the chair back in front of you is worth it. ;)
