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What's to know about motion sickness?

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Motion sickness is a disturbance of the inner ear. It is the result of repeated motion from a vehicle or other movements that disturb the inner ear.

Some people experience nausea and even vomiting when riding in an airplane, automobile, or amusement park ride. One study, published in PloS one in 2013, suggested that 3-D movies can also cause nausea.

This condition is generally called motion sickness. When riding on a boat or ship, it is commonly referred to as sea sickness – but it is the same disorder.

Fast facts on motion sickness:

• There is no difference between motion sickness and sea sickness.
• Individuals and animals without a functional vestibular (balance) system are immune to motion sickness.
• Without the motion-sensing organs of the inner ear, motion sickness does not occur, suggesting that the inner ear is important in motion sickness.
• The symptoms of motion sickness include nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.

Motion is sensed by the brain through different pathways of the nervous system including the inner ear, the eyes, and the tissues of the body surface.

When the body is moved intentionally, for example when walking, the input from all of the pathways are coordinated by our brain.

The symptoms of motion sickness appear when the central nervous system receives conflicting messages from the sensory systems: the inner ear, eyes, skin pressure receptors, and the muscle and joint sensory receptors.

As an example, if someone is sat on a boat or in a car (not looking out of a window), their inner ears sense movement up and down, left and right, but their eyes see a static view, as if they are not moving at all. It is hypothesized that the conflict among the inputs is responsible for motion sickness.

Serious symptoms include:

• short breath

Other common signs are:

• a general feeling of discomfort
• not feeling well (malaise)

Mild symptoms are categorized as:

• mild unease

Most cases of motion sickness are mild and self-treatable.

Very severe cases, and those that become progressively worse, deserve the attention and care of a physician with special skill in diseases of the ear, balance (equilibrium), and nervous system.

To help diagnose motion sickness, a doctor will ask about symptoms and find out what usually causes the problem (such as riding in a boat, flying in a plane, or driving in a car). Laboratory tests are generally not necessary to diagnose motion sickness.

The distressing symptoms of motion sickness usually stop when the motion causing it ceases. But this is not always true. There are people who suffer symptoms for even a few days after the trip is over. Most people who have had motion sickness in the past ask their doctor how to prevent it next time. The following remedies may help:

Looking at the horizon

One common suggestion is to simply look out of the window of the moving vehicle and to gaze toward the horizon in the direction of travel. This helps to re-orient the inner sense of balance by providing a visual reaffirmation of motion.

Keeping eyes closed and napping

In the night, or in a ship without windows, it is helpful to simply close one’s eyes, or if possible, take a nap. This resolves the input conflict between the eyes and the inner ear.

A simple method for relieving common and mild car sickness is chewing. Chewing gum has an uncanny effectiveness for reducing car sickness in those affected. A variety of chewing gum is available for purchase online .

Chewing gum, however, is not the only thing one may chew to relieve mild effects of car sickness, snacking on sweets, or just chewing in general seems to reduce adverse effects of the conflict between vision and balance.

Fresh, cool air can also relieve motion sickness slightly, although it is likely this is related to avoiding foul odors, which can worsen nausea.

Ginger has been found to reduce motion sickness. This is available in tablet form, or a fresh stem of ginger can be chewed to relieve symptoms. There is some debate over whether it is the chewing or the ginger that helps. Ginger products for motion sickness are available for purchase online .

Acupressure

An acupressure practitioner works with the same points used in acupuncture , but stimulates these healing sites with finger pressure, rather than inserting fine needles. Some studies suggest that acupressure may help reduce symptoms of motion sickness in the same way as acupuncture, although the evidence is not clear.

Here are some important tips for preventing motion sickness:

• Always sit in a position so that the eyes can see the same motion that the body and inner ear feels.
• In a car, sit in the front seat and look at the distant scenery.
• On a boat, go up on the deck and watch the motion of the horizon.
• In an airplane, sit by the window and look outside. Also, in a plane, choose a seat over the wings where the motion is minimized.
• Do not read while traveling if experiencing motion sickness, and do not sit in a seat facing backward.
• Do not watch or talk to another traveler who is having motion sickness.
• Avoid strong odors and spicy or greasy foods immediately before and during travel.

Medical research has not yet investigated the effectiveness of popular folk remedies such as “soda crackers and 7 Up,” “cola syrup over ice,” or ginger products.

Medications

While home remedies are effective, medications are also a good way to prevent motion sickness and are best taken before travelling.

• Scopolamine – the most commonly prescribed medication for motion sickness. It must be taken before symptoms start. It is available as a patch that is placed behind the ear 6-8 hours before travel.
• Promethazine – should be taken 2 hours before travel. The effects last 6-8 hours. Side effects may include drowsiness and dry mouth .
• Cyclizine – is most effective when taken at least 30 minutes before travel. It is not recommended for children younger than 6, and side effects are similar to scopolamine.
• Dimenhydrinate – taken every 4-8 hours. Side effects are similar to scopolamine.
• Dimenhydrinate chewing gum – a team of experts spoke at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Annual Meeting and Exposition in 2012 on a study that showed patients can absorb the medication through the cheek.
• Meclizine (Bonine) – is most effective when taken 1 hour before travel. It is not recommended for children under 12, and side effects may include drowsiness and dry mouth.

Last medically reviewed on June 21, 2017

• Public Health

How we reviewed this article:

• Golding, J. F. (1998, November 15). Motion sickness susceptibility questionnaire revised and its relationship to other forms of sickness. Brain research bulletin, 47 (5), 507-516 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923098000914
• Golding, J. F., & Gresty, M. A. (2015). Pathophysiology and treatment of motion sickness. Current opinion in neurology, 28 (1), 83-88 http://journals.lww.com/co-neurology/Abstract/2015/02000/Pathophysiology_and_treatment_of_motion_sickness.15.aspx
• Novel chewing gum formulation helps prevent motion sickness. (2012, October 17) https://www.aaps.org/News/Press_Room/Press_Releases/2012/Novel_Chewing_Gum_Formulation_Helps_Prevent_Motion_Sickness/
• Solimini, A. G. (2013, February 13). Are there side effects to watching 3D movies? A prospective crossover observational study on visually induced motion sickness. PloS one, 8 (2), e56160 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0056160

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• Motion sickness: First aid

Any type of transportation can cause motion sickness. It can strike suddenly, progressing from a feeling of uneasiness to a cold sweat, dizziness and vomiting. It usually quiets down as soon as the motion stops. The more you travel, the more easily you'll adjust to being in motion.

You might avoid motion sickness by planning ahead. When traveling, avoid sitting in the rear of the vehicle or in seats that face backward. Pick seats where you'll feel motion least:

• By ship, request a cabin in the front or middle of the ship near the water level.
• By plane, ask for a seat over the front edge of a wing. Once aboard, direct the air vent flow to your face.
• By train, take a forward-facing seat near the front and next to a window.
• By automobile, drive or sit in the front passenger's seat. Children should be in age-appropriate seats and restraints.

If you're susceptible to motion sickness:

• Focus on the horizon or on a distant, stationary object. Don't read or use electronic devices while traveling.
• Keep your head still, while resting against a seat back.
• Don't smoke and don't sit near smokers.
• Avoid strong odors, spicy and greasy foods, and alcohol.
• Take an antihistamine, which you can buy without a prescription. Medicines include dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, Driminate, others) and meclizine (Dramamine Less Drowsy, Travel-Ease, others). Dimenhydrinate is safe for children older than age 2. Take these medicines at least 30 to 60 minutes before you travel. Expect drowsiness as a side effect.
• Consider scopolamine, available in a prescription adhesive patch called Transderm Scop. Several hours before you plan to travel, apply the patch behind your ear for 72-hour protection. Talk to your health care provider before using the medicine if you have health problems such as glaucoma or urine retention.
• Try ginger. A ginger supplement combined with ginger snaps, ginger ale or candied ginger might help curb nausea.
• Eat lightly. Some people find that nibbling on plain crackers and sipping cold water or a carbonated drink without caffeine help.
• Ferri FF. Motion sickness. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2023. Elsevier; 2023. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 29, 2022.
• Bennett JE, et al. Protection of travelers. In: Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 29, 2022.
• Priesol AJ. Motion sickness. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Nov. 29, 2022.
• Motion sickness. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/motion-sickness. Accessed Nov. 29, 2022.
• Kc Leung A, et al. Motion sickness: An overview. Drugs in Context. 2019; doi:10.7573/dic.2019-9-4.
• Dimenhydrinate oral. Facts & Comparisons eAnswers. https://fco.factsandcomparisons.com. Accessed Nov. 29, 2022.

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Motion Sickness

Motion sickness happens when the movement you see is different from what your inner ear senses. This can cause dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. You can get motion sick in a car, or on a train, airplane, boat, or amusement park ride. Motion sickness can make traveling unpleasant, but there are strategies to prevent and treat it.

Preventing motion sickness without medicine

Avoiding situations that cause motion sickness is the best way to prevent it, but that is not always possible when you are traveling. The following strategies can help you avoid or lessen motion sickness.

• Sit in the front of a car or bus.
• Choose a window seat on flights and trains.
• If possible, try lying down, shutting your eyes, sleeping, or looking at the horizon.
• Stay hydrated by drinking water. Limit alcoholic and caffeinated beverages.
• Eat small amounts of food frequently.
• Avoid smoking. Even stopping for a short period of time helps.
• Try and distract yourself with activities, such as listening to music.
• Use flavored lozenges, such as ginger candy.

Using medicines for motion sickness

Medicines can be used to prevent or treat motion sickness, although many of them cause drowsiness. Talk to a healthcare professional to decide if you should take medicines for motion sickness. Commonly used medicines are diphenhydramine (Benadryl), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), and scopolamine.

Special Consideration for Children

Motion sickness is more common in children ages 2 to 12 years old.

Some medicines used to prevent or treat motion sickness are not recommended for children. Talk to your healthcare professional about medicines and correct dosing of medicines for motion sickness for children. Only give the recommended dosage.

Although motion sickness medicines can make people sleepy, it can have the opposite effect for some children, causing them to be very active. Ask your doctor if you should give your child a test dose before traveling.

More Information

Motion Sickness in CDC Yellow Book

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Table of Contents

What is motion sickness?

Motion sickness is a sick feeling triggered by movement. It occurs in cars, buses, trains, planes, or boats. It can occur on amusement rides or virtual reality experiences. Seeing the movement of others or things can trigger it. This condition is not life-threatening, however, it can make traveling unpleasant. Planning ahead helps prevent, avoid, or reduce the effects. Other triggers include:

• Being in the back seat of a car unable to see the horizon
• Reading in the car
• Not getting enough air in the car

Motion sickness is common in older people, pregnant women, and children between the ages of 5 and 12. Also, it’s common in people who have migraine headaches. It may be genetic. Once the motion stops, you’ll gradually feel better. In rare cases, the condition is triggered by a problem with your inner ear. This could be due to fluid buildup or an ear infection. Parkinson’s disease is another cause of the condition.

Symptoms can strike without warning. They can get worse quickly. You may feel sick to your stomach (nausea). Other symptoms include vomiting, pale skin, headache, a cold sweat, dizziness, and irritability.

What causes motion sickness?

Motion sickness is an imbalance between what you see and what you feel. In the car, the car is moving forward. However, your body is standing still. This imbalance is what causes you to feel sick.

You may notice a pattern of sickness when you travel. See your doctor if you experience motion sickness repeatedly. Your doctor will do a physical exam. They will look inside your ears and at your eyes. Your doctor will ask you questions about your health history before recommending treatment.

Prevention Tips

If you know you get motion sickness when traveling, plan ahead. These steps can prevent it or relieve the symptoms:

• Take motion sickness medicine one to two hours before traveling.
• Choose the right seat. The front passenger seat is best in the car. Choose the midpoint on a boat. Sit over the wing on a plane. Face forward on a train. Sit near a window on a train. These seats have fewer bumps. They allow you to see the horizon. If you are on a cruise, book a cabin in the front or middle of the ship. Request a room that is closest to the water level.
• Get plenty of air. Use the air conditioner or roll down the window in a car. Direct the vent toward you on a plane. Sit near a window when you’re on a covered boat.
• Avoid things you can’t change. For example, don’t ride on a speed boat. Waves and bumps can make you sick. If you can’t avoid it, take medicine in advance.
• Don’t read while riding in a car, plane, or boat. Look out the window at the horizon. Look at a distant object.
• Lie down when you feel sick.
• Avoid a heavy meal before or during travel. Eat small portions of plain food instead. Don’t eat greasy, spicy, or acidic foods before or during travel.
• Drink lots of water. Avoid alcohol.
• Talk to your doctor about different therapies. This might include pressure bands (worn on your wrist).

If your symptoms last longer than a few days, see your doctor.

Common medicines that treat motion sickness include Benadryl, Dramamine, and scopolamine. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommends scopolamine. It eases nausea and vomiting. It does not make you sleepy. A skin patch works best.

Antihistamines (one brand name: Benadryl) are helpful. However, these usually make you sleepy. Non-drowsy antihistamines are not effective in treating or preventing motion sickness. Another type of medicine is called antiemetics. These are used to treat nausea and vomiting.

Some of these medicines are prescription. Some are available over-the-counter. Talk to your doctor to determine which is best for you. These medicines work best when taken before you travel.

Once nausea begins, eat a few, plain crackers and drink clear, fizzy drinks (ginger ale is best) to relieve nausea.

Living with motion sickness

Planning ahead is the best advice for motion sickness. If your symptoms are mild, medicines are effective. Be sure to carry the proper medications with you while traveling.

Questions to ask your doctor

• Can medicine help after the symptoms start?
• Is motion sickness a sign of a more serious health problem?
• Can I take motion sickness medicine if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
• Are motion sickness medicines safe to take with other medicines?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Motion Sickness

National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Motion Sickness

Last Updated: August 11, 2021

This article was contributed by: familydoctor.org editorial staff and Alex Rice

Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians

This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

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Travel and motion sickness: An expert weighs in on Dramamine, ginger and more

Travel seems to be on most of our minds. What may also come to mind is motion sickness for those who suffer from it, which is almost everybody at some point. 

“A study conducted in 2019 found that almost everyone has experienced or will experience motion sickness at some point in their lifetime,” said Natascha Tuznik, an infectious disease doctor with the UC Davis Health Traveler’s Clinic . 

Tuznik answers some common questions about motion sickness and ways to prevent or treat it.  

Where is motion sickness most likely to happen?

This depends upon specific conditions encountered. Seasickness is the most common form. A fun fact is that the word nausea is derived from the Greek word "naus" which means ship. Nausea literally means "ship-sickness." But it can happen to people traveling by car, bus and plane, too.

In one survey of roughly 3,200 bus passengers, 28% felt ill, 13% reported nausea and 2% vomited. Another study highlighted motion sickness experienced by passengers on commercial airline flights, finding that 24% felt ill or nauseated.    

Who’s most likely to get motion sickness?

Women are more susceptible than men. Children under the age of 2 are typically resistant to motion sickness, while those around the age of 9 are more prone. Other factors that tend to lead to motion sickness include a history of migraines, hormonal changes (pregnant women, for example), genetics and even mindset. Often, those who expect to get sick are the ones who do. 

Does Dramamine work for motion sickness?

Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) is a popular go-to remedy. It is somewhat effective at reducing motion sickness symptoms, but it is an antihistamine. Like all antihistamines, it may cause drowsiness, dizziness and decreased mental alertness. Some people may experience the exact opposite effects, including insomnia, excitability and restlessness. Unfortunately, not much can be done to mitigate the side effects. If you’ve taken it before, you should expect similar side effects each time.  

Who should not take Dramamine?

Patients with a history of glaucoma, liver impairment, asthma, seizures, prostate enlargements or urinary blockage, thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular disease should proceed with caution and speak with their physician first. 

Does it help to take the medicine before you start traveling?

If you have a history of severe motion sickness symptoms, it’s best to take medication one hour before your trip. 

What other medication options are there?

Bonine (meclizine) is another option. In comparison to Dramamine, Bonine touts “less drowsy” formulations. This is mainly because Bonine is taken once a day and Dramamine is taken every four to six hours as needed. That said, many studies show that as a whole, Dramamine is more effective at preventing motion sickness, though it is less convenient given the dosing. 

Another option is scopolamine, which is commonly known as the round patch placed behind one’s ear.

Non-sedative antihistamines such as Zyrtec, Claritin and Allegra do not appear to be effective for motion sickness.  

What about kids with motion sickness?

As noted, children under 2 typically do not experience motion sickness, while the incidence appears to peak at age 9. Generally, the same advice applies to children as it does for adults. If you need to use medication for your child, always speak with your pediatrician first. Almost all pediatric medications are weight-based, and some may have age restrictions, as well. Please never guess a dose without seeking medical advice for your child first. 

What about pets with motion sickness?

There are many pre-emptive strategies that exist for dogs and cats to prevent motion sickness. A medication for motion sickness in dogs called Cerenia (maropitant), is available, and is prescription-only from a licensed veterinarian. Dramamine may also be used, however as with pediatric patients, it is weight-based. Speak with your veterinarian first. 

Are there ways to prevent motion sickness?

Yes. Prevention is always the best option, when possible. Some options include: 

• Use your environment: Try looking at the horizon, if you’re at sea, or another stationary object or fixture. 
• Avoid reading. 
• Where you sit matters. If you’re on a boat, avoid the upper levels. If you’re in a car, try to sit in the front. If you’re on a plane, look for a seat over the front edge of the wing.
• Alternative methods like hard ginger candy, P6 acupressure and motion sickness & travel wristbands (one brand is Sea-Bands ) can work well. 

For people with mild motion sickness history (which typically means that it does not interfere with your ability to function), the recommendations are for environmental modifications and complementary and alternative treatments mentioned above. Medications are typically not recommended, given that side effects will typically outweigh the benefits. 

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Motion Sickness: Symptoms, Who's at Risk, and How to Prevent It

• Who Is at Risk
• Medications
• Health Conditions
• When to Get Help

Motion sickness ( kinetosis ) causes symptoms that include dizziness, nausea , and headache . It occurs when you're moving (in a car, for example) and your brain receives mixed signals from your body, inner ear, and eyes about its surroundings. For instance, if you're below deck on a boat, your inner ear may sense rolling waves but your eyes don't see them. It is also called vertigo or seasickness , and is common in both children and adults, though some risk factors make it more likely.

Motion sickness also can occur due to flight simulators, gaming, amusement park rides, and other "virtual reality" experiences. Self-driving (automated) vehicles also lead to episodes of motion sickness, as people read or work on other tasks rather than driving themselves.

This article explains the symptoms of motion sickness, their causes, and who's at risk. It presents tips on managing your symptoms and ways to prevent motion sickness before it happens.

Illustration by Maritsa Patrinos for Verywell Health

Who Is at Higher Risk for Motion Sickness?

Studies have shown that essentially everyone has the potential to get motion sickness because it's related to the vestibular system (and its ear-related role in motion, balance, and coordination).  It's common, with one study finding up to 25% of large ship passengers (even more on smaller boats) will develop motion sickness within two to three days of the start of an ocean voyage.

For some people, it starts right away, while others only feel sick after they’ve been moving for a long time. Some people are more likely to get motion sickness, including:

• Children aged 2 to 12 years (it can occur in younger children)
• Younger adults (compared with those over age 60)
• People who are pregnant
• People who get migraine headaches

Other factors that contribute to risk include:

• Alcohol and drug use
• Being sleep deprived
• Poor airflow in a vehicle
• Certain odors, including diesel fuel or cigarette smoke

A small study has shown that people who don't know when or how motion will occur may have more difficulty. Facing forward and watching the horizon may help deal with unpredictable motion and motion sickness.

Hormones and Motion Sickness

Females are more likely than males to get motion sickness, partly because of hormones.  Estrogen , the primary female sex hormone, can contribute to symptoms of nausea and dizziness. Studies have shown that the menstrual cycle, as well as estrogen drugs or supplements, can affect how someone experiences motion sickness.

Symptoms of Motion Sickness

Symptoms of motion sickness can vary significantly from person to person, and the degree to which you feel ill can be less severe or more severe than other people who suffer from vertigo.

Nausea and vomiting are common, but they are not the only symptoms of motion sickness. Other symptoms may include:

• Cold sweats and clammy hands
• Hyperventilation (rapid breathing)
• Sensitivity to smells
• Loss of appetite (clinically called anorexia )
• Excessive salivation
• Warm, flushed sensation

Sopite Syndrome

Some people have a subcategory of motion sickness called sopite syndrome. The main symptoms of sopite syndrome include:

• Drowsiness and lethargy
• Mild depression
• Reduced ability to focus on an assigned task

Nausea and vomiting are not symptoms of sopite syndrome, which is one way it’s different from more common types of motion sickness. Sopite symptoms also may occur alone, or they may last longer than other motion sickness symptoms. The precise cause remains unclear, but it's possible another mechanism (including ear-related) is at work.

Medications Can Cause Motion Sickness

Motion sickness symptoms (or their increased severity) can be caused by certain medications. Both prescription drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) medications can cause side effects that result in motion sickness symptoms even when you’re not actually moving.

Nausea, dizziness, and feeling off balance are the vertigo-like side effects that can occur with a wide range of medications. Some of the common medications that may cause these symptoms include:

• Antibiotics such as penicillin, Suprax (cefixime), and Cipro (ciprofloxacin)
• Estrogen-containing medications such as birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy
• Bisphosphonates , such as Binosto (alendronate)
• Lanoxin ( digoxin )
• Inbrija (levodopa)
• Narcotic pain medications like Kadian (morphine), OxyContin ( oxycodone ), or Hysingla ER (hydrocodone)
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like Advil (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen)
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine), and Zoloft (sertraline)
• Statins such as Crestor (rosuvastatin) and Zocor (simvastatin)

Even if you do feel discomfort, do not skip or stop taking your medications without talking to your provider.

If you will be traveling and are worried about motion sickness occurring or being more severe with a medication, talk to your healthcare provider. They may say that you can safely take your dose in a different way (for example, at a different time) to help prevent symptoms. 

Motion Sickness Symptoms and Health Conditions

Motion sickness usually stops within eight hours of ending the activity or movement. If your symptoms do not get better when you stop moving, it could be another condition that causes the same symptoms as motion sickness and you should talk to your provider.

Conditions that can cause similar symptoms to motion sickness include:

• Fluid in the ear
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
• Meniere’s disease

Talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms to ensure an accurate diagnosis.

Treatment for Motion Sickness

There are a few treatment options for motion sickness. If you're taking medication before traveling, your healthcare provider may suggest a small dose before your trip to see how well it works.

Common medications for treating motion sickness include:

• Bonine (meclizine)
• Dramamine (dimenhydrinate)
• Phenergan ( promethazine )

Other options include:

• Anticholinergic drugs , including scopolamine (like the Transderm Scop patch)
• Benzodiazepines like Valium (diazepam)
• Dopamine receptor antagonists like Reglan (metoclopramide)

Acupuncture and other complementary medicine options, such as using the P6 pressure point to control nausea , exist for treating motion sickness. Some experts recommend ginger. However, there is limited research support for their benefits, and motion sickness remains easier to prevent than treat.

Preventing Motion Sickness

Changing your activities or position can help with motion sickness, though reading often leads to motion sickness. Lying down can help, as does limiting your visual input (for example, trees that seem to move as you pass them).

You can also try:

• Sitting in the front seat, if in a vehicle
• Turning air vents toward your face
• Keeping your head still
• Avoiding heavy meals or alcohol use

Natural remedies may help with motion sickness symptoms and their prevention. Try deep breathing exercises, which have been shown to help with seasickness in simulated exercises.

Physical therapy to help you adapt to motion may help, as can transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation ( TENS ) using a small device that generates impulses. Cognitive behavioral therapy also may help to treat anxiety related to motion sickness.

Try Not to Think About Motion Sickness

Research has suggested that people who think they will get motion sickness are more likely to. You might be able to avoid or at least prevent motion sickness from getting worse by changing your thoughts and finding a distraction.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Most people see a healthcare provider for motion sickness ahead of planned travel, in order to seek preventive treatment, but other situations do arise. The most common complications of motion sickness include vomiting that leads to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances , which can be treated easily. These conditions can, however, cause serious illness in some people.

Other conditions with symptoms similar to motion sickness include:

• Low blood sugar ( hypoglycemia ), which requires immediate care in people diagnosed with diabetes
• Stroke , a life-threatening condition that requires immediate intervention
• Traumatic head injury and concussion, commonly caused by sports injuries or accidents

If you feel sick after you hit your head or were in an accident, go to the emergency room or call 911.

Keep in mind that motion sickness usually goes away fairly quickly once you’ve stopped moving. If it’s been more than eight hours and you’re still having symptoms, call your provider.

While nausea and vomiting are common, they are not the only symptoms of motion sickness. Some people have other symptoms like fatigue and mood changes. Medications, hormones, and certain activities can make you more likely to get motion sickness.

It's easier to prevent motion sickness than treat it, so talk to your healthcare provider about medication and other treatment options.

If feelings of illness do not go away after the motion stops, your symptoms could be due to another condition. See your healthcare provider if you have motion sickness symptoms that last longer than eight hours.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Motion Sickness .

Golding JF. Motion sickness . Handb Clin Neurol. 2016;137:371-390. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-63437-5.00027-3

Li D, Chen L. Mitigating motion sickness in automated vehicles with vibration cue system . Ergonomics . 2022 Oct;65(10):1313-1325. doi:10.1080/00140139.2022.2028902.

Foster M, Singh N, Kwok K, Macefield VG. Vestibular modulation of skin sympathetic nerve activity in sopite syndrome induced by low-frequency sinusoidal motion. J Neurophysiol . 2020 Dec 1;124(6):1551-1559. doi: 10.1152/jn.00177.2020. 

Leung AK, Hon KL. Motion sickness: an overview . Drugs Context . 2019 Dec 13;8:2019-9-4. doi: 10.7573/dic.2019-9-4. 

Lipson S, Wang A, Corcoran M, Zhou G, Brodsky JR. Severe motion sickness in infants and children . Eur J Paediatr Neurol . 2020 Sep;28:176-179. doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2020.06.010.

Laitinen L, Nurmi M, Ellilä P, Rautava P, Koivisto M, Polo-Kantola P. Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: associations with personal history of nausea and affected relatives . Arch Gynecol Obstet . 2020 Oct;302(4):947-955. doi: 10.1007/s00404-020-05683-3. 

Jones MLH, Le VC, Ebert SM, Sienko KH, Reed MP, Sayer JR. Motion sickness in passenger vehicles during test track operations . Ergonomics . 2019 Oct;62(10):1357-1371. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2019.1632938.

Peddareddygari LR, Kramer PD, Hanna PA, Levenstien MA, Grewal RP. Genetic Analysis of a Large Family with Migraine, Vertigo, and Motion Sickness . Can J Neurol Sci . 2019 Sep;46(5):512-517. doi: 10.1017/cjn.2019.64.

Kuiper OX, Bos JE, Schmidt EA, Diels C, Wolter S. Knowing What's Coming: Unpredictable Motion Causes More Motion Sickness . Hum Factors . 2020 Dec;62(8):1339-1348. doi: 10.1177/0018720819876139.

Smith PF, Agrawal Y, Darlington CL. Sexual dimorphism in vestibular function and dysfunction . J Neurophysiol . 2019;121(6):2379-2391. doi:10.1152/jn.00074.2019

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Motion Sickness .

Varis N, Leinonen A, Perälä J, Leino TK, Husa L, Sovelius R. Delayed Drowsiness After Normobaric Hypoxia Training in an F/A-18 Hornet Simulator . Aerosp Med Hum Perform . 2023 Sep 1;94(9):715-718. doi:10.3357/AMHP.6238.2023. 

Altissimi G, Colizza A, Cianfrone G, et al. Drugs inducing hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness and vertigo: an updated guide . Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci . 2020;24(15):7946-7952. doi:10.26355/eurrev_202008_22477

Seattle Children's Hospital. Motion sickness .

Hromatka BS, Tung JY, Kiefer AK, Do CB, Hinds DA, Eriksson N. Genetic variants associated with motion sickness point to roles for inner ear development, neurological processes and glucose homeostasis .  Hum Mol Genet . 2015;24(9):2700-2708. doi:10.1093/hmg/ddv028

Golding JF, Patel M. Meniere's, migraine, and motion sickness . Acta Otolaryngol. 2017;137(5):495-502. doi:10.1080/00016489.2016.1255775

Koch A, Cascorbi I, Westhofen M, Dafotakis M, Klapa S, Kuhtz-Buschbeck JP. The neurophysiology and treatment of motion sickness .  Dtsch Arztebl Int . 2018;115(41):687-696. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2018.0687

Stromberg SE, Russell ME, Carlson CR.  Diaphragmatic breathing and its effectiveness for the management of motion sickness . Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2015;86(5):452-7.

Huppert D, Benson J, Brandt T. A historical view of motion sickness - a plague at sea and on land, also with military impact .  Front Neurol . 2017;8:114. doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00114

Shen Y, Qi X. Update on diagnosis and differential diagnosis of vestibular migraine . Neurol Sci . 2022;43(3):1659-1666. doi:10.1007/s10072-022-05872-9

By Kristin Hayes, RN Kristin Hayes, RN, is a registered nurse specializing in ear, nose, and throat disorders for both adults and children.

Motion sickness

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• Some people are particularly sensitive to certain kinds of motion.
• Symptoms of motion sickness include dizziness, nausea and vomiting, burping, and sweating.
• Treatment is often best taken before the motion begins.

On this page

Risk factors for motion sickness, symptoms of motion sickness, long-term or repeated exposure to motion, reducing the risk of motion sickness, treatment for motion sickness, where to get help.

Motion sickness may occur in response to certain types of movement, whether it is the person or what they are looking at (for example, a movie screen) that is moving. Motion sickness is not considered to be a disease as it can occur in nearly every person. Some people are particularly sensitive to certain motion and very little may be required before they feel ill. Children between the ages of two and 12 years are particularly prone to motion sickness. In part, motion sickness is thought to take place when there is a mismatch between the information that the brain receives from the inner ear balance mechanism (vestibular system) and what the eyes ‘see’. For example, if the eyes tell the brain that a person is stationary (such as looking at the interior of a cabin on a ship), but the vestibular system senses head movements (due to motion of the ship), then this is thought to cause a mismatch of messages to the brain and leads to motion sickness. Frequent vomiting can lead to dehydration and low blood pressure , so it is important to seek prompt medical attention if this occurs. Motion sickness is also known as travel sickness, airsickness, carsickness or seasickness.

While most people may experience motion sickness, some factors may make motion sickness more likely to occur, including:

• Women are generally more susceptible than men.
• Children are more susceptible than adults (generally between the ages of two and 12 years).
• Hormonal factors include pregnancy , menstrual cycle factors and oral contraceptives .
• Other balance disorders may be a factor, particularly vestibular disease and migraine .
• A person who has experienced motion sickness in the past may have worse symptoms on future trips by expecting to feel sick.

Symptoms can range from mild to serious, and can include:

• generally feeling unwell and tired
• excessive production of saliva
• nausea, vomiting

If a person is exposed to motion for an extended period (for example, during a long journey at sea) or has repeated exposures, their brain may adapt in time to the constant motion and they may no longer experience motion sickness.

There are different things you can try in order to prevent motion sickness or at least reduce its effects, including:

• During motion, look at an earth-fixed object. For example, if you are on a boat, try and look at the horizon or land masses from the deck, rather than the inside of the cabin. Also, car passengers should sit in the front seat and look through the window, rather than sitting in the rear and looking at objects moving with the interior of the car (such as reading a book).
• Motion sickness does not usually occur when movement is under a person’s control. The driver of a car is less likely to get motion sickness than a passenger. Position yourself where you will experience the least motion, such as over the wings in an aeroplane or in the centre of a ship.
• The larger the vehicle, the less susceptible it is to motion so, if possible, try to travel on a ship rather than a small boat.
• Some people find that closing their eyes is the best way to eliminate sensory confusion.
• Avoid alcohol for 24 hours before travelling and during the trip.
• Make sure you have plenty of fresh air. Fumes or smoke can exacerbate symptoms.
• On brief journeys, try not to eat or drink anything.
• On long journeys, eat and drink sparingly and often.
• Anxiety worsens symptoms. Use relaxation techniques and if your anxiety is marked, you could consider professional counselling.

Medications either calm the nerves of the inner ear or soothe the brain’s vomiting centre. However, nearly all motion sickness pills are most effective if they are taken before you feel sick. Some motion sickness pills may cause drowsiness as a side effect. You may need to experiment with different medication to find which one works best for you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Research suggests that ginger can help to ease the symptoms of motion sickness. You could chew on raw ginger or make a quick tea by adding minced ginger to boiling water.

• Your GP (doctor)
• Psychologist or counsellor
• Motion sickness, The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy External Link , eds R. Berkow, M. Beers, A. Fletcher & R. Bogin. Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA.

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More information, related information.

• Altitude sickness
• Vision or hearing impairment
• Eyes - common problems

From other websites

• External Link Balance disorders – Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital.
• External Link Motion sickness, clinical vestibular diseases and vertigo – Vestibular Disorders Association.

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Motion sickness

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• Motion sickness is also known as travel sickness, car sickness or sea sickness.
• If you have motion sickness, you are likely to have nausea and may vomit and feel clammy.
• You can help prevent motion sickness by looking outside of the vehicle or focusing on the horizon.
• Symptoms usually end once the motion stops.
• You can try travel sickness treatments to help prevent motion sickness.

What is motion sickness?

Motion sickness is feeling unwell when moving on any type of transport. It is also known as ‘travel sickness’, 'car sickness' or 'sea sickness'. It is a normal response to certain types of movement.

There are a few ways to prevent and manage motion sickness.

What are the symptoms of motion sickness?

Nausea is the main symptom of motion sickness. But you might also experience other symptoms, including:

• vomiting or retching
• cold sweating
• lack of appetite
• dry mouth or excess saliva
• increased sensitivity to smell

If you are prone to motion sickness, you may quickly feel sick if you read a book or look at your phone when in a moving vehicle.

You might feel better after vomiting, and symptoms will generally improve once you stop moving. But you can also feel the after-effects of motion sickness for a few hours or a few days before fully recovering.

What causes motion sickness?

Motion sickness is thought to be caused by your senses being confused when what you see is different to the signals felt by your inner ear balance system .

If you are feeling anxious about travel, this can make motion sickness worse.

You can get motion sick when:

• travelling by car, bus, boat, train or aeroplane
• on amusement park rides
• playing virtual reality video games or simulations

Motion sickness is a common problem. It is most frequent in children aged between 2 and 12 years. If other family members get motion sickness, it is more likely that you will too.

If you already have a condition that causes nausea, such as morning sickness or migraines , you may be more likely to experience motion sickness.

How is motion sickness diagnosed?

You don’t need to see a doctor or get any tests for a diagnosis of motion sickness. There is a pattern of feeling unwell during travel or movement, so you will probably know if you have it.

If you often feel dizzy or nauseous at other times too, discuss this with your doctor.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR — Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.

How is motion sickness treated and prevented?

Practical tips.

Here are some tips for preventing motion sickness:

• Look out of the window, and focus on the horizon instead of looking at a book or a screen.
• Try to sit or lie still and rest your head on a pillow or headrest.
• Sit close to the front of a car, bus or train.
• If flying, sit still and close your eyes during take-off and landing.
• Listen to music and breathe mindfully .
• Open the window or air vent for fresh air.
• Eat lightly before and during the trip and avoid alcohol. Sip water instead.

Pressure bands worn on your wrists may help prevent motion sickness in some people.

If you are travelling by sea, after a few days of exposure to the motion you will likely adapt and get used to it.

You can try taking travel sickness medicines to prevent motion sickness. These may include:

• antihistamines
• antiemetics (medications to prevent and treat nausea and vomiting)

There might be side effects, such as drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice on what to take. Getting advice is especially important:

• for children
• if you are taking other medicines
• if you are pregnant

If you are using a travel sickness medicine, you should take it about half an hour before travel. If you have motion sickness and you already feel nauseous, it is probably too late to take a medicine. Eating a few plain crackers or having a clear, fizzy drink may help.

If you or your child regularly suffer from motion sickness, make sure you have a container, plastic bags and wipes handy. Take a break for some fresh air when needed.

Resources and support

Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to prevent and treat motion sickness.

Visit the Australian Government Smart Traveller website for more travel health advice.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content .

Last reviewed: October 2023

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Peer Reviewed

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Motion Sickness

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Article Summary

Traveling with a vestibular illness can feel impossible and problematic. Obstacles like rapid altitude changes, visual disturbances, patterned airport carpets, and passive motion can amplify symptoms. Many people with vestibular dysfunction need accommodations or restrictions to prevent symptoms, attacks, or flare-ups. Having a vestibular disorder should not prevent someone from traveling. Here are some tips you can use to prepare for your next trip.

PLANNING FOR TRAVEL WITH A VESTIBULAR DISORDER

Planning a trip while managing a vestibular condition requires a bit of extra preparation, especially if it is your first trip post diagnosis. Here are a few questions to ask yourself while planning your trip: 

• What types of travel increase my symptoms?
• What can I do to minimize discomfort while traveling?
• Is my destination friendly to my sensitivities?
• What do I need to talk to my doctor about?

Asking yourself these questions and reflecting on the answers can help you prepare for your journey. Other issues you may want to consider include:

• Weather patterns
• Planned activities at your destination
• What to bring to manage your symptoms
• Communicating with your travel companions in advance about your needs

Does my Diagnosis Prevent Me from Certain Types of Travel?

According to the Association for Research in Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, ear problems are the most common medical complaint of air travelers. This is largely because changes in altitude and fluctuating pressure impact the middle ear, which is the pressure regulation portion of the ear. The ear ‘pops’ when one changes elevation in order to change the pressure and volume of air in the space between your eustachian tube and ear drum. For most people, this is temporary and popping your ear allows for air to flow through the eustachian tube, equalizing the pressure in your middle ear so it matches the pressure outside of your body. This change in pressure helps to keep your eardrum intact and maintains equal pressure in your inner ear. For most, this is just a mild irritation, but for those with vestibular disorders, this change in pressure can trigger other symptoms. 

Vestibular disorders with symptoms caused by pressure fluctuations may flare up during rapid ascents and descents or in other elevation changing situations. Volume and pressure are inversely proportional – both gas (air) and fluid (endolymph and perilymph fluids in your inner ear) react to changing altitudes. There is a constant change of pressure in your inner ear as you travel up and down in elevation, whether you’re on land, in the ocean, or in the air. This relationship can be thrown off and cause dizziness or vertigo in those with pressure-related vestibular disorders. Take special care with or avoid unpressurized air travel, underwater diving, and fast elevators. 

Here are a few tips to avoid rapid elevation and pressure changes:

• If staying in a high-rise hotel, ask for a room on the first few floors. 
• Avoid ‘hopper’ planes (smaller planes that typically go short distances).
• Find out ahead of time if your train or car ride will have large mountain passes with major elevation changes. 
• Avoid scuba diving, freediving, and swimming in deep water.
• Chew gum, yawn, sip water frequently, or use another way to pop your ears, especially during descents. 
• Ask your doctor if you can take a decongestant. This can help keep your nasal passages clear, which helps with pressure equalization. 

It’s important to note that those who are post-operative from Semicircular Canal Dehiscence repair surgery should not fly for a specified amount of time. This decision should be made by your surgeon. 

Additionally, those with a perilymph fistula should ask their healthcare team about if it is safe for them to travel, and about the precautions they should take if plane travel is necessary. 

Planning Around the Weather

Barometric pressure changes happen with changes in heat, humidity, storms, and other weather events. Often people with vestibular disorders report they can ‘feel a storm coming,’ as if it’s a sixth sense. While you cannot change or control the weather, you can sometimes choose a travel destination to avoid weather patterns associated with pressure changes, such as tropical storms.

Changes in atmospheric pressure can affect those with Meniere’s Disease, secondary endolymphatic hydrops, and vestibular migraine (1,2). There is not much research stating why or how this may happen. For those with Meniere’s Disease (1), however, one study found that increased pressure was problematic. For those with vestibular migraine low pressure systems were more problematic (2). 

For more information on weather and vestibular disorders, click here .  

Here are some tips to find places with fewer barometric pressure changes. 

• Accuweather has a migraine tracking feature. To find this feature:
• Go to Google.com
• Type in “Accuweather migraine forecast (+ your desired city)”
• Search and then click the top Accuweather result
• Research places that have few weather and barometric pressure changes to vacation when possible.
• Pack your “rescue kit” to help you if a weather event should arise.

Packing for Your Trip

Besides clothes, shoes, and toiletries, pack all the items you use to manage your symptoms on a daily basis, as well as anything you might need in an emergency. Your “rescue kit” may include a water bottle, medications, light-sensitivity glasses, hat with a brim, heating pad, and more (see below). 

Medications

Always keep your medications and supplements with you. Whether they’re for prevention or used to abort or rescue an attack, medications should be by your side at all times. Be sure that you have what you need in your carry-on baggage, not your checked luggage.

It is not recommended to change your medication routine when you travel. If time differences are a factor, ask your doctor what’s best for you when changing time zones. You may need to take the medication or supplement at a new time so that your body keeps on the same schedule, or you may be able to take it at another time.

Food and Water

Always pack a water bottle! It’s important to stay hydrated. Water and/or water containers are not always easily accessible. A small to medium, lightweight water bottle is best.. 

If your vestibular symptoms are triggered by food, bring your own snacks. Packs of safe seeds, crackers, and power bars are often great options to throw in your backpack or purse to make sure you have something on hand in case you need it. This is especially important during the days you’re traveling. Airports and train stations are notoriously unpredictable, and they do not always have safe food options.

Here are some resources that may help you plan your travel diet:

Pantry Staples (and Snacks) for those on a migraine diet

Check out the list of foods from the VeDA dietary considerations list! 

Accessories

Sun/light-sensitivity glasses, anti-nausea bands, ear plugs, a hat, a foldable cane, and other useful items may be on your list. Whether you are on a plane, in a bright environment, or somewhere with an uneven surface, these tools can come in handy to keep your trigger-load low. The key is to think through all the situations you may be in to predict what you may need. 

TRAVELING TO YOUR DESTINATION AND THROUGHOUT YOUR TRIP

Getting there.

If you have the time it is recommended to budget a day on either end of your trip to get acclimated to your new environment. Often people with vestibular disorders are triggered by travel, so your first day should be low-key and restful. This does not mean that you have to just sit in your hotel room for a full day, but if you’re planning on having one day to lay by the pool, go to the spa, or otherwise relax, making it the first day may help you acclimate before adventuring. 

Motion Sensitivity

Vestibular disorders cause altered processing of motion cues. When the signals aren’t firing accurately, this creates motion sickness (car-sickness or sea-sickness). Here are a few tips to help you manage motion sickness and the accompanying nausea:

• If you’re on a car trip, and you can safely drive, ask to be the driver rather than the passenger so your body knows when acceleration and deceleration are going to happen. This will help your body adjust to the motion more easily. 
• If you are the passenger on any form of transportation, make sure you can see outside when choosing your seat. Focus on the horizon because this helps stabilize your vestibular system.
• If possible, get out and walk around frequently to help decrease the length of time you are in passive motion. Take breaks at rest stops or when the train is in the station. You could also schedule a layover when flying. 
• In passenger trains with seating on two levels, sit on the lower level where there is less sway (rocking motion).
• Avoid reading, using your phone/computer, and other activities that require your head to be down throughout your journey. 
• Ask your doctor about a vestibular suppressant or other medication you can use during your journey.
• Pack a rescue kit with items to help nausea if it arises (see below).

Those with Mal de Debarquement Syndrome may feel better during passive motion and worse when the motion stops. This can also occur if a person has developed movement and postural compensation strategies in response to a chronic vestibular disorder. If passive motion helps you to feel better, you may enjoy the ride, but prepare yourself instead for when you get off the transportation.

• Bring a cane if you have trouble balancing after you deboard.
• You may need some time to rest after getting off the boat/train/plane/etc.
• Talk a short walk after you get off of your vehicle and focus on the horizon. 

Visual Vertigo & Visual Sensitivity

Vestibular dysfunction often increases our reliance on the visual system for balance. Because your visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems should work together to help you balance, when one has a dysfunction the other two need to work harder to compensate. For people with a vestibular disorder, this typically results in visual dependence, which can cause visual vertigo and visual motion sensitivity.

Airports, train stations, parking lots, and traffic are incredibly visually stimulating environments. When paired with travel-fatigue, they can be even more irritating to your system. Here are a few tricks you can use to help minimize these symptoms:

• Wear sunglasses or other tinted glasses to decrease irritating lights and patterns.
• Rest your eyes when you can.
• Wear a hat to decrease the amount of light and irritants in your peripheral view.
• Talk to your physical therapist about what you can do to prepare for being in visually stimulating environments.

Nausea & Vomiting 3

Motion sickness and visual vertigo can cause nausea and/or vomiting to occur during your trip. 

• Ginger is your best friend! Ginger can help reduce nausea and comes in many forms, such as chews, candies, and teas.
• Practice deep breathing – inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly will help decrease nausea, especially if you can be outside or roll down a window for fresh air. 
• Peppermint or lavender oil can help reduce your nausea response – apply it on your temples or diffuse it into the air. 
• Peppermint gum, tea, or candies can also reduce nausea.
• Seltzer or sparkling water can settle the stomach.

If motion or visual sickness causes vomiting, it’s important to stay hydrated and try to keep something in your stomach, if possible. 

• Drink fluids slowly, approximately 1-2 oz every 10-15 minutes.
• Eat only well-tolerated foods.
• Bland foods, such as crackers, potatoes, rice, and noodles, can be helpful.
• Avoid milk products for 24-48 hours.
• Avoid fried or greasy foods.
• Bring an emesis bag in case you need it. 
• Talk to your provider about an antiemetic medication if this is a frequent symptom. 

OTHER STRATEGIES 

• If you have a balance problem and are traveling to an unfamiliar place, pack items that will help you manage uncomfortable light and sound disturbances. These might include sunglasses, a hat with a visor, a flashlight, and ear plugs.
• Standing in long lines and walking through airport terminals or train stations can be tiring for a person with a balance disorder because these large, open, echo-filled spaces are disorienting. In this circumstance, you might find it helpful to use a cane or hold onto the extended handle of a suitcase.
• Some automobiles have curved windshields that have distortion at the lower corners. This is merely annoying for most persons, but it is often disorienting for those with visual sensitivities. If your travel plans include renting a car, prior to signing the rental agreement ask to sit in the front seat of the proposed vehicle so you can test the comfort of the windshield’s optics.
• Try to arrive in the evening so you can walk around to calm your system down a little bit, then head right to bed to reset for the morning. 

Although traveling, and planning to travel, with a vestibular disorder may feel daunting at first, adequate preparation and planning can help ease your nerves so you feel more prepared, resulting in a more enjoyable experience.

By the Vestibular Disorders Association with edits by Madison Oak, PT, DPT

NO MORE GLARE

Many vestibular patients are sensitive to bright lights. The sun’s warm rays cause anguish. Fluorescent lights at work make it hard to focus. The glare from your computer screen is more than just annoying.

The good news is that you don’t have to suffer. Avulux’s specially formulated lenses block the “bad” light while letting in the “good” light, which reduces your vestibular symptoms.

Shop for light-sensitivity glasses on Avulux’s website and a portion of the proceeds support vestibular education, awareness, and advocacy (use code VEDA) .

Gürkov, Robert, et al. “Atmospheric Pressure and Onset of Episodes of Menière’s Disease-A Repeated Measures Study.” PloS one 11.4 (2016): e0152714.

 von Mackensen, Sylvia, et al. “Prevalence of weather sensitivity in Germany and Canada.” International journal of biometeorology 49.3 (2005): 156-166.

Beatty, D., & Galvin , T. (2021, May 3). Managing nausea, vomiting & poor appetite . Managing Nausea, Vomiting, & Poor Appetite . Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://vestibular.org/article/coping-support/living-with-a-vestibular-disorder/managing-nausea/.

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Related Articles

Motion sickness is the most common medical problem associated with travel. Dizziness, vertigo, and motion sickness all relate to the sense of balance and equilibrium. You might also suffer from dizziness, vertigo and/or nausea due to an inner ear dysfunction. Suppose you suffer inner ear damage on only one side from a head injury or an infection. The damaged inner ear does not send the same signals as the healthy ear. This gives conflicting signals to the brain about the sensation of rotation, and you could suffer a sense of spinning or vertigo, as well as nausea.

A person with vestibular dysfunction is easily fatigued when sorting out vision and balance signals in expansive areas, even those that are quiet and calm. This effort becomes daunting in noisy and busy environments such as in large “box” stores, at crowded sporting events, in theaters, or even while navigating city sidewalks with other pedestrians. Such conditions make it difficult for a person to rely on visual clues about balance and movement because everything is moving, lighting isn’t ideal, and stable anchors such as walls are far away. A few simple can help you be more prepared when you cannot avoid crowded spaces.

Do you avoid dining out because public restaurants trigger your vestibular symptoms? Eating out is supposed to be fun, but no one is laughing when you have to leave early because you’ve become dizzy, nauseated, and can’t think straight. With a few simple tips, you’ll be able to have date night again. Read on!

Stay up-to-date with the latest vestibular news.

Five ways to avoid travel sickness, according to a pharmacist

F rom long road trips to the work commute, travel sickness can be a problem, especially at Easter as families climb into cars for long drives and days out. With one in three people likely to experience motion sickness, knowing how to reduce its effects is vital to enjoying your travels.

Sam Sheehan, the motoring editor at cinch , said: “Travel sickness isn’t fun. It can severely affect your enjoyment, not only of your journey but also the destination once you’re there, as it can carry lasting effects. From dizziness to nausea, no one wants to feel travel sick.”

Not being in full control of your car – even due to sickness – can have dangerous and expensive repercussions. You could face up to £1,000 in fines if you’re found not to be in control while behind the wheel.

If you’re feeling sick behind the wheel on a motorway, you could face up to £2,500 in fines as it is illegal to pull over onto the hard shoulder unless asked to do so by law enforcement or due to a breakdown.

Instead, if you’re feeling sick behind the wheel, leave at the next exit and find somewhere safe to park until you recover.

You might need to ask a friend or loved one to drive your car for you if you’re too sick to drive, but make sure you have a fully comprehensive cover if someone else takes the wheel, or your insurance could become invalid in the event of a crash. This could result in a fine of up to £300 and six points on your licence.

Sheehan said: “Not only is travel sickness physically uncomfortable, but it can also be costly. From dangerous driving to letting the wrong person drive your car, there’s a lot you need to account for if you’re unable to be behind the wheel safely.”

Top tips for travel sickness

Ditch the drive-thru

If you’re planning a long drive, starting it with a drive-thru meal might sound great, but it can cause you problems in the long run. Sitting in a car with a full stomach – especially with something that might not always agree with you – could be a recipe for disaster.

Abbas Kanani, Superintendent Pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, offers advice on what to avoid if you suffer from travel sickness: “Eating a heavy meal before travelling can lead to increased gastric activity and digestion.

“This heightened activity can make your stomach more sensitive and prone to experiencing nausea or discomfort during travel. The combination of stomach movement from digestion and the motion of the vehicle can intensify feelings of sickness.

“Also, when your stomach is still processing a large meal while you're in motion, it can contribute to a sense of fullness, bloating and discomfort. Instead, opt for light, easily digestible meals or snacks.”

Natural remedies

If you can’t resist your favourite road-trip food or simply feel a bit queasy before setting off, some natural remedies can help calm your stomach.

Abbas says: “Ginger can be effective as a natural remedy for nausea and travel sickness. Scientific research has found that ginger and its compounds may increase digestive responsiveness and speed up stomach emptying, which may reduce nausea.

“It seems to aid digestion and saliva flow, and its anti-inflammatory properties also support the release of blood-pressure-regulating hormones to calm your body and reduce nausea. You can consume ginger in various forms, such as ginger tea, ginger candies, or even ginger capsules.”

If you don’t like the taste of ginger, capsules can be a great way to get the same benefit without the taste. Ginger candies, however, can be great for someone who wants a sweet treat to help them through the journey. Not only does sucking on a candy help distract you, but the sugar in it can help give you a little boost of energy.

Abbas continues: “Peppermint contains compounds like menthol, which has a calming effect on the stomach muscles and can help reduce feelings of nausea and vomiting associated with travel sickness. You can try drinking peppermint tea or sucking on peppermint sweets to help relieve travel sickness symptoms.”

Travel sickness medication

For more extreme cases or if nothing else is working, medication might be your best option. These can help either before you travel – if you regularly get travel sickness – or during the journey if you’re already starting to feel nauseous.

Abbas says, “Hyoscine hydrobromide, also known as Kwells or Joy-Rides, is most commonly recommended. It works by affecting the inner ear and the brain to control vomiting. It also relaxes the muscles in the walls of the stomach. It comes as patches that you stick to your skin and tablets that you suck, chew or swallow.”

Avoid your devices

If you’re a passenger on a long trip, it's understandable to want some entertainment. However, whether you’re picking up a book or scrolling through social media, looking down can enhance the feeling of travel sickness.

Abbas says: “Avoid reading or looking at screens, as these activities can worsen the symptoms. When you're in a moving vehicle, focusing your gaze on a distant point can help alleviate motion sickness symptoms.

“By focusing on a distant point, such as a horizon or a stable object in the distance, you provide your visual system with a stable reference point. This helps to synchronise the information received by your eyes and your vestibular system, reducing the sensory conflict.

“This helps your brain better understand the motion and reduces the likelihood of experiencing travel sickness symptoms.”

Treating travel sickness when you’re not prepared

Sometimes, you’re just not prepared for travel sickness. Whether you don’t usually get it or you’re with someone who hasn’t prepared for it, being stuck with motion sickness isn’t fun on a car journey. There are, however, ways of alleviating your symptoms, even at short notice.

Abbas says: “Deep breathing activates the body's relaxation response, triggering the parasympathetic nervous system. This response helps counteract the effects of stress and anxiety, which can worsen travel sickness symptoms.

“Deep breathing can help mitigate nausea, dizziness, and discomfort by inducing a state of calmness. Deep breathing involves taking slow, deliberate breaths that fully expand the lungs. This deep inhalation allows for a greater intake of oxygen, which can positively impact overall well-being.

“Sufficient oxygenation can help regulate various bodily functions, reducing the likelihood of experiencing travel sickness symptoms.”

Whether you’re on a long journey during the Easter holidays or heading off on a weekend staycation, you don’t want travel sickness ruining your experience. Knowing quick, effective ways of treating it can help you and your passengers enjoy the journey, not just the destination.

Cinnarizine - Brand name: Stugeron

Find out how cinnarizine treats travel sickness, vertigo, tinnitus and Ménière's disease, and how to take it.

• About cinnarizine
• Who can and cannot take it
• How and when to take it
• Side effects
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility
• Taking it with other medicines and herbal supplements
• Common questions

Related conditions

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Report Points to Microwave ‘Attack’ as Likely Source of Mystery Illnesses That Hit Diplomats and Spies

A government-commissioned report provides the most definitive explanation yet for “Havana syndrome,” which struck scores of American employees, first in Cuba and then in China, Russia and other countries.

By Ana Swanson and Edward Wong

WASHINGTON — The most probable cause of a series of mysterious afflictions that sickened American spies and diplomats abroad in the past several years was radiofrequency energy, a type of radiation that includes microwaves, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has concluded in a report.

The conclusion by a committee of 19 experts in medicine and other fields cited “directed, pulsed radiofrequency energy” as “the most plausible mechanism” to explain the illness, which came to be known as Havana syndrome , though they said that they could not rule out other possible causes and that secondary factors may have contributed to symptoms, according to a copy of the report obtained by The New York Times.

The report, which was commissioned by the State Department, provides the most definitive explanation yet of the illness that struck scores of government employees, first at the U.S. Embassy in Havana in 2016, and then in China and other countries. Many of the officers suffered from dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and loss of hearing, memory and balance, and some were forced into permanent retirement.

C.I.A. officers visiting overseas stations also experienced similar symptoms , The Times and GQ magazine reported in October . The officers were traveling to discuss countering Russia covert operations with foreign intelligence agencies, a fact that adds to suspicions that Moscow is behind the episodes.

Though couched in careful, scientific language, the new report reveals strong evidence that the incidents were the result of a malicious attack. It attributes the illnesses to “directed” and “pulsed” — rather than “continuous” — energy, implying that the victims’ exposure was targeted and not the result of more common sources of microwave energy, such as, for example, a cellphone.

It also said the committee found the immediate symptoms that patients reported — including strange sensations of pain, pressure and sound that often appeared to emanate from a particular direction, or occurred in a specific spot in a room — were more consistent with a directed “attack” of radiofrequency energy.

The committee considered other causes, like chemical exposures and infectious diseases, but said they appeared unlikely.

The report said that the variability of the incidents, which appeared to affect people in different ways, left open the possible influence of “psychological and social factors.” And it said that some of the victims may be experiencing a condition called “persistent postural-perceptual dizziness,” a nervous system disorder that produces a prolonged feeling of vertigo or unsteadiness.

The episodes have been the subject of much speculation and controversy. Many of the victims, as well as some government officials and outside scientists, have long argued that radiofrequency energy was the most likely cause, potentially the result of a weapon wielded by a foreign power.

But since 2018, the U.S. government has declined to speculate publicly on the cases, and some scientists have promoted alternate theories, like a kind of psychological illness that spread in the stressful environment of foreign missions.

Amid the controversy and confusion, some of the afflicted officers have complained that the United States has failed to support them. In several cases, the government initially refused to grant leave and provide the necessary medical care, the officers said. And with the government silent on the possibility of a foreign attack, many of the victims were left feeling that the public believed they had made it all up.

Several of the victims have accused Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other Trump administration officials of downplaying the issue in an attempt to avoid disrupting international ties. They now ask how President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his nominee for secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken , will respond, especially given the new scientific findings.

After lawmakers pressured the State Department for months to release the report, the agency gave it to some congressional officials and others on Thursday and Friday, asking them not to share it. The Times and NBC News separately obtained the report on Friday, and NBC earlier reported the findings . The National Academies publicly released the report Saturday evening .

“We are pleased this report is now out and can add to the data and analyses that may help us come to an eventual conclusion as to what transpired,” the State Department said in a statement on Saturday.

The department also said that “each possible cause remains speculative” and that various factors, including the committee’s lack of access to some information because of potential security concerns, “limit the scope of the report,” though “they do not lessen its value.”

For the Trump administration, acknowledging that the incidents were the result of a foreign attack could have necessitated evacuating American missions in China, disrupting an important economic relationship. The administration did take a harder approach in Cuba, which aligned with its larger goal of reversing President Barack Obama’s diplomatic opening with Havana.

The question of Moscow’s possible culpability is a thorny one, given the sensitivities around President Trump on any matters involving Russia or President Vladimir V. Putin. Moscow has denied any role, and Gina Haspel, the C.I.A. director, has not concluded the Kremlin was responsible. But some C.I.A. analysts who are Russia experts, diplomats and scientists contend that evidence points to Moscow, which has a long history of experimenting with the technology.

The report does not point to a perpetrator, though it mentions “significant research in Russia/U.S.S.R.” on pulsed radiofrequency technology, as well as the exposure of military personnel in Eurasian communist countries to microwave radiation. The Soviet Union bombarded the American Embassy in Moscow with microwaves in the 1970s and ’80s. In a 2014 document , the National Security Agency discussed a microwave weapon used by a hostile country, which people familiar with the document said was Russia.

Mark Lenzi, a diplomatic security officer who was afflicted with the symptoms while working in Guangzhou, China, in early 2018, said that the administration’s treatment of its employees, including its efforts to “deny and cover up inconvenient scientific and medical facts,” had left him angrier at his own government than the government that injured him.

“My government looked the other way when they knew I and my family were injured,” he said. “This report is just the beginning and when the American people know the full extent of this administration’s cover-up of the radiofrequency attacks in China in particular they will be outraged.”

Mr. Lenzi has sued the State Department for disability discrimination. The Office of Special Counsel has been pursuing two investigations into the State Department’s conduct.

Some family members of the affected U.S. government employees also fell ill overseas, including Mr. Lenzi’s wife. And at least 14 Canadian citizens in Havana said they had experienced similar symptoms.

The report by the National Academies also contains a stark warning about the possibility of future episodes, and the U.S. government’s ability to detect them, or to mount a response. The fact that American government employees reported afflictions not only in Cuba and China but also in Russia and other countries raises questions about how widespread the incidents may be.

The committee was not in a position to assess “specific scenarios involving malevolent actors,” Dr. David Relman, a Stanford University professor who led the committee, wrote in a preface to the report. Yet, he said, “the mere consideration of such a scenario raises grave concerns about a world with disinhibited malevolent actors and new tools for causing harm to others.”

The report recommends that the State Department act now to establish plans and protocols so it can immediately begin an investigation if similar incidents occur.

“The larger issue is preparedness for new and unknown threats that might compromise the health and safety of U.S. diplomats serving abroad,” the report concludes. “The next event may be even more dispersed in time and place, and even more difficult to recognize quickly.”

The panel said its findings were hampered by the government’s slow and uneven response to the incidents, in which patients were evaluated by various methods and clinicians at different points in their illness. Because the information made available on patients from China was “too sparse and fragmentary to be able to draw any substantive conclusions about these cases,” the report focuses on events surrounding the U.S. Embassy in Havana.

In August, the scientists sent the report to the State Department, where agency officials put it under review. Lawmakers pressed the department to publicly disclose the findings, saying its failure to release the information fit with a pattern of secrecy and inaction by the Trump administration. In interviews in October, Dr. Relman criticized the department for not acting faster to release the report.

Some victims said at the time that the Trump administration was trying to avoid addressing its shortfalls toward the safety of U.S. government employees overseas, especially ahead of the November elections. Asked in late October by a reporter about the illnesses, Mr. Pompeo did not mention the report and said only that the government was unable to determine the cause .

Several lawmakers have forcefully pressed the State Department to be more accountable and provide proper health and work compensation benefits to all of the victims and affected family members. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, has inserted a provision on long-term benefits into the latest defense budget bill that Congress is expected to pass this month, though Mr. Trump has threatened to veto the measure for reasons unrelated to the provision.

“Their illnesses and suffering are real and demand a response from Congress,” Ms. Shaheen said. “While I’m encouraged by the progress we’re seeing, much more must be done to uncover the source of these incidents and ensure that no other public servant suffers in this way.”

Julian E. Barnes contributed reporting.

Ana Swanson is based in the Washington bureau and covers trade and international economics for The New York Times. She previously worked at The Washington Post, where she wrote about trade, the Federal Reserve and the economy. More about Ana Swanson

Edward Wong is a diplomatic and international correspondent who has reported for The Times for more than 20 years, 13 from Iraq and China. He received a Livingston Award and was on a team of Pulitzer Prize finalists for Iraq War coverage. He has been a Nieman Fellow at Harvard and a Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton. More about Edward Wong

Explainer: What’s Behind the Mysterious Illness of U.S. Diplomats and Spies?

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What’s Behind the Mysterious Illness of U.S. Diplomats and Spies?

Whatever’s causing it, all signs point to moscow..

• Robbie Gramer
• Amy Mackinnon

Beginning in 2016, U.S. diplomats and CIA officials posted abroad, including in Cuba and China, began falling ill with debilitating headaches, vertigo, memory loss, dizziness, and other troubling symptoms. The U.S. government vowed to get to the bottom of the matter, tasking top investigators and scientists to unearth what exactly was going on. 

Now, nearly four years later, they still don’t have answers. But new developments in the mysterious cases have once again brought the issue to light—including new reports in the New York Times and GQ magazine . U.S. officials suspect that whatever is going on, it could be part of a coordinated attack from a U.S. adversary. 

It’s not clear yet what could have caused these symptoms. Theories range from microwave energy weapons to poisoning to mass hysteria. But one thing’s for sure: U.S. officials overseas have suffered debilitating symptoms, and some feel they’re not getting the help they need from the U.S. government. 

Here’s what we know so far. 

Do we know what’s causing this?

In a word, no. But officials and scientists are narrowing in on a few theories, including the use of microwave weapons. In 2018, a team of doctors published a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found the diplomats affected in Cuba had sustained brain injuries similar to those caused by concussion, but had no recent history of head trauma. 

The study’s lead author, Douglas H. Smith, the director of the Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair at the Perelman School of Medicine, told the New York Times later that year that while there was skepticism at first, there was increasing suspicion that the diplomats’ brains had been affected by microwaves. 

The U.S. military has developed its own prototypes of directed energy weapons that can deliver nonlethal charges. But the U.S. military’s system is as big as a truck  and takes hours to power up—a bit too conspicuous outside a diplomat’s apartment in Havana. 

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union bombarded the U.S. Embassy in Moscow with microwaves for decades, what came to be known as the Moscow signal. They weren’t mind-control devices but a way to activate listening bugs implanted in the walls of the embassy. 

“The Soviets, in the bad old days like the 1970s, were using a lot of high-energy devices to actually do technical collection operations. But it turned out that if you cranked them up too high, it would also have negative health impacts. My assumption was always that that’s probably some version of that is what’s going on in China, and Russia, and Cuba,” said Steven Hall, a former CIA station chief in Moscow, who retired from the agency in 2015. 

There are other theories: toxins, or even mass hysteria. Canadian diplomats based in Cuba also sustained mysterious brain injuries around the same time as their U.S. counterparts. A study commissioned by the Canadian government pointed to side effects of chemicals used in fumigation against mosquitoes, noting that the diplomats’ brain damage occurred in an area that is susceptible to neurotoxins. Others suspect a mass psychogenic illness, where people from a tight-knit group convince themselves that they have developed similar symptoms, what one professor described to Vanity Fair as a kind of “ placebo effect in reverse .” But the authors of the 2018 report noted that some of the symptoms experienced by the diplomats could not have been feigned, and that cases of mass psychogenic illness tend to pass quickly. 

The best hope of an answer may lie with a study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences. Commissioned by the State Department last spring, the academy convened neurologists, experts in electrical engineering, toxicologists, and epidemiologists. 

The committee submitted its report to the State Department in early August, but it has not yet been released to lawmakers or the public. “It’s been extremely frustrating to me and my colleagues, in some ways disheartening, and certainly surprising,” said David Relman, the Stanford University medical professor who chaired the committee. 

Relman couldn’t share the report’s findings, but he said that the committee reviewed four possible explanations for the health effects and found one of them to be the most plausible. “But that’s not to say that necessarily that one mechanism explains everything,” he said. “Because, again, this was really complicated clinically. Lots of people, lots of places, spread out over time.”

When did this begin?

The mysterious illness first garnered public attention in 2017 when a cluster of U.S. officials stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba reported that they had been experiencing hearing loss, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, cognitive issues, and difficulty sleeping. The next year, U.S. diplomats based in China developed symptoms that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told lawmakers were “very similar and entirely consistent with the medical indications that have taken place to Americans working in Cuba.” 

But there is at least one other case that significantly predates the Cuba and China clusters. In 2013, an employee of the National Security Agency named Mike Beck filed a workers’ compensation claim with the Department of Labor claiming that exposure to microwaves while on a trip to a hostile country in 1996 may have caused him to develop Parkinson’s disease at the unusually young age of 46. The agency released a summary of a classified intelligence assessment that found that a country Beck went to was believed to have had a “high-powered microwave system weapon that may have the ability to weaken, intimidate, or kill an enemy over time and without leaving evidence.” The New York Times reported that people familiar with the assessment said that the country in question was Russia. (The Department of Labor rejected Beck’s claim.)

How has the government responded?

Retaliating against Cuba presented no difficulty, as the Trump administration was already looking to undo former President Barack Obama’s thaw with the island nation. Fifteen Cuban diplomats were expelled from Washington, and the State Department issued a travel warning for American citizens. (The Cuban government has repeatedly denied it had any involvement in the supposed attacks.) In China, the response was far more muted, as Trump was trying to secure a trade deal with Beijing. “They have hung us out to dry,” Mark Lenzi, one of the diplomats affected, told the New York Times . 

Pompeo called the suggestion that political considerations had shaped the administration’s response “patently false” in a press conference Wednesday.

It’s not just China. Marc Polymeropoulos, the CIA’s former deputy chief of operations for Europe and Eurasia, who suffered all the same symptoms after a stay in Moscow in 2017, told GQ about his experience after the agency refused to transfer him for treatment to the Walter Reed military hospital. 

“The U.S. government handled this very poorly,” he told Foreign Policy. “This is like the [National Football League] 15 years ago with [traumatic brain injury], putting their heads in the sand.” 

Who is behind this? 

Suspicion has fallen on the Kremlin, given Russia’s history of using microwave weapons against U.S. officials and its interest in keeping U.S. relations with China and Cuba on ice. Moscow has proved willing to pursue its enemies in the West and is reported to have offered Taliban militants bounties to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. Russia’s foreign ministry denies any connection to the incident in Cuba. 

Yet there are indications. According to GQ , a CIA investigation using cellphone location data found that individuals believed to work for the Russian security services were in the area at the time that U.S. officials in these countries first began experiencing symptoms. But according to the New York Times , senior U.S. officials want to see more evidence before pointing a finger at Moscow.

Amy Mackinnon is a national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy . Twitter:  @ak_mack

Robbie Gramer is a diplomacy and national security reporter at Foreign Policy . Twitter:  @RobbieGramer

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Russian nexus revealed during 60 Minutes Havana Syndrome investigation into potential attacks on U.S. officials

By Scott Pelley , Aliza Chasan , Oriana Zill de Granados, Michael Rey, Emily Gordon, Kit Ramgopal, Jamie Woods

Updated on: March 31, 2024 / 8:24 PM EDT / CBS News

This report is the result of a joint investigation by 60 Minutes, The Insider, and Der Spiegel

A lead U.S. military investigator examining reports of what has become known as Havana Syndrome told 60 Minutes he believes U.S. officials are being attacked by Russia and that the official threshold to prove it was set impossibly high.

Greg Edgreen, a now-retired Army lieutenant colonel who ran the Pentagon investigation into what officials refer to as "anomalous health incidents," said the bar for proof was set so high because the country doesn't want to face some very hard truths, like the existence of possible failures to protect Americans.

"Unfortunately I can't get into specifics, based on the classification," Edgreen said. "But I can tell you at a very early stage, I started to focus on Moscow."

• Statements of White House, FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence to 60 Minutes

A 2023 government report deemed it " very unlikely " that a foreign adversary was behind the mysterious brain injuries suffered by U.S. national security officials, yet more than 100 Americans have symptoms scientists say could be caused by a beam of microwaves or acoustic ultrasound. Victims are frustrated that the government publicly doubts an adversary is targeting Americans. The ongoing, five-year 60 Minutes investigation has now uncovered new evidence pointing toward Russia.

Are we being attacked?

White House staff, CIA officers , FBI agents, and military officers and their families are among those who believe they were wounded by a secret weapon firing a high-energy beam of microwaves or ultrasound. 

Edgreen said the officers targeted were top performers. 

"And consistently there was a Russia nexus," he said. "There was some angle where they had worked against Russia, focused on Russia, and done extremely well."

Last year, President Biden attended the NATO summit in Lithuania after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Multiple sources told 60 Minutes that a high-level Department of Defense official was struck during the summit. Edgreen shared what the reported incident meant to him.

"It tells me that there are no barriers on what Moscow will do, on who they will attack, and that if we don't face this head on, the problem is going to get worse," Edgreen said.

60 Minutes has agreed to withhold the last name of "Carrie," a Havana Syndrome victim who is still an FBI agent working in counterintelligence. Her case also points to Russia. 

• Havana Syndrome in Vietnam: Possible Russian role in attack on Americans, according to new evidence

She said she was home in Florida in 2021 when she was hit by a crippling force.

"And bam, inside my right ear, it was like a dentist drilling on steroids. That feeling when it gets too close to your eardrum? It's like that, times 10," she said.

At the same time, she said, the battery in her phone began to swell until it broke the case. Finally, she passed out on a couch. Because of chest pain, she was checked by a cardiologist, and then returned to duty. For months, she complained to her colleagues of memory issues and problems multitasking.

"My baseline changed," she said. "I was not the same person."

She spoke with the FBI's permission but wasn't allowed to talk about the investigations she was working on when she was hit. 60 Minutes learned from other sources, one of them involved Russian Vitalii Kovalev, who was caught speeding in a Ford Mustang near Key West, Florida in 2020. After a high-speed car chase, a search of the car found notes related to bank accounts along with a device capable of erasing the car's computerized data, including its GPS records. There was also a Russian passport found.

The investigation into Kovalev

What 60 Minutes has learned along with investigative partner Christo Grozev, a journalist for The Insider, an investigative magazine by Russian exiles, suggests that Kovalev was a Russian spy.

Kovalev studied in a military institute, learning about radio electronics, said Grozev, who's renowned for his experience unmasking Russian plots. After two years working in a military institute, Kovalev suddenly became a chef in New York and Washington.

"It is not an easy job to just leave that behind. Once you're in the military, and you've been trained, and the Ministry of Defense has invested in you, you remain at their beck and call for the rest of your life," Grozev said. 

• The 5-year investigation into Havana Syndrome

It's not clear what Kovalev might have been up to, but sources told 60 Minutes that, over months, he spent 80 hours being interviewed by "Carrie," who sources said had investigated several Russian spies for the FBI.

Kovalev received 30 months in jail and, after serving his time, went back to Russia in 2022, ignoring American warnings he was in danger because he'd spent so much time with the FBI. Grozev uncovered a death certificate from last year, which says Kovalev was killed at the front in Ukraine. 

"One theory is that he was sent there in order for him to be disposed of," Grozev said.

Mark Zaid, "Carrie's" attorney who holds a security clearance, has more than two dozen clients suffering symptoms of Havana Syndrome. He said victims include members of the CIA, State Department and FBI.

" The one thread that I know of with the FBI personnel that is common among most, if not all, of my clients other than the family members connected to the employee, was they were all doing something relating to Russia," Zaid said.

Russian intelligence unit 29155

If it is Russia, Grozev believes Russian intelligence unit 29155 is involved. Grozev has a long track record of uncovering Russian documents and reveals he found one that may link the 29155 unit to a directed energy weapon.

It's a piece of accounting. A 29155 officer received a bonus for work on "potential capabilities of non-lethal acoustic weapons..."

"It's the closest to a receipt you can have for this," Grozev said.

There's also evidence 29155 may have been present in Tbilisi, Georgia when Americans reported incidents there. Grozev believes members of 29155 were there to facilitate, supervise, or possibly personally implement attacks on American officials using an acoustic weapon.

Sources have told 60 Minutes that an investigation centered on Russian Albert Averyanov, whose name appears on travel manifests and phone records alongside known members of 29155. He's also the son of the unit's commander. 

Incidents began in Tbilisi the day after a phone call, which was intercepted. Sources said a man on the call asked in Russian: "Is it supposed to have blinking green lights?" and "should I leave it on all night?"

The next day, a U.S. official, their spouse, and their child were hit. That same week, the wife of a Justice Department official, who asked "60 Minutes" to withhold her name over safety concerns, was blindsided by a sound in her laundry room in Tbilisi on Oct. 7, 2021.

"And it just pierced my ears, came in my left side, felt like it came through the window, into my left ear," she said. 

She had a piercing headache and projectile vomited. 

Afterward, she looked at the security camera and spotted a vehicle outside she didn't recognize. There was also a man nearby. 60 Minutes sent a photo of Averyanov to the woman, who said it "absolutely" looks like the man she spotted outside. 

"And when I received this photo, I had a visceral reaction," she said. "It made me feel sick. I cannot absolutely say for certainty that it is this man, but I can tell you that even to this day, looking at him makes me feel that same visceral reaction. And I can absolutely say that this looks like the man that I saw in the street."

Grozev found Averyanov's phone was turned off during the Tbilisi incidents, and sources say there's evidence someone in Tbilisi logged into Averyanov's personal email during this time. Grozev believes this was most likely Averyanov himself—placing him in the city.

Has there been a cover-up?

Despite incidents like the ones in Tbilisi, the official U.S. intelligence assessment released last year found that it was "very unlikely" a foreign adversary is responsible. The report did acknowledge that some intelligence agencies have only "low" or "moderate" confidence in that conclusion. 

This month, the National Institutes of Health reported results of brain scans on patients with symptoms. NIH said there's no evidence of physical damage. The medical science of so-called anomalous health incidents remains vigorously debated. For its part, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence says the injuries suffered by victims are probably the result of "preexisting conditions, conventional illnesses and environmental factors."

But Zaid, who's representing more than two dozen anomalous health incident clients, said he doesn't believe the entire story is in the U.S. intelligence assessment. Zaid said he knows of classified information that undermines or contradicts what's been said publicly. 

"There is, in my view, without a doubt, evidence of a cover up. Now, some of that cover up is not necessarily that, 'oh, we found a weapon,'" Zaid said. "What I've seen more so is, 'we see lines of inquiry that would take us potentially to answers we don't want to have to deal with, so we're not going to explore any of those avenues.'"

As with all spy stories, much is classified and what remains is circumstantial. None of the witnesses 60 Minutes spoke with wanted to come forward, but they all felt compelled to shine a light on what they see as a war of shadows — a war America may not be winning.

"If this is what we've seen with the hundreds of cases of anomalous health incidents, I can assure that this has become probably Putin's biggest victory," Grozev said. "In his own mind this has been Russia's biggest victory against the West."

Statements from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the White House, and the FBI

In response to inquiries from 60 Minutes, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence referred to the Intelligence Community's Annual Threat Assessment commentary on anomalous health incidents. The assessment was released earlier this month and states:

"We continue to closely examine anomalous health incidents (AHIs), particularly in areas we have identified as requiring additional research and analysis. Most IC agencies have concluded that it is very unlikely a foreign adversary is responsible for the reported AHIs. IC agencies have varying confidence levels because we still have gaps given the challenges collecting on foreign adversaries—as we do on many issues involving them. As part of its review, the IC identified critical assumptions surrounding the initial AHIs reported in Cuba from 2016 to 2018, which framed the IC's understanding of this phenomenon, but were not borne out by subsequent medical and technical analysis. In light of this and the evidence that points away from a foreign adversary, causal mechanism, or unique syndromes linked to AHIs, IC agencies assess those symptoms reported by U.S. personnel probably were the result of factors that did not involve a foreign adversary. These findings do not call into question the very real experiences and symptoms that our colleagues and their family members have reported. We continue to prioritize our work on such incidents, allocating resources and expertise across the government, pursuing multiple lines of inquiry and seeking information to fill the gaps we have identified."

In response to questions from 60 Minutes, a White House spokesperson responded:

 "At the start of the Biden-Harris Administration and again following the 2023 Intelligence Community assessment, the White House has directed departments and agencies across the federal government to prioritize investigations into the cause of AHIs and to examine reports thoroughly; to ensure that U.S. Government personnel and their families who report AHIs receive the support and timely access to medical care that they need; and to take reports of AHIs seriously and treat personnel with respect and compassion. The Biden-Harris administration continues to emphasize the importance of prioritizing efforts to comprehensively examine the effects and potential causes of AHIs."

In response to questions from 60 Minutes, an FBI spokesperson responded:

"The issue of Anomalous Health Incidents is a top priority for the FBI, as the protection, health and well-being of our employees and colleagues across the federal government is paramount.  We will continue to work alongside our partners in the intelligence community as part of the interagency effort to determine how we can best protect our personnel.  The FBI takes all U.S. government personnel who report symptoms seriously.  In keeping with this practice, the FBI has messaged its workforce on how to respond if they experience an AHI, how to report an incident, and where they can receive medical evaluations for symptoms or persistent effects."

• Havana Syndrome

Scott Pelley, one of the most experienced and awarded journalists today, has been reporting stories for 60 Minutes since 2004. The 2023-24 season is his 20th on the broadcast. Scott has won half of all major awards earned by 60 Minutes during his tenure at the venerable CBS newsmagazine.

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Two dozen United Airlines passengers fell ill on flight, had been on cruise

Around two dozen passengers fell ill on a United Airlines flight from Vancouver, Canada to Houston, Texas on Friday.

Approximately 25 people traveling in a group of 75 had nausea, according to Capt. Sedrick Robinett of the Houston Fire Department. HFD evaluated three passengers upon the plane’s arrival at George Bush Intercontinental Airport but none were transported to the hospital, he said.

“Several passengers who had been on the same cruise and did not feel well were on United Flight 1528 from Vancouver to Houston Friday night,” United told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. The airline did not answer a question about what cruise line or ship the flyers had been traveling on before their flight.

“United Airlines is actively coordinating with health authorities to address the situation,” the airline’s statement continued. “As a precautionary measure, the aircraft will be removed from service and go through a deep cleaning before returning to service. Ensuring the health and safety of our passengers and crew remains our top priority.”

Is there a doctor on board?: Usually, yes. Here's why.

The Houston Health Department referred a request for comment to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Public health officers from CDC’s Houston Port Health Station worked with EMS to evaluate ill passengers on board," a CDC spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "Most of the ill passengers reported mild GI symptoms. No passengers were noted to have a fever during the flight or upon public health assessment at landing. No passengers met CDC criteria for further public health follow-up. Passengers from the flight continued with their travel plans."

The news comes after dozens of passengers on a Condor flight from Mauritius to Frankfurt, Germany mysteriously became sick with nausea and vomiting last month.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].