If you get motion sickness, you’re probably familiar with that nauseous, upset feeling that starts to set in just a few miles into your trip. The dizziness can turn any car ride into a miserable experience. You might think motion sickness is just something you have to live with, but our team at Vision Care Center wants you to know that there are options available.
The discomfort you feel from motion sickness can be from a sensory mismatch, where your brain receives conflicting information from your eyes and your inner ear. Sometimes, an underlying issue with how your eyes work together can also contribute to these symptoms and make them more frequent.
What Is Motion Sickness and Why Do You Get It?
A Mismatch in Your Senses
Your brain is constantly working to understand where you are, whether you’re in your car, at your desk, or going for a walk. To do this, it relies on signals from your body. So when you’re in a moving car, information is coming from all different parts of your body to your brain:
- Your eyes see the inside of the car, which looks still.
- Your inner ear, which controls balance, senses that the car is moving.
This means your brain is getting mixed signals, leading to that sick feeling.
Common Symptoms to Notice
Motion sickness isn’t just about feeling nauseous. You might also notice other symptoms during or after a car ride, like dizziness or headaches, nausea or an upset stomach, and fatigue or trouble with focus.
Your Eyes and Dizziness
What Is Binocular Vision Dysfunction?
Sometimes, motion sickness symptoms are made worse by a condition called binocular vision dysfunction (BVD). This happens when your eyes are not perfectly aligned and struggle to send 1 clear, focused image to your brain. Your brain has to work much harder to fuse the 2 separate images together.
Signs Your Eyes Do Not Work as a Team
When your eyes have trouble working together, you might experience more than just dizziness. Other issues can seem unrelated at first, but are sometimes connected to BVD. Keep an eye out if you notice:
- Eye fatigue or pain, especially after reading
- Trouble with depth perception
- Blurry or double vision
How an Eye Doctor Can Help
Get a Clear Diagnosis
If you suspect your vision is contributing to your dizziness, a thorough eye exam is often the first step. An eye doctor can go beyond a standard vision screening to assess how your eyes function together.
A comprehensive eye exam checks your overall eye health, including tests that can measure eye alignment and how your eyes work together as a team. The eye doctor can also check to see if you need glasses and give you a prescription if you do.
Explore Vision Therapy as a Solution
Vision therapy is a personalized program designed to help your eyes and brain communicate more effectively. Think of it as physical therapy for your visual system. It can help strengthen the connection between your eyes and brain.
Your Vision Therapy Journey
How Long Does a Program Take?
The path to improving visual function is unique for everyone. A vision therapy program is not a 1-size-fits-all solution. The timeline depends entirely on your specific needs and visual goals, but the average program takes between 3 and 9 months to complete.
Simple Ways to Feel Better on the Road
While you explore the contributing factors of your motion sickness, a few simple tricks can help you feel more comfortable in the car. Try these next time you’re a passenger:
- Open a window for a bit of fresh air
- Sip cool water or nibble on plain crackers
- Distract yourself by listening to music or a podcast
Schedule an Eye Exam
If car rides consistently leave you feeling dizzy and unwell, it may be time to look at your vision. Our team at Vision Care Center is dedicated to helping you find solutions that address your specific symptoms. Schedule an eye exam to explore how vision therapy could help you.
