Motion sickness, medically known as motion sickness, is a common form of transport discomfort, especially when traveling by car. Many people have had similar experiences, and some have found that motion sickness appears to be more severe when sitting in the back of a vehicle, especially in children. However, the question of why children are more susceptible to motion sickness when sitting in the back of the car, and why children are more susceptible to motion sickness, is not widely understood. This article will analyze this phenomenon from the perspective of physiology and visual perception, hoping to provide valuable information for parents and readers.
1. The principle of the balance system of the human body.
The root cause of motion sickness is the inconsistency of information from the body's balance system, the vestibular system, the visual system, and the proprioceptive system. The vestibular system is located in the inner ear and is responsible for sensing the movement states of the body, such as acceleration, deceleration, tilting, etc. The visual system obtains movement information from the external environment through the eyes, and the proprioceptive system senses the position and posture of the body through muscles and joints. When the vehicle is moving, there may be a disharmony in the transmission of information from these three systems, resulting in confusion in the brain reception, resulting in a motion sickness response.
2. Explanation of the rear motion sickness effect.
1.Difference in front and rear movement: When sitting in the rear of the car, when the vehicle is accelerating, decelerating, and turning, the movement of the rear of the car lags behind the front of the car, and this difference in front and rear movement will make the person at the rear of the car feel a stronger acceleration change, and the motion information perceived by the vestibular system and the environmental change information perceived by the visual system are deviated, thus inducing a sense of motion sickness.
2.Lack of visual input: Passengers sitting in the rear seat of the vehicle usually have a narrower field of vision than the front row, and their perception of changes in the external scenery is not as keen as that of the front row, especially the direct visual cues of the road ahead, which makes the visual system unable to provide accurate motion information supplement, increasing the possibility of motion sickness.
3. Reasons why children are more likely to get motion sickness.
1.Immature vestibular system development: Children, especially young children, have a vestibular system that is still in the development stage and has a poor ability to adjust motor perception, so they are less adaptable to changes in vehicle movement than adults, and are therefore more prone to motion sickness.
2.The relationship between height and seat height: Due to the height of children, when sitting in the back seat of a vehicle, their eyes tend to be closer to the seat back, their vision is limited, and their perception of changes in the external environment is weaker, which is also an important reason why they are more prone to motion sickness.
3.Psychological factors: Children's psychological quality is relatively low, their adaptability to unfamiliar environments and new things is poor, and they may have had previous experience of motion sickness, and the influence of psychological expectations may also aggravate motion sickness reactions.
4. Strategies to prevent and alleviate motion sickness.
1.Choose the right seat: Try to have your child sit in the middle of the vehicle or in the front seat to reduce motion sickness caused by the difference in movement between the front and the rear.
2.Keep an open line of sight: Encourage your child to take a distance while riding in the car, or read a book, play with toys and other activities to divert attention and reduce the symptoms of motion sickness.
3.Regular work and rest: Make sure your child has enough rest before the ride, avoid riding on an empty stomach or too full, and avoid eating greasy and spicy food to reduce nausea caused by gastrointestinal irritation.
4.Exercise vestibular function: Usually you can help children exercise the vestibular system and improve their adaptability to sports stimulation through games such as swinging and rotating chairs.
Sitting in the back of a car is prone to motion sickness, especially for children, because of the combination of multiple physiological factors. After understanding these reasons, parents can effectively prevent and alleviate their children's symptoms of motion sickness by adjusting seat selection, improving the riding environment, and cultivating their children's vestibular function. At the same time, parents should recognize that everyone's physique and adaptability are different, and should give patient guidance and care for their children's motion sickness problems to help them establish correct coping strategies and enjoy a safe and comfortable riding experience.