Why do children get more car sick when they are young? 2026

For many families, the moment of getting into the car to start a trip is a small torment, especially when the children get very dizzy and vomiting and become faithful traveling companions. The truth is that not all children get dizzy to the same extent, nor is the car the only means of transport in which dizziness occurs: the train, the plane and, to a greater extent, the boat can also cause this effect. We analyze the causes and factors that influence dizziness.

Dizziness must be differentiated by causes such as a drop in blood pressure, a drop in blood sugar, a poor cervical position, dizziness caused by fever or malnutrition, and car sickness (kinesthetic). The most common childhood dizziness is between the ages of two and twelve (before the age of two the nervous system is still immature and dizziness does not usually occur and, after the age of twelve, kinesthetic dizziness usually subsides, although there are adults who continue to suffer from it) and is produced by the sensation of loss of balance that causes the effect of things around us moving while we are still (inside a car, a train or a plane). There is no coordination between sight, the sensations that the inner ear receives and our musculoskeletal system.

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Symptoms of dizziness

"Children can get dizzy in the car, on the train, on the plane and especially on the boat. Also on fairground rides. It is unpleasant, it can cause nausea, the musculoskeletal system and the receptors send a position signal. The most frequent symptoms of dizziness are a sensation of vertigo and instability of the head, paleness, loss of balance, upset stomach, sweating or feeling cold" explains Dr. Ana Ortiz Reparaz, from Nexus Med and member of Doctoralia.

From what age does children's car sickness usually reduce?

As we said, childhood dizziness is more common between the ages of two and twelve. "There are children who get dizzy more than others and this is influenced by factors such as lack of habit, which causes the nervous system to not recognize this movement while sitting. Children who are less accustomed to traveling vomit more. In addition, hypoglycemia and a lack of sugar in the blood also make them more dizzy. Another triggering factor is the fear or stress of traveling, since they destabilize the body and it is easier to get dizzy," argues Dr. Ortiz.

Tips to prevent children from getting sick in the car

To prevent the little ones from getting sick in the car, there are different measures we can take: "the best is prevention, since once the dizziness starts it is difficult to stop it. There must be good ventilation, avoid strong odours, smoke and tobacco. On short trips it is better that the little one does not eat anything before, and if the trip is long, they should eat something light. It is also advisable to avoid activities that force them to focus their eyes on a nearby object such as reading or playing games. video games. The best thing is a nap, because dizziness does not appear during sleep," advises the expert.

Furthermore, motion sickness can also be different depending on the means of transportation: "each child can get motion sickness in different types of transportation. Decompression maneuvers on airplanes are important to avoid motion sickness. It is good for them to suck on some candy, so they swallow saliva. It also helps to drink water or chew gum so that the pressures are equalized," Ortiz clarifies.

Taking breaks during the trip, choosing to travel at night if the journey is very long so that the little ones can sleep or resorting to entertaining them with some "I spy" type game are effective tools to deal with the dreaded car sickness.