How to deal with dizziness and motion sickness during amusement park rides

How to deal with dizziness and motion sickness during amusement park rides

Understanding Dizziness and Motion Sickness

Before we delve into dealing with dizziness and motion sickness during amusement park rides, it's essential to have a basic understanding of what these conditions are and why they occur. Dizziness is a sensation of lightheadedness, faintness, or unsteadiness, while motion sickness is a condition in which a discrepancy exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement. Simply put, it's when our bodies and brains can't agree on what's happening around us.


Amusement park rides often create these sensations, as they involve rapid changes in movement, direction, and speed. This can confuse our bodies, leading to dizziness and motion sickness. Now that we have a better understanding of these sensations, let's explore some ways to deal with them during amusement park rides.

Preventing Motion Sickness Before It Starts

One of the best ways to deal with motion sickness is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here are some tips to help you avoid feeling sick during your amusement park visit:


  • Choose rides wisely: Opt for rides that have slower, smoother motions and avoid those with rapid changes in direction or speed.
  • Eat lightly: Consuming a small meal or snack before riding can help settle your stomach. Avoid greasy, heavy, or spicy foods that may exacerbate motion sickness.
  • Stay hydrated: Dehydration can make motion sickness symptoms worse, so be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
  • Take breaks: Give your body time to adjust between rides by taking breaks and walking around the park.
  • Consider over-the-counter medications: Some people find relief from motion sickness by using over-the-counter medications like Dramamine or Bonine. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medication.

Techniques to Minimize Dizziness and Motion Sickness During Rides

Even with the best prevention efforts, you may still experience some dizziness or motion sickness during amusement park rides. Here are a few techniques to help minimize these sensations while on the ride:


  • Focus on a fixed point: Pick an object in the distance and try to keep your eyes on it as the ride moves. This can help stabilize your vision and reduce feelings of disorientation.
  • Breathe deeply and slowly: Taking slow, deep breaths can help calm the body and reduce motion sickness symptoms.
  • Hold onto safety bars or handles: Gripping onto the ride's safety features can help stabilize your body and minimize the sensation of dizziness.
  • Close your eyes: If all else fails, closing your eyes can sometimes help alleviate motion sickness by reducing the visual input your brain is receiving.

What to Do If You Experience Dizziness or Motion Sickness After a Ride

It's not uncommon to feel a little dizzy or queasy after stepping off an amusement park ride. Here are some steps to take if you find yourself experiencing these sensations:


  • Find a quiet place to sit: Locate a bench or shaded area where you can sit down and give your body a chance to recover.
  • Sip water slowly: Drinking water can help hydrate your body and ease symptoms, but do so slowly to avoid making your stomach feel more upset.
  • Breathe deeply: Continue to take slow, deep breaths to help calm your body.
  • Wait it out: Most instances of dizziness and motion sickness pass relatively quickly. Give yourself time to recover before moving on to another ride or activity.
  • Seek medical attention if needed: If your symptoms are severe or persistent, seek help from the amusement park's medical staff or visit a nearby urgent care center.

Knowing Your Limits and Enjoying the Experience

Ultimately, it's important to know your body and listen to its cues when it comes to amusement park rides. If you're prone to dizziness or motion sickness, you may need to avoid certain attractions or take extra precautions. Remember, the goal is to have a fun and enjoyable experience. By understanding and addressing your body's needs, you can make the most of your time at the amusement park without letting dizziness or motion sickness get in the way.

Zander Fitzroy

Written by Zander Fitzroy

Hello, I'm Zander Fitzroy, a dedicated pharmaceutical expert with years of experience in the industry. My passion lies in researching and developing innovative medications that can improve the lives of patients. I enjoy writing about various medications, diseases, and the latest advancements in pharmaceuticals. My goal is to educate and inform the public about the importance of pharmaceuticals and how they can impact our health and well-being. Through my writing, I strive to bridge the gap between science and everyday life, demystifying complex topics for my readers.

7 Comments

Rose Macaulay

I just closed my eyes on the Tilt-A-Whirl last week and somehow survived. Best advice ever.

Eben Neppie

While the advice here is technically sound, it's incomplete without mentioning the role of vestibular adaptation. Repeated exposure over multiple visits reduces symptoms significantly-this isn't just about avoiding rides, it's about training your brain. Studies from the University of California's vestibular lab show a 68% reduction in motion sickness after three visits with gradual intensity increases. Also, avoid antihistamines if you're driving afterward-Dramamine's sedative effects are non-trivial and legally dangerous.

William Cuthbertson

You know, I’ve spent years traveling across continents, riding everything from camel caravans in Rajasthan to roller coasters in Tokyo, and I’ve come to realize something profound: motion sickness isn’t a flaw-it’s a relic of our evolutionary past. Our ancestors didn’t need to process rapid rotational motion because they didn’t invent spinning rides. The dissonance between what the eyes see and what the inner ear feels? That’s the brain screaming, ‘This isn’t natural!’ And yet, here we are, willingly strapped into machines designed to confuse our biology. There’s poetry in that. We’re not fighting sickness-we’re negotiating with our own ancient wiring. Maybe the real trick isn’t to suppress the dizziness, but to embrace it as a reminder: we’re still animals, even in a world of steel and circuits. So next time you close your eyes on a coaster, don’t just wait for it to end-thank your inner ear for trying to keep you alive. It’s doing its best with terrible information.

Ellen Frida

ok but have you ever thought that maybe the rides are secretly controlled by the government to test our brain’s response to chaos? like why else would they make the spinning ones so extreme?? i mean, i read this one article that said the same tech is used in military training and i think we’re all just lab rats and the cotton candy is the reward. also, i think they put something in the pretzels. i felt weird after one and my socks were wet??

Milind Caspar

Let me be blunt: the advice provided here is dangerously naive. You recommend ‘closing your eyes’ and ‘breathing deeply’ as if these are panaceas. In reality, motion sickness is a neurological vulnerability often linked to underlying vestibular disorders, which are frequently misdiagnosed or ignored. The proliferation of high-G rides in modern amusement parks is not an accident-it’s a symptom of a society that prioritizes adrenaline over biological integrity. Furthermore, the suggestion to use over-the-counter antihistamines ignores the fact that these drugs are neurotoxic with prolonged use and may induce long-term cognitive fog. Who authorized this advice? Who is profiting from the continued exposure of children and adults to these sensory assaults? The amusement industry, in collusion with pharmaceutical companies, has normalized suffering as entertainment. You are not ‘enjoying the experience’-you are being conditioned. And if you don’t question the system, you’re complicit.

Steven Shu

Actually, the focus-on-a-fixed-point trick only works on linear rides. On spinning or inverted coasters? Use the ‘chin down, head back’ posture-it reduces the fluid shift in your inner ear. I’ve been teaching this to my kids for years. Also, ginger chews beat Dramamine every time-no drowsiness, no crash. And don’t even get me started on how bad the park food is. Skip the funnel cake. Seriously.

Hudson Owen

Thank you for this thoughtful and comprehensive guide. I appreciate the balance between scientific insight and practical application. I would only add, with the utmost respect, that for individuals with a history of vertigo or migraines, a pre-visit consultation with a neurologist specializing in vestibular conditions may be prudent. The recommendations provided are sound, and I commend the emphasis on self-awareness and bodily autonomy. It is rare to encounter such a respectful and empowering approach to public health guidance in this context. I shall share this with my colleagues in patient advocacy.

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