Q:

Tweet

Theme park rides make me sick. Is there a way to prevent this?

Possibly – you won’t want to miss out on the rides at Universal Studios Sentosa. Your sense of balance is a combination of your eyes, inner ear and body, so the trick is to fool your brain into thinking you’re still on the ground. “If you throw off those perceptions, such as when you’re on a boat, your brain sends signals – headache, sweating, nausea – that it doesn’t like it,” explains Dr Michael Hoffer, chairman of the American Academy of Otolaryngology’s equilibrium committee.

So, deceive one of these motion detectors. To do that, stretch one arm in front of you and grasp the handrail with your thumb extended. Then simply stare at your thumbnail during the ride. “Your body and inner ear will tell your brain that something’s off, but your eyes won’t,” says Dr Hoffer. “This could keep you from getting sick.”

Also, before you hop on the ride, eat a small amount of carbs, like unbuttered popcorn. “When stress hits, your stomach produces acid that can upset it even more,” says Dr Hoffer. “The carbohydrates help soak up the acid.”