Does Motion Sickness Get Better With Age?

If you struggled with motion sickness during childhood, you may remember long car rides, boat trips, or amusement park rides as being less than enjoyable. The good news is that motion sickness often becomes less common as people get older. However, age is only one factor that influences how susceptible someone is to motion sickness, and there is no guarantee that it will disappear completely.

According to the CDC, susceptibility to motion sickness typically increases during childhood, peaks between about ages 7 and 12, and then declines through adulthood and into older age. Researchers believe habituation, or the body’s ability to become more accustomed to repeated motion, may contribute to this change. 

Understanding why motion sickness changes with age can make it easier to prepare for road trips, flights, cruises, and other adventures.

Why Are Children More Prone to Motion Sickness?

Interestingly, very young children don’t tend to experience motion sickness as frequently. The CDC reports that children younger than two typically aren’t affected. Susceptibility then increases and is generally highest between ages 7 and 12. 

Motion sickness is closely connected to the way the brain processes information about movement. Your eyes, inner ear, and other sensory systems continuously send information to your brain about your body’s position and motion. When those signals don’t match, motion sickness can occur.

Imagine a child reading a book in the back seat of a moving vehicle. Their eyes see a book that appears stationary, while their inner ear senses the turns, bumps, acceleration, and braking of the vehicle. That conflicting information can contribute to symptoms such as dizziness, stomach discomfort, sweating, nausea, and vomiting.

Why Can Motion Sickness Improve With Age?

Researchers haven’t identified one single reason that susceptibility tends to decline with age, but habituation appears to play an important role.

Habituation occurs when repeated exposure to a particular type of movement gradually makes the body less responsive to it. The CDC identifies habituation as the most effective countermeasure against motion sickness, although developing it can take time and repeated exposure. 

Think about how many different types of movement people experience as they grow older. Years of riding in cars, traveling on airplanes, using public transportation, boating, and participating in other activities can give the body more opportunities to adapt.

Research examining children and adolescents has similarly found that motion sickness susceptibility declines after puberty, with repeated exposure to transportation proposed as one possible explanation. 

Does That Mean Adults Can’t Get Motion Sick?

Definitely not. Although motion sickness generally becomes less common with age, adults can still experience it.

Almost anyone with a functioning vestibular system can develop motion sickness if the motion is sufficiently provocative. Cars, buses, boats, airplanes, amusement park rides, simulators, and virtual reality can all cause symptoms. 

Some adults may only experience symptoms under certain circumstances. You might be perfectly comfortable driving down a straight highway but become nauseated while riding as a passenger on a winding mountain road. Another person may never become carsick but consistently experience seasickness.

This is why knowing your own triggers can be more useful than assuming you’ve simply “outgrown” motion sickness.

Some People Remain More Susceptible

Age isn’t the only factor that determines whether someone experiences motion sickness.

Individual susceptibility varies considerably. People with a history of migraines, vertigo, or certain vestibular disorders may be more prone to motion sickness. Genetics can also play a substantial role in determining susceptibility. 

That means two people of exactly the same age can have completely different experiences on the same trip. One passenger might comfortably read for hours in a moving vehicle while another begins feeling nauseated after looking at a phone for several minutes.

Can Motion Sickness Become Worse With Age?

For most healthy people, the general trend is toward lower susceptibility with age. However, that doesn’t mean every person’s experience follows the same pattern. The CDC notes that susceptibility can increase in a small minority of people in older age. (CDC)

A significant or unexplained change is also worth discussing with a healthcare professional. A consensus document from the Bárány Society notes that increasing motion sensitivity in adulthood can sometimes warrant evaluation for other potential causes, including vestibular conditions or migraine. 

Occasionally feeling carsick on a particularly winding road is very different from suddenly developing frequent dizziness or nausea with movement when that has never happened before.

Your Travel Habits Can Still Make a Difference

Regardless of your age, how you travel can influence your experience.

Looking toward a stable reference point outside the vehicle can help reduce conflicting visual information. Keeping head movements to a minimum may also be helpful. When possible, avoiding reading or prolonged screen use during travel can reduce situations in which your eyes are focused on something stationary while your body senses movement.

The CDC also notes that motion-sickness medication tends to work best when taken before exposure rather than after symptoms have already begun. 

That makes planning ahead especially useful if you already know a particular type of travel tends to bother you.

Don’t Let Motion Sickness Decide Where You Go

For many people, motion sickness becomes less troublesome with age. But whether you’re 18, 38, or 68, you may still encounter certain trips or activities that trigger symptoms.

Knowing what tends to bother you gives you an opportunity to prepare before your journey begins. Choosing an appropriate seat, looking toward the horizon, limiting reading and screen time, and planning ahead with an appropriate motion-sickness aid can all be part of your travel routine.

For adults and children 12 years and older, Jet-Avert® provides meclizine HCl 25 mg for the prevention and treatment of nausea, vomiting, or dizziness associated with motion sickness. When using any over-the-counter medication, follow the Drug Facts label carefully, including its directions, age restrictions, and warnings.

You may become less susceptible to motion sickness as you get older, but you don’t have to rely on age alone. Understanding your triggers and preparing ahead can help keep the focus on enjoying your destination rather than worrying about the ride.