
Ep 211 Motion Sickness: It comes in waves
From This Podcast Will Kill You by Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts
May 26, 2026 · 1h 17m · Season 9
About this episode
This episode explores the causes and effects of motion sickness, including its physiological basis and historical remedies.
It comes on sneakily. You become aware of your stomach. You break out in a cold sweat. Your mouth fills with saliva. And before you know it, you’re leaning over the side of the boat (or out of the car, or into the airplane sick bag), barfing up your breakfast. Motion sickness. We’ve all been there, or at least most of us have. Why? What is it about our physiology that breaks down as soon as we travel via water, vehicle, or air? That’s exactly what we’re going to explore in this episode. From how long humans (and other species) have been coping with these debilitating symptoms to what’s actually going on in your brain to trigger the breakdown, from what’s in the most nauseating historical “cures” for motion sickness to why the drugs we have today have some positive effect, we’re covering it all. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Topics covered
- motion sickness
- physiology
- nausea
- historical cures
- drugs
- symptoms
Keywords
- motion sickness
- nausea
- physiology
- symptoms
- cures
- drugs
- travel
Sponsors
Brand
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Exactly Right, iHeartPodcasts
Products: historical “cures” for motion sickness
Places: water, vehicle, air
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