A doctor has revealed a cheap trick that can quickly relieve the unpleasant feeling of motion sickness by simply smelling it. Dr. Karan Raj, known as @dr.karanr On TikTok, an NHS surgeon and lecturer at the University of Sunderland recommends smelling a particular citrus fruit that you probably already have at home or can buy in numerous supermarkets for as little as 20p.
In response to a woman smelling a lemon in the car, he says that not only a lemon but other fruits could work as well. The health expert explains: “When you smell a lemon, the olfactory system detects those citrus aromas. The olfactory system is also closely connected to the limbic system, which regulates nausea.
“Inhaling the lemon scent stimulates the limbic system and helps relieve nausea. The strong lemon aroma also increases saliva production and gastric emptying, meaning your stomach empties faster, which means fewer nausea symptoms.”
The doctor explains that not only lemons can work, but any citrus fruit with a strong scent. They act as a “sensory distraction and override the brain’s nausea signals.” This implies “a shift in focus from nausea stimuli to a stronger smell,” he explains.
Dr. Raj also mentions that “the best part” is that if it works for you, you can “create your own biological keyboard shortcut, also known as associative learning.” This means that “your brain can form associations with certain smells. So once you’ve experienced relief from your nausea, chances are that if you repeat that the next time you’re fighting nausea, your brain will create a conditioned response so it works again.”
The health expert points out that while this may not work for everyone, alternatives such as ginger and peppermint oil may also be effective. Not only are these inexpensive, but they are also “relatively risk-free interventions for nausea that do not require medication,” he concludes.
In the comments, people shared their experiences with scents – with many now associating some scents with previous experiences. One said: “I tried this with fresh lavender from my garden. Unfortunately my brain learned that lavender means ‘car ride’ so now I get sick when I smell lavender.”
“I did this during pregnancy – it helped a lot,” said another person, and the doctor replied, “There is evidence that it works during pregnancy.”
A third added: “This is crazy. When I was a kid the only thing that helped me with motion sickness was the smell of a Terry’s Chocolate Orange bar and I could never understand why!”
