Travelling With a Vestibular Disorder
You may be thinking: can I travel if I’m having trouble with my vestibular system? The quick answer is a resounding YES!!
Maybe you’ve recently had BPPV or are recovering from vestibular neuritis. It’s super common to feel nervous about travelling for the first time after your vestibular diagnosis, or maybe you’re still in the process of figuring out what is going on (this article applies to you too!), and are looking for tips on how to travel with a vestibular disorder.
I’ll cover the following:
Prepare an emergency kit for vestibular symptom management
My top tip is always to prep an emergency kit for symptom management. You’ll want to include anything in your kit that you may need for dealing with any symptoms that come up and keep this with you whenever possible. This could include things like:
peppermint or ginger candies and tea
ginger or regular gravol
medications for headache/migraine
digestive aids
motion sickness bands (aka sea bands)
noise cancelling headphones or earplugs
sunglasses or an eye cover
a hat or hoodie (for helping to make your visual space smaller)
Essentially you want to have all the things you may need with you so that you're prepared to manage symptoms as soon as they start.
If your ears typically feel plugged, become painful, or pop during flights while taking off or landing, and this has made you feel motion sick, a product that I recommend to help with comfort is EarPlanes. I heard from many US vestibular physiotherapists that folks they worked with found EarPlanes incredibly useful and so I had to try them out too! I’ve found these very helpful for my own comfort and many of the people I work with that have vestibular issues have found EarPlanes helpful too. These can be found in some pharmacies and are sold on Amazon. They are reusable (for a short time) and are reasonably priced.
Plan extra time into your travel days
Give yourself time so you don’t have to rush. Are you flying with a vestibular disorder? Add in extra time for security and give yourself the gift of not having to rush through the airport as your flight is boarding. Take some time to sit and relax before your flight leaves, and consider taking some time to sit and relax before leaving the airport if possible.
If you're taking the train or bus, get to the station as early as you're able. This will give you added time to find where your train or bus are leaving from to minimize the risk you have to rush to get on and give you time to sit/relax before leaving. Once you arrive at your destination, plan for some quiet time before you head out again.
If travelling by car, plan your stops to get out of the car before you leave. Having these breaks planned along your route will encourage you to follow through on getting out of the car because you’ll know exactly where and when these stops will be. If possible, walk around for a few minutes and give yourself the chance to have a short break from the car before hitting the road again.
Plan your snacks (and meal times) into your day
For many of us, travel includes more activity than we typically have in our week. For many people, being out of their routine makes it harder for them to remember to eat when they should. Planning snacks into your day (and meals too) will make sure that you’re getting the calories you need to help you feel your best. Quick tip: snacks (and meals) with a good protein source help to keep blood sugar levels more even through the day, so don’t forget to include protein too.
Personally, I've started carrying snacks with me any time we head out while travelling. Disrupting my routine often means the time between meals gets stretched out further than typical so a quick snack can be the difference between feeling well or not while we're out and about.
Pack early for your trip and as light as possible to minimize stress
Plan to pack as early as possible before your trip as you can manage. For many people the act of packing with all the looking down, turning, walking, looking around their room for items, walking around their home, and organizing their bags can feel like a lot. If you're able to finish this early on, you’ll prevent having a flurry of activity right before your trip and this will take another stressor off of your plate.
Whenever possible, pack light and use a wheeled carry-on bag for travel to keep you from having to carry a bag while travelling. If flying, taking a carry-on bag will help you to avoid waiting for your luggage to be unloaded from the plane at your destination. Additionally, if you find the airport environment overwhelming, having a wheeled carry-on bag may help you feel more comfortable as you won’t have to carry your bag as you navigate the airport.
Plan as much of your trip as possible
Minimize stress ahead of your travel by having as much of your trip planned as possible. Consider planning for things like travel to and from the airport/station to your hotel, resort or rental. Allow yourself to be present and look after yourself while in transit. Take things off your list of what you might worry about before and during your trip.
Be prepared for busy environments
Do you find busy environments hard to manage? Environments like the airport or train/bus station can be challenging for people with vestibular disorders. Here are a few to help you navigate a busy environment:
Wear a hat or hoodie to help block some of your visual field
Wear sunglasses that have good coverage to help dim the lighting
Keep to the edges of a crowd when walking longer distances
Pick a stable, strong vertical visual cue to help you visually ground yourself (ie. a darker coloured column or dark frame on a door or window) as you walk towards it
Use noise-cancelling headphones or ear plugs when safe to do so to help filter out background noise
Place documents you’ll need during your travel together and somewhere that’s safe but quick to access
Have your emergency kit for symptom management easily accessible, it’s best to deal with symptoms as soon as they come up
Get lots of sleep and drink water regularly
Last but not least, make sure that you're getting adequate sleep and hydrating well while travelling. Poor sleep and dehydration can lead to symptoms of dizziness, nausea, headaches, and lightheadedness, so doing what we can to get a good night of sleep and get fluids in through the day can only help you have more capacity to enjoy your time away!
I truly hope these tips help you have a great travel experience and manage any symptoms that may come up! If you have questions about vestibular therapy feel free to reach me here or use the button below to book a time for a call.
Updated: August 24, 2024
