Do you have a teen at home who’s an aspiring doctor? If you do, then this is an event that they can’t miss out on! Oasis International Hospital will be hosting the first-ever Oasis Pre-Med Club on Nov 11.

Participating teens will learn how to suture wounds, which is a vital healthcare skill. They’ll also learn building blocks to understand a doctor’s necessary thinking processes. Participants will also explore the steps to becoming a doctor and the skills one needs. Dr. Vera, an international GP at Oasis International Hospital, will also share some of her experiences as a doctor.

The club is open to English-speaking teenagers ages 13-18 and lasts for about 1.5 hours.

There are limited spaces available. Scan the QR code below and sign up before Nov 7.

This club was initiated by Maggie Kang, a student at the British Royal School who participated in a summer internship at Stanford University which she will talk about at the OASIS Pre-Med Club. Read more about her experience here.

So how much does this one-of-a-kind experience cost? NOTHING! It’s completely free to teens who have a genuine interest in becoming a doctor.

Images: Maggie Kang, Pexels

Recent Harrow Beijing (HBJ) graduate Karina Ng knew she wanted to be a doctor at the age of 8. At that time, her grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but her family had just moved to Beijing, and thus couldn’t provide help or support in person. That’s when Ng understood that the role of a doctor is not simply to heal, but to also be compassionate, “someone who patients and family members can trust.”

She continues her story: “My grandfather was able to spend his last few weeks with my family peacefully despite not being cured. Then, during summer last year, through observing the incredible doctors on my work experience in a cardiology clinic and a hospital, I saw the opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary team and through patient contact and the doctors’ own experience, come up with a personalized treatment plan for each patient, which are aspects that appeal to me a lot. Studying medicine will also allow me to delve deeper into both the sciences and the human side, which I am excited to explore more of. Being able to be a small part of someone’s life and being able to help them with one of the most precious things we have in life – our health, is the most rewarding role I can think of.”

It’s that human side of her studies that Ng feels has greatly benefitted her time in the classroom, as well as the extracurriculars she was able to take alongside her traditional academic courses. In fact, Ng has found that music, in particular, has helped her learn a deeper form of communication and teamwork, which could aid her future career. “Music is a language, and being able to communicate this language using my instrument helps express my emotions and feelings that may not be said with words,” explains Ng. “With my ABRSM Diploma in Piano Performance and exposure to different instruments, such as violin, trombone, steel pans, and drum kit, I was able to use these skills to lead and conduct my House in the annual House Music competition, as well as the school choir. This has helped improve my communication, teamwork, and leadership skills that are extremely helpful as I enter the medical field because we all work as a team every day.”

As music is such an abstract language, her science and technology studies also helped move her music theory forward. She used these skills directly – patience, medical knowledge, communication through abstract language – when she volunteered at Alenah’s Home, an orphanage in Beijing, and worked closely with a 4-year-old with spastic cerebral palsy, congenital heart disease, and mild autism. “Emboldened by the challenges faced by the orphans,” Ng says, “I participated in the 2020 Brainbee Neuroscience competition to gain deeper insights into what children with the disorder experience. Being able to spend time with these children every Saturday was very meaningful and rewarding, and this has also contributed to helping me choose to devote my life to the service of others.”

Harrow fosters four core values in their community: courage, honor, humility, and fellowship. Ng sees each of these as integral to her growth at the school, preparation for university, and understanding that medicine is a lifelong commitment to serving others. She’s already thinking ahead to the advancements that medicine has not yet made. “In the last five years, scientists have discovered new and better strategies to help patients improve their health. Recently, there have also been new technological improvements in the medical field that helped with heart transplants. Being a doctor is a lifelong learning career. As an aspiring cardiothoracic surgeon, I will have to keep myself up-to-date with all the new discoveries!”

Ng embodies the ideal of a well-rounded student, and we should all be so lucky to have a doctor as caring and gracious as she is, to be in charge of our own care.

Hear Karina Ng speak live on Jun 20 at the Jingkids International Education Graduate Summit. If you can’t attend the event in person, catch the live stream on our sister platform 菁kids’ WeChat Video Channel.

To attend the event, please scan the QR code in the poster below.

We have invited 12 recent graduates from international schools all around Beijing to speak in a TEDx-style summit and host three sessions of round-table panel discussions.

It’s a chance for incoming high school students and their families to gain insight into a successful high school career, from the perspective of students who have gone through it all. In no uncertain terms, these students represent the finest manifestation of every school’s greatest academic achievements. At the same time, as the recipient of international education, these students have gleaned countless valuable insights and experiences over the years; insights that are worth sharing with their peers and parents alike.

In one day of both in-person and live-streamed discussion, we’ll be covering topics such as what an international education means to these students, the good and bad aspects of an IB program, the challenges faced and memories made during high school, what they learned during their college application process, what they wish they could have done differently, and the real insights into high school life that no parent or admissions brochure could – or would – ever tell you.

KEEP READING: Graduate Summit 2021: Truth, Justice, and the International Way

Images: courtesy of Karina Ng

Let’s face it, this year has left all of us a little worse for wear. With the festive season fast approaching, it might have crossed some of our minds to get a much-needed tune-up. To paraphrase Dolly Parton, get anything that is drooping, loosening, or sagging nipped, sucked, and tucked! Yes, I am talking about plastic surgery! Or at the very least, a good old lunchtime procedure. You might have considered getting those fine lines, crows feet, and wrinkles taken care of, but like most expats in Beijing, you have that reserved for your trips back home, in a healthcare system you understand, and medical practitioners you trust.

But what you might not know is, lunchtime procedures are one of the best-kept secrets in Beijing. Look around and you will see flawless, smooth, taut skin. Granted, a lot of that beautiful youthful-looking skin is natural, but many of those beautiful faces have had some work done, albeit tastefully. You might have a few reservations about whether or not having such a procedure in Beijing is a good idea, what with the possible language barrier, and the potential for counterfeit medical products. Sure, visiting an international hospital to get a ‘tasteful touchup’ done is also an option, but you might be afraid of the potentially prohibitive cost of such a visit. What to do?

Dr. Faith Deng and Doctor Li, both medical board-certified cosmetic surgery specialists based in Beijing, wish to allay your fears.

Dr. Faith Deng (left), Dr. Li (right)

If you are still under the impression that cosmetic surgery is the preserve of celebrities and the wealthy, think again. Everyone, even your Ayi, could have had some work done. There is something for everyone, with different price points to fit any pocket. As Dr. Deng puts it, “cosmetic surgery is becoming more and more popular, including among working people, housewives, even university students! While twenty years ago, it was the preserve of the rich and famous.” According to Dr. Li, an average cosmetic procedure patient will be a bachelor degree holder, potentially married, and has a bit of disposable income to splash about, with the ultra-rich now turning to ‘micro-plastic surgery’.

You might have heard of the most popular cosmetic procedure not only in China but in East Asia; double eyelid surgery. But other than this procedure – which some of us might find rather strange to fathom, what else does your average patient in China want, what motivates them to seek a plastic surgeon’s services? “The most common procedures such as double eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, while the most common non-surgical methods are mainly to improve contour shaping, such as facelifts, hyaluronic acid rhinoplasty, chin augmentation, etc. Women over the age of 35 are more likely to choose anti-aging items, such as laser, radiofrequency, botox, and hyaluronic acid,” explains Dr. Li. “Now, some teenagers come for acne treatment as well,” adds Dr. Deng.

Before and after

And just in case you were wondering what micro-plastic surgery is, it encompasses the vast world of fillers. As Dr. Li explains, “microplastic surgery procedures include botox injection, which is mainly used to solve the problem of dynamic wrinkles such as forehead lines, frown lines, crow’s feet, and neck fine lines, and hyaluronic acid filling, of which there are many brands both imported and domestic. According to the degree of need in different parts of each person, different amounts of hyaluronic acid can be selected, which are mainly used to fill and solve problems in certain areas such as when the nasolabial folds are sunken and the cheeks are sunken.”

How Long it Takes to Heal

According to both Dr. Li and Dr. Deng, the injection process of botox usually takes five to ten minutes. It is recommended to avoid water for four to six hours after injection to avoid pinhole infections. Avoid overheating within three days after injection. Wash your face with water and avoid strong massages. It starts to take effect in three to seven days. The effect is usually maintained for three to six months. Different people have different muscle strengths and different recovery speeds.

In addition, people with rich expressions have a relatively short efficacy time period with Botox. In order to maintain it for a long period of time, you can achieve this effect through a single injection of a large dose, but a single high-dose injection will also increase the discomfort of people who are more expressive than others.

Word to the Wise!

When it comes to who should be poking and prodding your face with fillers, Dr. Deng has useful advice. “Such procedures should be performed by a certified plastic surgeon or a cosmetic dermatologist at a medical center such as a hospital or a cosmetic clinic.” Dr. Li adds: “Choose someone who has performed such procedures on people you may know whose results you find satisfactory. Choose carefully, slowly start trying out different items, and when the changes are brought about, if you are satisfied, return to the same doctor, because the doctor will understand your needs better, your feedback after each injection, and the maintenance time, In order to make the most suitable injection plan for you.”

And as for how much it might set you back, the possible cost of different items is not the same. “In Beijing, botox such as Hengli, the quotation is about RMB 400 to 800 depending on the injection site, and the price of botox fluctuates from RMB 1,000 to RMB 2,000. The price is based on the whole vile of the product to be used. 100u usually comes in at RMB 1,600 to RMB 2,600, and botox 100u is quoted at RMB 4,500 to RMB 8000,” explains Dr. Li.

In short, it is quite alright to be worried. Making the right decision when it comes to a medical-based decision could not be any more important. But do not be afraid to consult a Chinese doctor, and enjoy the ‘less is more’ philosophy of beauty that keeps everyone looking younger and fresh-faced for longer.

KEEP READING: Penny For Your Thoughts? Accessing Mental Health in Beijing

Photos: Courtesy of Dr. Li,  Dr. Deng, Unsplash 

After being encouraged by a positive testimonial by an acquaintance, Charlotte Goldenblatt, née York, sits patiently in a clinic waiting area. This is not your average clinic however. It is a fertility clinic, tied to famed doctor Mao, and as the chatty women also in the small confined space croon, he is a miracle worker. With a mixture of smelly herbs and acupuncture, “He could even get a cactus pregnant.”

Cut to Charlotte, now disrobed and on an examination table, with what looks like a thousand pins in her face, while a stoic Dr. Mao encourages her to “Block out that New York noise and concentrate on your breathing.” This is Charlotte’s long journey to possible conception and my first insight into Chinese medicine.

If you still haven’t figured it out, Charlotte is a character from arguably one of the most popular TV shows in America in the 90’s and early 00’s – Sex and The City. It came up in a discussion I had with Doctor Shelley Ochs, an American practitioner of Chinese medicine. Despite my deriving some enjoyment and gaining a curiosity about Chinese medicine from the aforementioned scene, Ochs isn’t too happy about the depiction. Like most things done for TV land, the scene itself is rife with inaccuracies, starting with the placement of the acupuncture needles to how it is purported to have worked on Charlotte’s problem of infertility.

Dr. Shelley Ochs performing an examination

This is because Ochs is an acupuncturist, initially trained in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, she came to Beijing twelve years ago to pursue further studies in the field, going beyond just the mere technicalities of the science, but also learning more about the philosophy behind acupuncture. It was a long journey which ultimately led Ochs to her present passion. As a young backpacker in Taiwan, she would fall ill often, an unfortunate effect of bad air on her then unaccustomed lungs. After several attempts at seeking conventional treatment, a friend encouraged her to try Chinese medicine, at which point she consulted an herbalist with great results. After having witnessed the efficacy of the herbs that even antibiotics couldn’t accomplish, Ochs was entirely sold on Chinese medicine, deciding then to make the herbalist her primary care provider.

More and more, people the world over are turning to alternative or and indigenous healthcare options. Along with this rise, has come a deeper understanding of how these different systems work. Chinese medicine in particular has always been shrouded in a cloud of mystery, being relegated to the fringes of western healthcare practices, or approached with great caution or mysticism. Ochs herself admits to this shroud of mystery adding, “Chinese medicine is best suited for things that are functional and the way that works from a bio-medical point of view is becoming clearer. Now we have FMRI’s where you can see what is happening in the brain in real time. There are more and more studies that come out about the mechanism of action that show that if you put a needle in the foot or above the ankle, and we know from traditional knowledge – from the classics – that it affects the eyes. And sure enough, the visual cortex lights up. But it begs the question how the signal gets there.”

Scientists are constantly trying to answer such questions, positing the latest theory of it being an action on the connective tissue. Ultrasound has been used in places like the University of Vermont to show how the connective tissue maps to the classical channels by up to 70 or 80 percent. Simply put, by placing a needle through the three layers of skin, you inevitably contact connective tissue that exists in ‘trains’, affecting interstitial fluid, which in turn affects the central nervous system.

Even though the scientific mechanisms behind the efficacy of acupuncture are becoming less and less of a mystery, the prevailing perception is one of skepticism. Rarely do those who grew up in more Western medicine-oriented backgrounds turn to Chinese medicine, especially acupuncture, as a main form of treatment. At best, it is considered a quaint distraction and at worst, it is an ineffective form of treatment with nothing but a placebo effect to show for itself. To this, Ochs has a response.

“In clinical practice, people can come in and be very cynical and it still works. You don’t have to believe in it. But medicine is also about relationships. The trends in Western medicine is to recognize all those components like how we communicate with people and even being positive. If expectation affects, which are part of a placebo effect, if they are real, then why not amplify it, as long as you are not lying to people. You come in and someone listens to you. You are in a quiet room by yourself, with some nice music. You lie on a table for 30 minutes and that is therapeutic.”

So as it turns out, Charlotte being left in a room with her thoughts was not quite as misleading as I had imaginaed.

As Ochs demonstrates how to take the pulse and perform an analysis, I couldn’t help but wonder who it was that would get this kind of treatment. I hardly think a patient who’s recently suffered a massive brain aneurysm would be a good candidate for the treatment. Be that as it may, Ochs still sees a wide range of patients, though her Beijing-based patients are markedly different from her patients back in Louisville. “Back in Louisville I saw everything. People would come in with rare conditions that maybe only one in a million people have, and the treatment would be their last resort. I would also see patients recovering from cancer.”

Ochs also explained that she sees a large number of patients seeking treatment for stress, insomnia, anxiety and depression, all conditions that respond well to acupuncture. “Acupuncture works very well for that. Why? Because it works on the mind, body and spirit. You’re stimulating or affecting these channels, but when you open these channels then all of the functions of the organism work better,” Ochs offers.

Also included in the roster of patients Ochs sees on a regular basis, are women with fertility issues, painful or irregular periods, peri-menopause and menopause, and also patients suffering from chronic pain, rhinitis, those with low immunity and as she puts it, “poor functioning of every system.”

Ochs has also found that acupuncture works well for patients diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. “They are going through a crisis or the medication isn’t working as it should. There is a flair-up. Or they have a therapist but they don’t want to go on medication but they need some intervention.” As far as efficacy goes, patients are able to feel a change as soon as they get off the table. Each condition requires different durations of treatments, with it going from visits to treatment cycles, with some being done in conjunction with herbs to better target the problem. ‘You’re trying to give the body new information. You want it to shift from this dysfunctional pattern to a functional one. You give it this intervention and then it should be able to hold this pattern on its own”, Ochs explains. She estimates that after four to six treatments, a patient should be able to feel or see a difference, though this is dependent upon how long the condition has been in the body. And after patients achieve resolution, they might also go into the clinic for tune-ups.

With a new generation of parents who are increasingly cautious of what their children are exposed to in terms of medicine, there is a constant drive for alternatives to otherwise harmful treatments. Acupuncture can also be performed on children. According to the classics, once a child is above the age of six, their channels are similar to those of an adult and thus can benefit from this form of treatment. One particular treatment, however, stood out to me as the most fascinating – attempting to induce labor in pregnant women.

According to Ochs, during pregnancy, there are certain points that are forbidden when it comes to acupuncture as using them might induce labor. In countries like Germany, it is common practice for midwives to incorporate acupuncture in women’s birthing plans, as studies have shown its efficacy in shortening labor and ensuring that it goes much smoother. “You’re helping the chi move down, but you’re also getting the liver, kidney and spleen channels open and ready for birth. A patient might come in at week 39 or week 40 of pregnancy, and they are nervous that they might be induced. You use points in the lower back, pushing on the sacrum, massage, do needles, and the ‘He gu’ point in the hand which is a point for inducing labor.” The science behind this technique is unclear but it proves effective for its purpose.

It is tempting to think of this form of treatment as a sort of cure-all for illnesses and conditions that haven’t quite been mastered by Western medicine. Coupled with its affordability and availability in a city like Beijing, it is also a more convenient, safer, and less invasive procedure as compared to conventional Western forms of treatment. Hopefully, should you decide to try it, or even give it a second chance after a previously unsuccessful attempt, you will be in the caring and able hands of a practitioner like Ochs.

Photos: Groupon, Shelley Ochs 

For many international families, medical insurance is one of the biggest expenses, and biggest worries. Unless you’re lucky enough to have insurance provided by your employer, you face the choice of paying a substantial sum for comprehensive coverage including international healthcare facilities, or saving money and paying for individual treatments or using local hospitals. Some families even gamble that the worst won’t happen, and have no insurance at all.

Even if you have cover though, co-pay can mean it’s still expensive to get treatments. And making a small claim can lead to big policy exclusions next time you have to renew. So whatever your insurance situation, it’s helpful to know how to buy generic medicines over the counter for simple medical problems, rather than having to pay to see a doctor, even if your Chinese is still basic.

To spare blushes I will draw a veil over which member of my family it was, and which condition, that inspired this blog. Suffice it to say that a little internet research saved us time, money, and embarrassment.

Say, for example, you have been to the gym, and you develop a scaly, itchy, red patch on your skin, which expands into a ring. Googling will soon reveal that this is ringworm: not in fact a worm, but a fungal infection, known as athlete’s foot when it develops on that part of the body. It’s common, easily treatable, but also annoying.

You could just find the Chinese name for this condition, but if you go the wrong pharmacy, you may end up with a ginseng-based remedy designed to restore your qi. Which is lovely, though you may in the short term at least prefer a medically-tested fungicide which will get rid of the annoying itch. In which case, another session of googling will give you the name of one such product: clotrimazole.

It’s important that you find the generic name for the medicine: in the West, clotrimazole is sold under the name Canesten, but you’re unlikely to find most Western brand names in China. If you know the brand name you need, you can find its generic name here: www.drugs.com/drug_information.html It’s worth noting that generic medicines are exactly the same as brand medicines, you’re not sacrificing quality!

At the pharmacy you will need the Chinese name for the medicine, and it may help to know the name of the condition too. Neither of my mainstay dictionaries – Pleco on my phone and Yabla on the internet – are particularly good on medical terms. Fortunately though, the Chinese version of Wikipedia (zh.wikipedia.org) is, and usually has the English names in the article, so you can find the right one on a search. So we discover that ringworm is

足癣 (Zú xuǎn)

and clotrimazole is

克催瑪汝 (Kè cuī mǎ rǔ)

Take a picture of these names, or copy-paste them to WeChat, and off you go to the pharmacy (make sure it has a green cross outside, or it’s ginseng for you!) You only need two more words of Chinese: yǒu (have) and yào (need). Point to your phone, say “yǒu 足癣, yào 克催瑪汝”, and you should get what you need without difficulty.

(As always, if symptoms persist, or if you’re unsure, you should see a doctor.)

Photo: Pexels from Pixabay

While browsing WeChat, I stumbled across an interesting story of a student who makes traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) tea blends. Rhiannon Sim has been investigating Chinese medicine since graduating from high school three years ago. She has been working with her Chinese medicine doctor to understand Chinese medicine and create tea blends that are targeted to general wellness problems. She has created these tea bags so people have easier and faster access to TCM. I know of some people using the “Breathe Easy” tea blend to fight a painful throat and “Help” during the pollution season.

I am in awe of young people who have a simple business plan and run with it. Sim, who graduated from Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), is now following a correspondence course at a New Zealand university while working on projects here in Beijing. I must say I find this smart and very witty of her to combine learning and real-life projects as I am a firm believer that real life will teach you more than school will ever do.

Sim sells her blends online and has been spotted in the WAB Christmas Charity Bazaar. We hope this tea maker will be attending many more markets this year as we want to get our hands on some of the blends ourselves. Scan the QR code below for more information and check out some of her blends too!

Photos: Pixabay, courtesy of Rhiannon Sim

I remember arriving in Beijing with a nagging pain in my back. I ignored it. Even before we moved to Beijing I was having pains, but I kept putting off going to a doctor. Three weeks into our China adventure, and I was at the hospital with kidney stones; they had been hiding for some time. This resulted in emergency surgery to get them removed, and having a tube inserted to relieve my kidney from all the nasty stuff the stone prevented leaving my body.

One of the upsides of this story was that we were sent to Beijing United Family Hospital. I have been in hospitals  all over the world, and was very skeptical of what we would find in China. I was scared for no reason: the hospital was clean, and the doctors very helpful and swift in taking care of me and my needs. The great service and care I received after my surgery make me wish sometimes I was back at Beijing United Family Hospital, rather than a five star hotel.

And I did go back. Last week marked World Health Day, and the official launch of the Center for Family Medicine and Integrative Healthcare at BJU, combining the family medicine, integrative medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine departments. The hospital celebrated with speeches from Dr Roo Changizi, Sylvia Pan, Ying Swee Ong and Melissa Rodriguez, talking about living a balanced lifestyle in Beijing, and how the new center and its staff can help us with these challenges that face us in everyday life. From losing weight, to sleep apnoea, to kidney stones, BJU is committed providing international healthcare service to a multicultural community. And I for one was glad I returned that Friday to BJU, this time in better health, and in time to see BJU and its guests have a Friday dance off, to celebrate a healthy lifestyle.

Photos: courtesy of BJU

Urgent action is needed to change the way both doctors and consumers use antibiotics, to avoid a post-antibiotics era where these drugs no longer work at all, the World Health Organization (WHO) in China announced during the first ever World Antibiotic Awareness Week, from now through November 22.

“Antibiotics are a crucial part of modern medicine, but they have become victims of their own success. As a result of over-use and misuse of antibiotics by both doctors and patients, antibiotic resistance is a now a gravely serious global health problem – including here in China,” said Dr. Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO representative in China.

“Antibiotic resistance affects us all. It means infections which were once easily cured are becoming harder to treat, and common surgical procedures such as caesarian sections and appendix removals could become life-threatening due to the risk of untreatable infections,” Dr. Schwartländer explained.

Beyond the health system, the economic costs of antibiotic resistance are formidable – in China, one prediction estimates the loss of up to a million lives a year by 2050 – and if left unchecked, antibiotic resistance could wipe out up to 3.5 percent of global GDP by 2050.

In China, use of antibiotics is very high: over the past decade, more than half of outpatients in China have been prescribed antibiotics – far above the level recommended by WHO (less than 30 percent).

A new survey commissioned by the WHO for World Antibiotic Awareness Week also shows that public awareness in China about antibiotics and their use is low:

• 61 percent of survey respondents in China thought antibiotics were effective against colds and flu, despite the fact that antibiotics have no impact on viruses;
• 53 percent of survey respondents in China  thought it was okay to stop once taking antibiotics once they felt better, rather than completing the prescribed course of treatment; and
• 35 percent of survey respondents in China thought antibiotics were effective against headaches, which is not the case.

China has taken important steps over the last few years to address antibiotic resistance: for instance, in 2011, the Chinese government launched a nationwide campaign to improve the use of antibiotics by health workers and institutions, which has led to significant reductions in rates of antibiotic prescriptions.  

However, more needs to be done – both by health care professionals and patients.

“The WHO’s message for patients is this: don’t demand antibiotics from your doctor when you may not need them. Only take antibiotics when they are prescribed for you by a certified health professional. Always take the full course, even if you are feeling better. Never use leftover antibiotics, and never share your antibiotics with others,” said Dr Schwartländer.

“The magnitude of the problem of antibiotic resistance is enormous, and all of us have a role to play in addressing it. If everyone plays their part, we can ensure that these crucial drugs are still able to save lives in the years to come,” Dr Schwartländer concluded.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on November 18, 2015.

Both my kids suffer from car sickness, the eldest is particularly affected. As soon as he turned three, he started to get sick on car journeys, and sometimes on coaches, boats, and planes. Last Chinese New Year we went to Vietnam and the four hour car journey from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Thiet was an endless round of pass the sick bag. The bumpy roads, lack of air conditioning and, at times, sheer terror, was enough to make anyone feel a bit woozy. Last summer, our trip back to the UK meant a five hour drive to visit their grandparents. As I would be the one driving, the kids in the back on their own, I couldn’t expect them to hold their own sick bags for the whole journey. So I picked up some anti-sickness tablets before we traveled. Suitable for young children, they contained anti-histamine, which would make them feel a little drowsy. The kids slept for nearly the whole journey, which you might think was a good thing, but they were also left feeling drowsy for quite a while afterwards. There must ways of preventing car sickness, without having to take medication.

Car sickness is a type of motion sickness, which occurs when the brain receives conflicting information from the motion-sensing parts of the body — the inner ears, eyes, and nerves in the extremities. Imagine a young child sitting low in the back seat without being able to see out the window — or an older child reading a book in the car. The child’s inner ear will sense motion, but his or her eyes and extremities won’t. The result might be an upset stomach, cold sweat, fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite or vomiting. It’s not clear why car sickness affects some children more than others, and while the problem doesn’t seem to affect most infants and toddlers, children aged between two and 12 are particularly susceptible.

Some ways to try and prevent car sickness in children include reducing sensory input. Encourage them to look at things outside the car — rather than focusing on books, games, or movies. If your child naps, traveling during nap time also helps. Carefully plan pre-trip meals, don’t give your child spicy or greasy foods or a large meal immediately before or during car travel. If your travel time will be short, skip food entirely. If the trip will be long or your child needs to eat, give them a small, bland snack like dry crackers before you travel. Along with a carbonated beverage such as ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, this sometimes does the trick. Provide plenty of air ventilation, and try to keep the air clear of any strong odors too, like air fresheners. You could try distracting them by talking, listening to music, or singing songs.

If these tips are not enough, I’ve heard parents talk about Motioneaze. A natural remedy that contains highly concentrated herbal oils, including lavender, peppermint, frankincense, chamomile, myrrh, ylang-ylang, and birch. You don’t need to use it before you travel, as it gives quick relief, even after symptoms have started. You simply massage a drop or two behind each earlobe. However, my kids don’t give enough notice for this to work for us. It’s a case of “mom, I feel sick” and then they are. For older kids, who can convey better how they are feeling, it could work.

Hyland’s Motion Sickness is a traditional homeopathic formula for the relief of symptoms of nausea and dizziness associated with motion. With no side effects, it is safe for children and can be used in conjunction with other medications. The tablets are dissolved in the mouth before travel and during travel. Some people say it’s great others that it makes no difference. If none of these things works, for your kids, then medication may well be your only answer. Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) is approved for kids two years and older, and diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can be used for kids six years and older. Both of these do have drowsiness as a side effect. The medical practitioners I’ve spoken to about car sickness, have all said that unfortunately, non-drowsy antihistamines don’t appear to be effective at treating motion sickness. They did add that kids do tend to outgrow car sickness. Until then, it’s plastic bags at the ready, just in case.

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: Michael Coté, Eric Flexyourhead, Jessica (Flickr)