Nausea is something we have all felt in our lives at one time or another. Whether it's from the stomach flu, food poisoning, acid reflux, or cancer treatment, one thing's for sure - we'd do just about anything to get rid of it!
Que in the best home remedies for nausea and how to get rid of nausea fast!
The Best Home Remedies for Nausea
Nausea is probably one of the most unpleasant symptoms you can experience and can arise in a variety of situations. Whatever the reason is, the first thing you need to do when feeling nauseous is to think about the root cause.
- Are you pregnant?
- Did you eat something disagreeable or contaminated?
- Are you taking medications that may be causing nausea?
- Do you have the stomach flu or Norovirus?
- Was your nausea triggered by something you saw or smelled?
- Did you over exert yourself physically?
- Are you experiencing pain (like menstrual cramps or migraine) that have triggered your nausea?
- Are you experiencing motion sickness or altitude sickness?
- Are you experiencing very strong emotions?
- Did you overeat or drink too much alcohol?
- Are you undergoing Chemotherapy or Radiation?
These are just a few examples, but nailing down the actual reason for your nausea is a key component when trying to sooth and eliminate its symptoms.
And speaking of symptoms, the most common nausea symptoms include:
- Abdominal pain
- Cold or hot sweats
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Elevated heart rate
- Excess saliva production
- Lightheadedness
- Sudden pale appearance
- Vomiting
In some cases, allowing yourself to vomit will eliminate nausea, but sometimes it isn't so simple.
So, what helps nausea dissipate?
What are the best nausea cures?
Well, I've got 8 natural remedies for nausea that will help you feel better as soon as possible!
My Top 8 Home Remedies for Nausea
1. Ginger Root
This one is such a given, but there's a reason everyone knows to consume ginger when feeling nauseous - it works!
Ginger has been used for thousands of years as a traditional nausea treatment. Even today you can find a multitude of studies that have shown ginger to possess strong nausea reducing effects in a variety of situations including seasickness, morning sickness, and chemotherapy.
It is unknown exactly how ginger works, even for cases of extreme nausea, but it is believed that its gingerol content is what positively affects the digestive and central nervous systems.
Ginger is also known to promote the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes to help neutralize stomach acid while its high phenol content helps relax stomach muscles, sooth irritated tissues, and reduce over-reactivity.
These phenols also help the intestines excrete any unwanted foods, toxins, and bacteria from the gut more quickly that may be contributing to nausea.
For nausea in the morning, motion sickness, and even chemo-induced nausea, you can take 500-600mg of ginger root 2-3 times daily. For severe nausea, you can even up the does to 500-600mg every 3-4 hours until symptoms ease.
This is my favorite ginger root capsule.
You can also make an effective ginger tea by peeling a thumb size chunk of ginger and then thinly slicing it. Add it to a pot of spring water (do not use water from the tap) and bring it to a simmer. Keep the pot covered, and simmer the fresh ginger root for 20 minutes.
Pour the ginger tea into a mug (you can strain if you like) and drink it throughout the day. You can even add a little honey to sweeten the tea if desired, just make sure it's raw honey without any unwanted added sugars.
This is one of the most effective home remedies for nausea, especially for pregnant women!
And, don't forget ginger ale! I find that all-natural ginger ale works best, not the artificially flavored ones.
Homemade Ginger Ale Recipe
You can even make it yourself by simmering 2 cups of freshly sliced ginger and a few slices of fresh lemon in 4 cups of spring water. Simmer this covered for a good 20 minutes. Let the mixture cool, strain it into a mason jar, then add ½ cup of raw honey and stir well to combine.
When symptoms of nausea arise, mix ¼ cup of this "ginger and lemon simple syrup" with 1 cup of cold club soda.
Be aware that you should consult with your physician if you take blood thinners or have low blood pressure as ginger can exacerbate those conditions.
2. Chamomile
Drinking chamomile tea either chilled or hot (whichever sounds most soothing to you at the time) has been shown to calm digestive distress like cramping and spasms and upset stomach.
Chamomile has been greatly valued as a digestive relaxant in traditional medicine and has been used to treat nausea, vomiting, indigestion, and motion sickness with great results.
You can take chamomile as a capsule or drink it as a tea.
3. Take Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is one of the most effective treatments for morning sickness as it plays an integral role in digestive health. In fact, it's become increasingly recommended as an effective treatment for nausea in pregnant women who wish to avoid anti-nausea medications.
To help stop nausea while pregnant, take 25mg of B6 three times daily until symptoms disappear. For more severe cases of morning sickness, dosage up to 200mg per day is generally considered to be safe.
This is my favorite B6 supplement.
Always consult with your physician before taking supplements while pregnant.
4. Acupressure
Another effective remedy for easing nausea quickly is to use acupressure. For thousands of years, TCM has utilized stimulating pressure points throughout the body to alleviate pain, illness, and other conditions.
The hypothesis for why acupressure works is thought to be through specific nerve stimulation which in turn send signals to the brain to release chemicals and hormones that reduce various symptoms - like nausea.
In fact, acupressure has been found to be just as effective at soothing and eliminating symptoms of nausea as leading anti-nausea medications, even in chemo patients.
What's great about acupressure is it's easy to do and can be easily performed at home or in your hospital room.
Simply apply firm pressure to the appropriate points on the body and hold it for 10-30 seconds or up to 5 minutes while breathing deeply.
One of the most effective acupressure points on the body is P6, which you can see how to find in the image below.
You can even buy wrist bands that can be placed right over this acupressure point. They are super convenient to use for any type of nausea.
Another is L14.
5. Cold Compress
Simply applying a cold compress to the back of the neck or anywhere you feel necessary while feeling nauseous is another great remedy to help sooth symptoms.
I know that I personally feel much better when cold if I'm feeling any nausea coming on, so I always have a few cold packs in the freezer for such occasions.
For some people, you may find that heat sounds better, especially if you're feeling nauseous because of abdominal cramping. For this type of nausea, I like to use a heating pad or blanket to help relax muscles.
Just use whichever your body finds most soothing.
6. Deep Breathing
The act of controlled, deep breathing has been shown time and time again to be incredibly effective for controlling nausea. If you can do this in fresh air, all the better!
One study has shown that is doesn't matter what scent you may be inhaling while practicing deep breathing, but only that you're deep breathing.
The controlled breathing technique which was to inhale through their nose for a count of three, hold their breath for a count of three, and exhale for a count of three was shown to reduce nausea by 62%!
7. BRAT Diet
If you're nauseous because of eating something that didn't agree with you, consuming very gentle bland foods will help sooth your stomach and digestive tract.
The best "diet" for this is called BRAT
- Bananas
- Rice
- Applesauce (no added sugar)
- Toast
You can even add plain pasta noodles and plain potatoes.
These foods are super easy on the stomach and have no offensive smell or flavor that will trigger or worsen nausea.
8. Essential Oils
Essential oils have an especially potent effect on reducing nausea because they are taken straight into the body through inhalation. The medicinal constituents of the oils can then go to work by stimulating the release of hormones and other chemicals that can greatly lessen the symptoms of nausea.
Some of the very best essential oils for nausea include:
Cardamom essential oil
Ginger essential oil
Grapefruit essential oil
Lemon essential oil
Patchouli essential oil (this EO, in particular, is especially effective when applied diluted to the entire abdominal region as it prevents the spasms associated with vomiting)
Peppermint essential oil
Spearmint essential oil
Sweet orange essential oil
Essential Oil Recipes for Nausea
Blend #1 - Equal parts peppermint and lemon essential oil
Blend #2 - Equal parts ginger and lemon essential oil
Blend #3 - Equal parts cardamom and sweet orange essential oil
Add these oils to a personal nasal inhaler, a diffuser, or on a tissue and inhale deeply as needed to combat symptoms of nausea. I usually start with three drops of each essential oil I have chosen to use for best results.
More Simple Tips on How to Stop Nausea
- Add more protein to your meals
- Avoid large meals
- Avoid spicy or fatty foods
- Stay Hydrated
- Stay upright after a meal
What have been your best home remedies for nausea? Please share in the comments below!
You may also enjoy reading:
Natural Remedies for Tension Headaches
How to Prevent Altitude Sickness Using Natural Remedies
12 Ways to Feel Better During a Cold or Flu
The Best Essential Oils for Motion Sickness
Neoysha says
I'm sniffing lavender while I'm reading. The essential oils really work.
darla lakosh says
keeping mom laying down with the cold compress really worked. thank you..
Tash says
That's great, Darla! 🙂