Nausea is one of the most uncomfortable and dreaded sensations that we all suffer from time to time.
It is the sensation of a queasy stomach with the urge to vomit.
Keep reading to learn 15 natural remedies to get rid of nausea.
Causes of nausea
Nausea occurs for many reasons, including:
- Medication side effects
- Intense pain
- Emotional stress (fear, anxiety, etc.)
- Gallbladder disease
- Motion sickness or seasickness
- Early stages of pregnancy (also called morning sickness, but it can occur at any time of the day)
- Food poisoning
- Infections and viruses
- Overeating
- A reaction to certain smells or odors
- Concussion or brain injury
- Brain tumor
- Ulcers
- Some forms of cancer
- Bulimia or other mental health disorders
- Ingestion of toxins or excessive amounts of alcohol
- Bowel obstruction
Nausea medication can help ease the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. You can also try natural nausea remedies for both chronic nausea and short-term nausea.
15 Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Nausea
1. Eat or drink some ginger
Ginger is one of the most well-known natural remedies for nausea. Ginger is the edible root of the Zingiber officinale plant and can help prevent and treat nausea and vomiting.
Studies have used ginger to help treat and prevent nausea in pregnant women and people undergoing chemotherapy.
You can use ginger in many different forms as natural remedies for nausea. Ginger chews, ginger candies, ginger tea, and ginger ale are all options you can easily find at your local grocery or drug store.
2. Use peppermint oil aromatherapy
According to a study, peppermint aromatherapy is proven to help reduce the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Simply inhaling peppermint oil can help provide some relief.
You can also choose edible peppermint oil and add it to tea to aid an upset stomach, but use caution – a little goes a long way.
Straight peppermint essential oil is very strong and concentrated and can cause a burning sensation. Using a carrier oil to dilute essential oil can help make it more palatable.
3. Eat smaller meals
Eating smaller meals is one of the easiest natural remedies for nausea. Instead of eating three large meals, try to eat small snacks every couple of hours or as often as it sounds good.
This way, your stomach doesn’t have to work as hard to digest your food and can help reduce feelings of a queasy stomach.
4. Choose bland foods
A bland diet is often recommended for the treatment of nausea and vomiting. The BRAT diet stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast, which are all soft, bland foods that your body may tolerate better if you’re feeling nauseous.
Saltine crackers are a popular bland food that many pregnant women with morning sickness swear by. For severe morning sickness, keep a sleeve of saltine crackers next to your bed and take small bites before you sit up in bed. An empty stomach can worsen nausea, so this trick helps with morning sickness.
5. Stay upright after meals
If you lie down after meals it can trigger acid reflux which can worsen nausea. Staying upright after meals allows gravity to aid in digestion.
If you suffer from acid reflux, it can also help to avoid caffeine, chocolate, spicy foods, acidic foods, high-fat foods, peppermint, and spearmint. Some people suffering from acid reflux like to elevate the head of their bed to help reduce symptoms.
RELATED: Acid Reflux Diet: Foods To Eat And Foods To Avoid.
6. Avoid high-fat foods
High-fat foods take the longest to digest. The longer food stays in your stomach, the more it can worsen nausea symptoms. Stick with lean proteins and carbohydrates when you don’t feel well instead.
Gastroparesis is one medical condition that can cause nausea. Gastroparesis causes slow stomach emptying and is caused by damage to the nerves that control the stomach. It is a typical diabetes complication.
7. Breathe in some lemon scent
Like peppermint, breathing in lemon scent might help with nausea and vomiting.
In a study on pregnant women with nausea and vomiting, breathing in lemon essential oil at the onset of nausea symptoms significantly improved symptoms compared to the use of a placebo.
8. Practice deep breathing
It can be easy to start taking short, rapid breaths without meaning to when you feel nauseous. But, if you practice deep breathing instead, your symptoms might lessen.
A study explored the impact of deep breathing on people who experienced symptoms of motion sickness. Slow, deep breathing was found to prevent increased stomach activity and symptoms of motion sickness (nausea).
Some people with anxiety suffer from nausea as a symptom. In those cases, deep breathing can be even more beneficial.
Deep breathing can help lower symptoms of stress and anxiety and serves as a distraction away from anxiety-causing events.
9. Consider supplementing vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 can help reduce symptoms of nausea in pregnant women, according to the University of Michigan Health. Interestingly, vitamin B6 doesn’t help with vomiting, only nausea.
Vitamin B6 is considered safe for unborn babies and is usually prescribed in doses of 10-25 milligrams three times a day.
10. Don’t drink liquids with meals
Having a full stomach can trigger nausea symptoms. Drinking liquids with meals increases the pressure in your stomach and can worsen nausea. Instead, drink liquids between meals to keep the gastric pressure down.
11. Eat cold foods
Hot foods give off more aroma than cold foods or packaged foods that aren’t meant to be prepared hot. Strong odors can worsen nausea, so cold foods can be better tolerated.
Fruit, smoothies, cold sandwiches, are all good examples of foods that don’t give off strong smells.
12. Try acupressure or acupuncture
Nausea relief bands use acupressure to apply pressure on an acupuncture point on your wrist. A study examined the effectiveness of these nausea relief bands on patients with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The results found that acupressure bands reduced symptoms of nausea and vomiting.
If you want to take it a step further, consider acupuncture. Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine stemming from traditional Chinese medicine.
A review of more than 40 randomized studies concluded that acupuncture has an impact on controlling nausea and vomiting.
13. Practice muscle relaxation
The progressive muscle relaxation technique (PMRT) is used to help alleviate anxiety symptoms.
A study found that using PMRT significantly reduced the duration of nausea and vomiting symptoms and showed trends towards reducing the frequency of nausea and vomiting compared to the control group.
To practice PMRT, tighten the muscles in your feet for several moments and then relax them. Repeat this process with different muscle groups moving up your body while taking breaks to practice deep breathing in between muscle groups.
For example, work from the muscles in your feet, legs, glutes, stomach, back, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, all the way up to the muscles in your face.
14. Try chamomile
Chamomile is one of the oldest-known medicinal herbs. A study shows it may provide relief for several gastrointestinal issues such as gas, indigestion, diarrhea, reduced appetite, motion sickness, nausea, and vomiting.
Chamomile tea is a popular method of including chamomile in your diet as one of the many natural nausea remedies. As a bonus, a study shows chamomile tea may also help you get better quality sleep and reduce anxiety symptoms.
15. Try taking vitamins at bedtime
Certain vitamins and minerals may cause nausea in some people. Iron is one example of a mineral that can cause stomach upset, especially in pregnant women already suffering from morning sickness.
Taking your vitamins at bedtime might help reduce nausea compared to taking them in the morning. You can experiment to find the ideal time to take your vitamins and supplements when you suffer from nausea and vomiting.
Taking vitamins and minerals with food or milk can help reduce stomach upset as well. If you take prescription medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist what they recommend since certain medications need to be taken with or without food to be the most effective.
Conclusion
Nausea is an unpleasant sensation associated with vomiting, but it can occur without vomiting as well.
There are several types of anti-nausea medications you can use. There are also natural remedies for nausea that can be as easy as adjusting how often you eat or the types of food you eat. Other natural remedies for nausea include ginger, peppermint oil, vitamin B6, chamomile, and lemon.
Nausea is a symptom of many benign health conditions but can also signify something more serious. If you suffer from chronic nausea, you should seek medical attention to determine the root cause and rule out any more serious health conditions.
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