An Array of Home Remedies for Nausea

Many among us have experienced nausea sometime or the other in our cluttered lives. It is a familiar and unpleasant feeling in the stomach that often accompanies with the urge to vomit, fatigue, and loss of appetite. However, in many cases nausea doesn’t lead to vomiting.  Nausea is not a disease as such but can be symptom of one or several conditions.

Nausea can be triggered by a wide variety of situations which include pregnancy, sea voyage and air flight among others.

Nausea Instances

The feeling of nausea often surfaces during  the first trimester of pregnancy, as a   result of an increase in the progesterone hormone among the pregnant women, which can adversely affect digestion and can cause feeling of nausea and tendency to vomit. Nausea can also occur as a side effect of some medical disorders.

Nausea occurs frequently among postoperative patients recovering from surgery due to the effects of anesthesia, dehydration, due to medications being given on empty stomach and lack of preventative nausea and vomiting medication. In fact, postoperative nausea and vomiting is a challenge for doctors while dealing with patients recovering from surgery.

Sometimes nausea can also occur due to food poisoning and intake of alcoholic beverages and sometimes even anxiety can also cause nausea.

Some people develop nausea when administered certain type of food and medications. Heartburn or acid reflux and indigestion can also cause nausea as can bacteria and virus.

But what is heartening is that there are several home remedies for nausea, which have the potential to tackle this menace.

The Remedy of Ginger

Ginger can be treated as one of the effective home remedies for nausea. Effectiveness of ginger at reducing nausea in various situations is being confirmed by several studies. The feeling of nausea which people frequently experience after being subjected to a chemotherapy treatment or an operation may be reduced by administering of ginger.

Ginger is effective at reducing or eliminating the feeling of nausea perhaps because of its anti-inflammatory properties, which can facilitate digestion.  The compounds of ginger are also thought to quicken the process of stomach contents moving into the small intestine, which can reduce nausea symptoms. 

Ginger can be partaken in a variety of forms which includes using raw ginger in cooking, drinking ginger infused tea, or eating ginger in candied form. About 0.5 to 1.5 grams of dried ginger root per day is perhaps the most effective dosage of ginger to be administered for a person suffering from nausea.  

However, in case you are affected by low blood pressure or low blood sugar levels or if you are taking blood thinners you need to limit your ginger intake.

Peppermint and Cinnamon

There are other natural remedies for nausea too. Peppermint has a long history of being treated as a traditional remedy for nausea. Peppermint to treat nausea can be consumed in a capsule, tea, or through oil. Sipping peppermint tea can help you to ease nausea as do scent of peppermint oil.

Women suffering from nausea caused by menstrual pain can take cinnamon as a home remedy to counter the feeling of nausea. A study revealed that cinnamon can facilitate to reduce nausea caused by menstrual pain.

Ancient Healing

Ancient healing practices of acupuncture and acupressure can be used as home remedies for nausea and vomiting. Acupressure entails insertion of thin needles to specific points of the body whereas acupressure involves applying pressure by hand to stimulate certain points of the body known as meridians.

There are several theories among the scientific community about the way acupuncture works, but what is more important that it does work. Many scientists think the needles stimulate certain nerves in the body, and these nerves in turn send signals to the brain to release hormones which reduce feelings of nausea.

A study found that acupuncture was at least as effective as medications in controlling nausea among cancer patients.

More than a decade back, a review of more than 40 trials which was published in Autonomic Neuroscience, deciphered that acupressure can reduce some nausea symptoms.  Two studies also showed that acupressure decreases the severity of nausea and the risk of developing nausea after chemotherapy

In acupressure, one of the main pressure points to get relief from nausea is Pericardium 6 or P6, which is located under the wrist.

However, though acupuncture and acupressure can be easily practiced at home but it is strongly recommended that both these home remedies for nausea need to be carried out by a trained expert only.

Eat Bland

There are also preventive measures which can prevent your nausea from getting worse. When you are feeling nausea, you should stick to a bland diet and avoid spicy food. Food with strong aroma may make your nausea worse. Moreover, bland food are easy to digest and thus facilitate your stomach to regain its healthy state in case your nausea is due to indigestion. Bananas, applesauce, plain chicken, chicken soup, rice are some of the items one can partake when feeling nausea. It is always preferable to have a protein-rich diet than a carbohydrate laden diet to reduce nausea.

You also need to avoid alcoholic beverages when having nausea, as it can enhance the nausea symptoms.

Water to Counter Vomiting

If one is experiencing nausea as a result of indigestion, acid reflux or heat exhaustion and having vomiting as its symptom, one should also drink water frequently to stay continually hydrated in order to prevent worsening of the condition. Drinking water can however be difficult when having nausea. In fact, while one has nausea, one tends to develop a dislike towards all food and drinks. In that case one should take small sips of water throughout the day in order to stay hydrated.

Along with drinking of water one can partake salty foods or a sugar infused beverage, which can facilitate to restore the lost sugar and salt through vomiting.

Vomiting is one of the symptoms of nausea but it can also reduce or even cure nausea effectively in some cases, especially if the nausea is caused by food poisoning or intake of alcoholic beverages. However, in case there is repeated vomiting do not hesitate to rush to the doctor.

The Essential Oils

Use of aromatherapy to address nausea is also popular. There are various essential oils which can play their role as home remedies for nausea. Essential oils are oils distilled from active compounds found in plants. These oils are rich with the beneficial properties of some botanical herbs and spices.

According to Blossom Kochhar, who can be credited with reviving the ancient science of aromatherapy in India and making it garner its lost respect, “Essential oils can be extracted from leaves, flowers, herbs, spices, bark of tree and grass, through distillation.”

“Essential oils can be effectively used through our sense of smell through diffusers, candles, incense sticks, etc. They can also be sprinkled on bowls of water, on bed linen, in wardrobes, air-conditioner ducts, etc. to get the desired effect,” explained the beauty and wellness diva further.

If your nausea is triggered by anxiety and physical pain, application of lavender essential oil might be helpful in addressing it. You can place a few drops of lavender in an essential oil diffuser and inhale slowly when the wafting scent infuses into the air. However, lavender oil may not be helpful in giving relief from nausea caused by pregnancy or in a post-operative state.

Ginger oil can be very much helpful in reducing nausea or getting you relief from nausea. For pregnant women experiencing nausea, ginger oil can be safely administered. You can diffuse ginger oil into the air with the help of an oil diffuser, and then ginger oil can also be rubbed in forehead and wrists and stomach to reduce nausea.

It was deciphered from a clinical trial that ginger oil is an effective remedy for people suffering nausea while recovering from surgical anesthesia.

Peppermint aromatherapy has the potential to help reduce nausea. In one study, in 57 percent of cases peppermint aromatherapy was effective at lowering nausea. An inhaler containing peppermint oil can be helpful at the onset of nausea by letting the nauseating feeling reduce. The essential oil of peppermint can be used to let the feeling of nausea to subside but do not forget to amalgamate it with a carrier oil, which is a vegetable oil, for its safe application.

Cardamom oil with its spicy fragrance can also be a more than decent anti-nausea facilitator, particularly when it is mixed with other essential oils. Fennel oil also has the potential to give you relief from nausea.

The fragrance of peppermint and lemon can be creatively explored to alleviate the feeling of nausea.

The citrusy aroma of a freshly sliced lemon might be helpful in reducing the feeling of nausea in pregnancy.  A study on 100 pregnant women revealed that smelling lemon essential oil led to their reduction in nausea and vomiting by significant levels. A vial of lemon essential oil can also be used especially when one is feeling nausea and is away from home.

However, while using essential oils to counter nausea one should not directly inhale the vapour from an oil diffuser or steam dispenser. By doing so, you might  be irritating your mucous membrane. Moreover, if your nausea continues for more than two days despite the administering of essential oils, you should stop using essential oils and consult your doctor.

Sitting Upright and Controlled Breathing

Sometimes sitting in an upright position or lying with head propped up on pillows can help to counter the effects of nausea. Similarly taking slow and deep breaths can also facilitate in reducing the feeling of nausea. One affected by nausea can inhale through his/her nose to a count of three, hold the breath to a count of three, and then exhale to a count of three.  

Controlled breathing’s role in reducing nausea has been confirmed by research, where the above-mentioned breathing pattern was adhered to by the participants in the study. Controlled breathing can be a pragmatic and natural nausea relief, especially in some cases of mild nausea.

There are also several OTC medications to prevent nausea and vomiting, which are called antiemetics. But it is always better to have them after consulting with your doctor and telling her/him in detail about your medical history.

Moreover, here it deserves a mention that none of these home remedies has the certainty to relieve you of your nausea but yes they have the potential to relieve your nausea or alleviate the feeling of nausea.

However, if your nausea doesn’t get cured or markedly reduced within two days through home remedy/ies, you should rush to your doctor. Moreover, if your nausea is accompanied by frequent bouts of vomiting, chest pain, dark vomiting, dark stools, don’t rely on home remedies but seek expert medical advice soon.

It should be noted thatin some casesnausea and vomiting come as symptoms of serious health problems such as kidney or liver disorders, heart attack, brain tumours, and cancer.

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