All of us are quite familiar with nausea as we must have experienced its symptoms at least once.
They mostly consist of discomfort and an uneasy feeling in the throat, which is paired with a sensation to vomit, which is a symptom of underlying ailments in the body.
This is a reaction which is a result of the prevailing illness of the body. This is not a pleasant feeling and could occur during travel and pregnancy.
Hence below are some of the best home and natural remedies and essential oils to cure nausea.
Table of Contents
How to Cure Nausea Using Natural Remedies?
There are many ‘over the counter’ medications which might provide relief, but they have side effects like drowsiness, inflammation, irritation, and allergies. There are also many other remedies that do not have any side effects listed below, using which you can treat nausea sitting right at home.
- Essential Oils
- Foods
- Supplements
- Home Remedies
- Alternative Treatments
- FAQs
CURE 1: Essential Oils
Essential oils are extracted from herbal plants, distilled into potent oils. These oils help in curing nausea, relaxing muscles, kill bacteria and viruses, improve digestion, and relieve pain. They have become a prevalent home remedy for curing many kinds of ailments.
Essential oils should not be ingested as they might prove toxic. They can be infused into the air, blended with a carrier oil or can be added to a diffuser.
If you have nausea resulting from pregnancy, vertigo, gastrointestinal reflux, stomach irritation, or other common conditions, essential oils prove to be a boon.
Let’s see what the most common essential oils are and how to use them for treating nausea.
1. CBD Oil
Does CBD help with nausea? Yes, it is an incredible remedy to reduce symptoms of nausea(1) without posing any side effects. Another significant advantage is that it can be taken in many ways.
How to Use
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Vapour
Inhaling the vapors of CBD oil by adding it to boiling water or oil makes it quickly reach the nasal cavities, which is immediately absorbed by the blood vessels. This method is lung-friendly.
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Under the tongue
Hold drops of CBD Oil under the tongue so that the mucous membranes of the mouth can absorb its active compounds,
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Oral Ingestion
Just take a spoon full of CBD oil and place it on your tongue before swallowing. The oil passes through your digestive system, which is metabolized by the liver and sent to the bloodstream. The effect is almost immediate.
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CBD Capsules
Having CBD Oil capsules is another effective way of using it. This is a good option for people who do not want to experience the strong taste of CBD.
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CBD Edibles
This method starts showing the effect a little slowly but lasts longer as they are absorbed slowly into the bloodstream.
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Mix with Food or Drink
You can mix CBD to your food or drink. This is an effortless way of absorbing CBD into the bloodstream. The fatty acids in the food act as carriers and allow the active compounds to move faster in the body.
CBD oil not only provides relief from Nausea and Vomiting but also from other symptoms resulting from chemotherapy treatment. It is also a very effective remedy that treats many kinds of pains because it has a hypnotic effect on us.
2. Peppermint Oil
Research has proven that Peppermint oil is very effective in cases of vomiting and postoperative nausea because of its antispasmodic and antiemetic properties. Peppermint is also an excellent remedy for diarrhea.
How to Use
Ingredients
- A bowl
- Half a liter of distilled water
- Peppermint essential oil
Procedure
- Add half a liter of distilled water into a container
- Now, let the water boil for 10-15 minutes
- To this add four drops of Peppermint oil to the water
- Let the solution cool, and then you can sip on it.
Benefits
This oil alleviates the itching feeling in the digestive tract and helps in soothing the pain in the colon.
3. Lavender Oil
Sometimes, nausea can be a result of stress and anxiety. Lavender Essential Oil, which is well known to offer calming effect, is a perfect remedy for this kind of nausea.
Lavender Oil can be used either by oral ingestion, topical application, or inhaling the vapor.
How to Use
Ingredients
- I liter water
- Lavender Essential Oil
- A bowl to boil water
Procedure
- Take a bowl
- Boil 1-liter water on it
- Add four drops of Lavender essential oil
- Inhale the aroma
Benefits
When inhaled, the linalool and linalyl are quickly absorbed into the body, which calms down the central nervous system and stops nausea.
4. Spearmint Oil
Spearmint Essential oil is a known antiemetic and antispasmodic agent that helps soothe the muscles in the abdominal area and thereby preventing nausea and vomiting. It is also known to kill the pathogens that may be present in the stomach.
How To Use
Ingredients
- 1 liter distilled water
- 5 drops spearmint essential oil
- A bowl to boil the water
- A clean towel
Procedure
- Add 1 liter of water to a bowl
- Heat the water till it boils
- Turn off the heat
- Add five drops of the oil to the boiling water
- Sniff in the aroma by covering the bowl with the towel with your head inside it
- See that no steam escapes
How Many Times: You can do this 1 to 2 times a day.
Benefits
This oil helps in alleviating motion sickness and also speeds up the process of digestion. In several cases of nausea, the main reason is indigestion. Hence, this oil helps you alleviate nausea by increasing the metabolic rate of the body.
Side-Effects, Precautions, the Do’s And Don’ts
Pregnant women should not be using essential oils without prescription or recommendation from a doctor. Using them without doctors, consultation might have adverse effects not only on the women but also on the fetus.
If ingested orally in limited amounts, it can be safe, but more substantial amounts can lead to blisters, swellings, and sores that can cause itching and irritation inside the mouth.
Bad quality essential oils can cause anal burning or diarrhea and can be very, very difficult to deal with.
It is consulted for general purposes that children below ten years of age are not exposed to essential oils as they can cause heat and expulsive side-effects.
CURE 2: Foods
1. Banana
Eating significant amounts of food is difficult when you are nauseous and sick. So, it is essential that whatever little you eat should be nutritious and should give you enough energy to recover from the ailment.
Bananas are one such food that is very nutritious and packed with energy. They are straightforward to be eaten when you are sick. Potassium loss due to vomiting or diarrhea can be replaced by consuming bananas(3). An average sized banana gives you 27 grams of carbs, 105 calories, 22% of B6 and 12% of Potassium needs of the body.
Avocado, Stewed fruits, porridge, Peanut butter, and mashed potatoes are other foods that are considered energy-dense foods.
2. Lemon
Lemons possess properties that not only relieves from nausea but also morning sickness.
How to use
- Inhaling the scent of lemon
- Bite a piece and chew it
- Use lemon infused beverages
- Have lemon extracts
- You can drink a glass of lemonade.
Benefits
Lemons promote healthy pH of the blood that reduces the hydrogen gas, which is the main reason for excess gastric acid.
3. Potatoes, Rice & Noodles
Plain and starchy foods like Potatoes, rice & noodles are good when you have nausea. They have high-calorie content and can be prepared quickly. They also settle very easily in the stomach. Strongly flavored foods trigger nausea. So, odorless, bland, and colorless foods are the right option as they are more easily tolerated.
Eat steamed or boiled rice with very light seasoning. If hot foods are putting you off, go for cold ones. You can add some butter or milk to boiled, steamed or mashed potatoes to add some more calories. Have boiled noodles. You can add a light broth to them if you feel like taking more fluids.
4. Broths
When you have nausea, fluids are better optional food as they are better tolerated. As they provide electrolytes and hydration, they can be considered as an excellent food to start when you have been affected with nausea or vomiting.
Chicken soup or chicken broth are usually used as a remedy against nausea. You can include some veggies if you are looking for some extra calories, vitamins, minerals and proteins which serve some extra body energy.
If you have nausea as a result of cold or congestion, a hot broth helps in clearing the nose, and thus you can feel better.
CURE 3: Supplements
1. Vitamin B6
A balanced diet is necessary for robust health. Strong health is all the more critical during pregnancy(4). There is a lot of nutrient loss caused by nausea and vomiting during this phase. Vitamin B6 that helps in controlling the pH of the stomach is also lost. To fill this loss, including the following list of foods in your diet.
Pistachios, Sunflower seeds, Fish like salmon, Lean pork, chicken and turkey, Dried fruit Bananas and Lean beef
Foods to Avoid During Nausea
- Greasy, fatty and fried food
- Goods which are very sweet
- Very spicy food
- Caffeine
- Strong odored food
- Alcohol
CURE 4: Home Remedies
1. Chamomile-Ginger Tea
Chamomile and ginger improve circulation helping the body deal with the imbalances that lead to nausea. This remedy is a simple but effective one for motion sickness as well as for nausea associated with chemotherapy, morning sickness, or gastrointestinal distress.
How to Use
Ingredients:
- 1 cup boiling water
- teaspoon dried chamomile
- teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root
Procedure:
- Add water to a container and boil it for 10-15 minutes
- To this add chamomile and ginger and cover the container
- Let the solution steep, and once cooled, you can consume this tea.
Ginger Ale and Ginger Tea
Ginger consists of gingerols and shogaols, that help alleviating inflammation and flatulence that is present in the digestive tract. Additionally, it also provides a soothing sensation in the gastrointestinal tract.
Benefits
Ginger contains gingerols and shogaols, which reduce inflammation, thus making it one of the perfect remedies to treat digestive discomforts and an upset stomach. You can use Ginger Tea or Ginger Ale for Nausea treatment.
2. (Sodium Bicarbonate) Baking Soda for Nausea
Though it sounds insane, Baking Soda is one such remedy that cures nausea.
How to Use
Ingredients
- Baking Soda (½ teaspoon)
- Water – 4 ounces (Prefer distilled water)
Procedure
- Take 4 ounces of water in a glass of water.
- Add half a teaspoon of baking soda to it
- Mix it well
- Sip the solution slowly
Benefits
Baking Soda changes the pH levels of the stomach acids and provides relief from nausea. It soothes an upset stomach providing instant relief.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar is an excellent remedy to cure nausea. Hypersecretion of stomach acids is the reason for nausea. Though being acidic, Apple Cider Vinegar turns alkaline when ingested into the stomach and neutralizes the stomach acids, thus providing you relief from nausea. It also improves the metabolism of starch in the intestines by promoting probiotic bacteria.
How to Use
Just add 4 to 5 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar to half a glass of water and sip the solution slowly.
How Frequently to Use
You can have this solution 2 to 3 times a day till you are relieved from nausea.
CURE 5: Alternative Treatments
1. Acupressure
Acupressure is an ancient Chinese method of treatment which involves applying pressure on specific body parts to release muscle tension, promote blood circulation, and relieve other ailments.
How to Do It
Use your index and middle finger and press the groove between the two large tendons on the inside of your wrist. Applying pressure here would relieve you from nausea. Try doing this even on the other wrist too.
2. Yoga
Supta Virasana
This is one of the most effective yoga poses for treating nausea. When you practice this asana, the weight of the diaphragm is lifted off the liver and stomach. This gives both the organs enough space and time to recuperate. Your body is relaxed; tension & stress are relieved. When you combine the pose with deep breathing, you would feel even better.
Deep breathing
Deep breathing can help you wonderfully when you have nausea. It flushes out toxins and calms you down instantly. Take deep breathes and fill your lungs and stomach fully with air. Breathe out slowly.
Deep breathing offers more oxygen to the blood and the body and promotes faster recovery.
Additional Tips to Reduce Nausea
- You can get relieved from the symptoms of nausea with the below additional tips too.
- As far as possible, staying away from spicy food avoids worsening the condition. Go for bland food which might include rice, baked potatoes, crackers, and bananas as they are soothing on the stomach lining.
- Meals that are high in protein content fight against nausea.
- Eat more frequent smaller meals instead of going for heavy meals. Heavy meals may increase the inflammation of the stomach lining and worsen the condition of nausea.
- It is to be noted that you go to bed at least half an hour after eating meals. Lying down immediately after a meal may trigger reflux.
- While eating food, it is good to avoid intake of any liquids as drinking liquids amidst meals increases the feeling of fullness and can also trigger reflux.
- Nausea is worsened by dehydration. If your nausea is accompanied by vomiting, replace the loss of fluids by taking electrolyte rich fluids like a sports drink, ORS solution, or a vegetable broth.
- Nausea increases with strong and pungent smells, especially during pregnancy. So, avoid them to the maximum extent possible.
- If the iron levels of pregnant women are normal, they should not be taking iron supplements as they might increase the symptoms of nausea.
- Yoga and aerobic exercises are also very effective ways to reduce symptoms of nausea in some people.
- Nausea is an unpleasant ailment when it is difficult to eat or drink. There are certain foods suited to people who have nausea as they cannot afford to eat regular food. Pasta, Bland rice, Salty crackers, some cold foods, and potatoes are some foods which can be eaten. Certain types of teas, Protein-rich foods, and ginger also proved to have a positive effect.
- As nausea pushes out body water and nutrients, it becomes essential that you have enough water or electrolyte drinks.
FAQs
1. What Causes Nausea for No Reason?
The time of having nausea indicates the right reason for it. If you have nausea just after eating something, the reason might be either an ulcer, bulimia, gastritis or food poisoning.
2. Can Anxiety Make Nausea Worse?
If the body experiences more stress, you would feel worse. It is true that anxiety increases nausea.
3. How Long Can Nausea Last?
One out of every two pregnant women suffers from both vomiting and nausea. Majority of women develop nausea during their 6th week of pregnancy. For some women, it can begin in the 4th week itself. It becomes worse as they are reaching the delivery phase.
4. What Are the Types of Nausea?
Nausea can happen because of the following reasons.
Motion sickness: During pregnancy, almost 70% of women suffer from this problem; you can also face dizziness and nausea.
Emotional stress: Emotions like fear, threat, guilt, or any negative emotion be the reason for your nausea.
Food poisoning: This is one of the most common reasons and can lead to severe damages if left untreated at the early stages.