Home Remedies For Nausea

The word “nausea” evokes an awful experience: that uneasy rolling-wave sensation in the stomach and head that often precedes vomiting. Terrible as it is, sometimes we need to empty our stomachs or our health will suffer. So nausea shouldn’t necessarily be suppressed. In the case of food poisoning, for example, the most appropriate response is to vomit, and then you usually feel better almost instantly.

There are times when nausea manifests inappropriately - during motion sickness, for instance, when one’s stomach feels upset on the deck of a rocking boat. A wide variety of pharmaceuticals are available to treat nausea, but side effects can include headache, dizziness, and severe drowsiness, making it a poor choice for drivers or anyone else who needs to stay focused and alert. For medication-free relief, try one of these natural solutions.

Load up on ginger root: Research suggests that substances in the root known as gingerols damp down serotonin, one of the body’s major nausea-inducing neurochemicals. To treat or prevent nausea, try stirring half a teaspoon of powdered ginger into a cup of water or taking two capsules of powdered ginger with water, or try crystallized ginger or ginger biscuits.

Try acupressure: This is another traditional remedy that works quite well. Some wristbands feature a plastic peg that presses a particular spot on the inner wrist associated with quelling seasickness. Proper placement is crucial, so you’ll need to follow the instructions that come with the bands. One study found the bands to be a “noninvasive, inexpensive, safe, and effective treatment” for pregnancy morning sickness, a more troubling form of nausea. However, these bands may be difficult to find.

Look into the distance: Motion sickness is caused by losing your external point of reference while your body is moving - which explains why reading in a car or boat can cause almost immediate severe nausea in some people. The best remedy is to focus on something distant and stationary, such as the horizon. So look up and out, and you could start feeling better within just a few minutes.