Nausea is an unpleasant feeling that makes you very uncomfortable no matter how young or old you are. It is a feeling of strong dislike for something and mostly is accompanied by vomiting. It is the body’s natural mechanism to expel the food if you dislike a taste or smell, indicating that the food is not good for you. It is also a common occurrence in pregnancy, motion sickness, migraine, or food poisoning.
Consuming adequate liquids, getting ample rest, and restricting oily food before travel can keep you from suffering from motion sickness on journeys. A handful of salt crackers and taking sips of your favorite ginger tea can help ease the stomach discomfort. If you are feeling nauseated very frequently, then it is necessary to check with your doctor to know the underlying causes.1 2
The Discomfort Of Nausea
Nausea can throw you out of gear and make you feel quite uneasy. It is common and even expected in early pregnancy or migraine attacks. Nausea is also a recurring issue for some when they travel and are in a moving vehicle, especially on waters or hilly roads. It can occur post-operation when there is severe pain. Nausea is the body’s natural physiological defense mechanism, designed to expel the stomach contents when something doesn’t feel right.
Nausea can also occur as a symptom of underlying sicknesses like an impending heart attack, stomach bugs, stress, infection, or even cancer. When the triggering cause is not an alarming condition, home remedies and simple measures can easily help alleviate the feeling of nausea.3
Natural Remedies For Nausea
1. Herbal Teas Are Effective Against Nausea
Ginger is found to be beneficial in getting rid of nausea. Sipping on a cup of ginger tea alone or with other anti-nausea herbs like peppermint is helpful in getting rid of nausea. It is also an effective remedy for reducing the effects of chemotherapy induced nausea. Chamomile tea can reduce the symptoms and calm the stomach. You can take dry ginger candy or biscuits on the go if you are prone to motion sickness. It can get rid of the gastric burn and ease the stomach. Ginger is also considered by physicians to be a top remedy for nausea during pregnancy.4
A cup of mint or peppermint tea is found to be effective in killing nausea. It is also soothing to the stomach and if the herbs are not handy, a drop of peppermint or mint oil can be added to warm water and taken as well. Care should be taken to consider only brands that sell the purest form of essential oils.5
2. Bland Foods Can Limit The Nauseous Feeling
You often feel nauseated with the smell of food especially during pregnancy, through travel, in the course of treatment for cancer or after going through a surgery. It is because the spicy, pungent odors can trigger a sense of discomfort and make you nauseous.
Small, frequent meals comprising of bland foods will be lighter on the stomach and will not trigger the urge to throw up. Simple dry foods like toast, crackers, and biscuits are a safe choice, especially during pregnancy or a bout of motion sickness. Ensuring adequate hydration along with small meals of bland food can greatly reduce the symptoms. Avoiding an empty stomach as well as a full stomach can relieve you from the discomfort too.6
3. Barley Water Helps With Acid Reflux
Nausea can be accompanied by vomiting and heartburn most of the time. To get rid of the reflux and to give a soothing effect to the stomach, boil a handful of barley grains in water and drink the concoction after filtering out the barley. You can also keep aside and eat the barley later after the bout of nausea passes.
Barley reduces the effect of the acids in the stomach which trigger the feeling of nausea and also aids in digestion. It helps to reduce the fatigue and dehydration associated with nausea. Barley malt can be used in place of sweeteners. But this remedy should be avoided by those who have yeast intolerance as malted beverages tend to have yeast in them.7
4. Acupressure Helps Soothe And Calm The Stomach
If you are feeling nauseated because of an upset stomach, then a simple massage of the acupressure points can soothe and calm the stomach. It treats all associated problems like bloating, gas and diarrhea. It helps to balance the inner energy. By applying pressure on the points in the wrist and feet, vomiting and stomach pain can be reduced to a great extent.
It is an effective, non-expensive therapy that is very useful for chemotherapy-induced nausea. It relaxes the body and also helps to improve the overall intestinal function.8 Usually, points under the thumb on the palm, points in the elbow and points in the soles of the feet are identified for gastric disorders. Ask a professional to help you with a few sessions, to begin with.
Relax, sip on your favorite ginger or peppermint tea after a good night’s rest from your trip. Massage the pressure points on your wrists and feet if you are feeling nauseated to get instant relief. Avoid fried, oily and spicy food altogether and munch on bland salty crackers or biscuits if you don’t feel like eating. With all these measures in place, you can enjoy your trip or your pregnancy or can recoup after a surgery without the discomfort of nausea.
References
| ↑1 | Murphy, Patricia Aikins. “Alternative therapies for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 91, no. 1 (1998): 78-81. |
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| ↑2 | Nausea and Vomiting. U.S. National Library of Medicine. |
| ↑3 | Bischoff, Stephan C., and Cornelia Renzer. “Nausea and nutrition.” Autonomic Neuroscience 129, no. 1 (2006): 22-27. |
| ↑4 | Ernst, E., and M. H. Pittler. “Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.” British journal of anaesthesia84, no. 3 (2000): 367-371. |
| ↑5 | Tate, Sylvina. “Peppermint oil: a treatment for postoperative nausea.” Journal of advanced nursing 26, no. 3 (1997): 543-549. |
| ↑6 | Ebrahimi, Neda, Caroline Maltepe, and Adrienne Einarson. “Optimal management of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.” International journal of women’s health 2 (2010): 241. |
| ↑7 | Faghfoori, Zeinab, Rahebeh Shakerhosseini, Lida Navai, Mohammad Hossein Somi, Zeinab Nikniaz, and Alireza Abadi. “Effects of an oral supplementation of germinated barley foodstuff on serum CRP level and clinical signs in patients with ulcerative colitis.” Health promotion perspectives4, no. 1 (2014): 116. |
| ↑8 | Garrett, Kitty, Kayo Tsuruta, Shirley Walker, Sharon Jackson, and Michelle Sweat. “Managing nausea and vomiting current strategies.” Critical care nurse 23, no. 1 (2003): 31-50. |