Home Remedies For Nausea By Dr. Rajeev Singh

Introduction

Do you ever feel sick to your stomach, as if you are about to throw up? If yes, you might have been feeling nauseated.

Nausea is the discomforting sensation with an inclination to vomit. Everyone experiences nausea from time to time because of multiple reasons. Nausea is not a disease but rather a symptom. It can be a symptom of many health problems and is usually not serious. You can take simple measures to get relief from nausea. You can use certain herbs and remedies to take care of nausea.^1,2  

However, if the condition does not improve using home remedies, reach out to your healthcare provider. It is important to find out the underlying cause of your symptoms before managing them properly.  

What Causes Nausea:

Nausea is a symptom which can be caused due to 

• Migraines  
• Morning sickness during pregnancy 
• Motion sickness  
• Gastric ulcers 
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) 
• Food poisoning  
• Gastroenteritis (inflammation in your intestines) 
• Infections (covid 19) 
• Chemotherapy 
• Over-intake of alcohol 
• Bowel obstruction  
• Inflammation in the gallbladder 
• Labyrinthitis (inflammation in the inner ear)^1,2  

Also, if you feel nauseated after eating something, it could be due to gastritis (stomach inflammation). If you feel nauseous one to eight hours after eating, it could be due to food poisoning.¹ Pregnant women often feel nauseated in the first trimester of the pregnancy, which may continue for some time.    

Also Read: Natural Home Remedies for Food Poisoning

Symptoms of Nausea:

Nausea may be accompanied with or without vomiting. The symptoms of nausea include  

• A sudden urge to vomit  
• Feeling sick in your stomach    
• You may also experience a strong sensation to vomit, but without any vomit.^1,3    

Important thing about nausea is if you are vomiting without nausea, consult a neurologist as it might be a sign of brain problems

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD(Pediatrics)

Also Read: Doctor-Approved Home Remedies For Vertigo

Home Remedies for Nausea:

Here are some herbal remedies that can use to relieve nausea.  

1. Chamomile

Chamomile is a prominent medicinal herb mentioned in traditional texts. Chamomile shows a positive effect on the stomach. As per research, chamomile could reduce nausea and vomiting in pregnant women.⁴  To make chamomile tea, boil some chamomile tea leaves in water. Strain the tea in a cup when brewed for some time. You can also add some honey for taste.  Sipping on this tea may help relieve nausea. 

2. Mint

Mint or peppermint is a herb often used to flavour foods and other products. Mint has gastric relaxant properties. Mint helps relax the stomach muscles, thereby relieving nausea and vomiting. Mint also helps calm the mind. Aromatherapy with mint may also help with nausea by exerting positive psychological effects.  In a study conducted by Haddadi et al., mint leaves extract could reduce nausea in breast cancer patients. Similar activity was observed in pregnant women as well as in a separate study conducted by Abdolhosseini et al.⁴  You can use fresh mint leaves to brew peppermint tea. Boil some fresh mint leaves in water. Turn off the heat, and let it steep before straining the tea into a cup. Sipping on this warm peppermint tea may help relieve nausea symptoms.  

4. Ginger

Ginger is a popular herbal remedy used for various conditions because of its minimal side effects. Ginger contains phytochemicals that may show anti-vomiting effects by relaxing stomach contractions. Trials showed ginger could reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting in pregnant women.⁴ You can add ginger to your food or take ginger lemon tea to relieve nausea. To make ginger lemon tea, you need to boil fresh ginger in water for some time. Turn off the heat and let it stay for a while. Squeeze in some lemon juice and your ginger lemon tea is ready to drink. You can also add some honey for taste.  

5. Cardamom

Cardamom, scientifically known as Elletaria cardamomum, is known as the spice queen. Cardamom is used as an effective remedy for a range of stomach conditions. Cardamom helps relieve nausea by relaxing the stomach walls. Cardamom aromatherapy may be used to relieve pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting.⁴ There are several ways to use cardamom for nausea;  

• You can add cardamom powder to a glass of hot water. Gargling with this water may help relieve nausea.⁵  
• You can also mix some finely ground cardamom powder with jaggery to make it into a pill. You can keep this pill in your mouth when you travel. It is an effective remedy for motion sickness.⁵ 

6. Clove

Clove is a commonly used aromatic herb found in every Indian kitchen. Also known as Lavanaga or Laung in Hindi, Clove may be an effective remedy for nausea. To use clove for nausea, you can take some clove powder and mix it with some honey to make a paste. You can lick this paste to relieve nausea. You can also chew on some cloves to get the benefits.⁵ You can add clove to your herbal teas to alleviate nausea. 

7. Greater Galanjan

Greater galanjan, known as kulanjana in Hindi, may be a herbal remedy for digestive issues and nausea. Ayurveda offers greater galanjan as a remedy for all digestive disorders causing nausea. You can keep a small piece of greater galanjan in your mouth and chew it to relieve nausea.⁵ 

Here are some lifestyle changes to help relieve nausea.  

8. Hydrate Yourself

Taking small sips of water when you feel nauseous is an effective way to get rid of it. You can also try cold or frozen drinks to help you feel better. Drinking plenty of water may help you prevent dehydration caused by vomiting.^1,2  

9. Eat Bland Foods

You should eat bland foods and dishes to relieve nausea. Try to stay away from spicy, fatty or salty food. You can nibble on some crackers to help you feel better. Other bland foods include curd, muffins, toast, potatoes and rice.^1,2,6  

10. Eat Smaller but Frequent Meals

Incorporating six to eight small meals throughout the day instead of eating three large meals will help cope with nausea. Apart from this, avoid skipping meals as an empty stomach may worsen your nausea. Try including bland snacks, such as biscuits, sandwiches and clear soups.^1,6  

Though some studies show the benefits of these herbs and home remedies for nausea, these are insufficient. Therefore, there is a need for large-scale human studies to establish the true extent of the benefits of these home remedies on human health. Thus, these should only be taken cautiously and never as a substitute for medical treatment.  

When to Seek Medical Help:

In most cases, nausea does not lead to anything serious. However, you should reach out to your healthcare provider if you experience nausea for more than 2 days or if you experience the following signs.¹  

• Severe pain in the stomach 
• Signs of poisoning 
• Blood in the vomit 
• Signs of dehydration (dark urine, dry mouth and skin, and infrequent urination) 
• Vomiting for more than a day² 

Nausea can also be a symptom of some heart problems; if you experience the symptoms mentioned below, you should seek immediate medical help. 

• Chest pain  
• High fever  
• Stiff neck  
• Blurry vision  
• Severe headache    
• Stomach pain¹  

For children, you should reach out to your provider immediately   

• If a child below 2 years of age is vomiting for more than 24 hours 
• If a child below one year is vomiting for more than 12 hours¹ 

If you face difficulty managing your morning sickness, consult with your doctor immediately.¹  

You must not rely on home remedies alone to treat nausea. Instead, you should consult a qualified doctor for advice on the condition if the symptoms do not improve with home remedies.   

Drinking lots of clear fluids and eating small healthy meals can help control nausea especially if it is associated with repeated episodes of vomiting.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D. in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology

Conclusion:

Nausea is a common symptom that many people experience at some point in their lives. In most cases, nausea does not lead to anything serious but can be highly discomforting. It is important to know the underlying cause of nausea as it can occur for many reasons. There are many herbs you can use to relieve nausea symptoms. Herbs like cardamom, clove, mint, ginger, and chamomile are some natural ways to get rid of nausea. However, if your condition fails to improve after using home remedies and nausea persists for more than a day, you need to reach out to your healthcare provider.    

Also Read: Best Home Remedies For Hangover

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References:

1. Healthdirect. Nausea [Internet]. [cited 2022 Jul 7]. Available from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/nausea 

2. MedlinePlus. Nausea. Vomiting [Internet]. [cited 2022 Jul 7]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/nauseaandvomiting.html 

3. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Nausea [Internet]. [cited 2022 Jul 7]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/nausea 

4. Ahmadi F, Yazdandoust Y. Use of medicinal herbs in the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: A systematic review. Journal of Advanced Pharmacy Education & Research [Internet]. 2020;10(S1):102–5. Available from: https://japer.in/storage/models/article/use-of-medicinal-herbs-in-the-treatment-of-nausea-and-vomiting-in-pregnancy-a-systematic-review.pdf 

5. Ayush Division. Ayurveda offering Herbal healing. Available from: https://www.esic.nic.in/attachments/publicationfile/7d11b02e5abb4717d53b4ce05efabd21.pdf 

6. When you have nausea and vomiting: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia [Internet]. [cited 2022 Jul 7]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000122.htm 

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