From time to time, nausea is something that all of us experience. You don’t need me to tell you that it’s not very pleasant!
Whether it’s an urge to be physically sick, unrelenting stomach cramps or any other unwanted movements, nausea can be absolutely debilitating.
If you’re experiencing nausea, here are four home remedies for nausea that are widely thought to be effective. Even if you’re not experiencing the symptoms right now, these remedies are well worth remembering for next time you do.
1. Ginger
In China, ginger has been used to treat nausea for thousands of years. It’s also thought to be effective in the treatment of stomach problems and diarrhea. There have been several scientific studies into it’s effectiveness over recent years and although the exact mechanisms for relieving symptoms are still unclear, the results are undeniable. Ginger is used by many women as a way of taking the edge off nausea symptoms during pregnancy, although it doesn’t seem to work for everyone.
Ginger can be taken in lots of different forms. Raw is perhaps the most obvious, but certainly not the most palatable. It can be used in cooking, tea or in extract forms.
2. Lemon-Lime Soda
Lemon-lime soda is another very popular nausea relief, especially among pregnant women. As well as countering feelings of sickness, it can also help to alleviate stomach aches and pains. Because the soda is largely made up of water, it’s perfect for re-hydrating the body (dehydration often goes hand-in-hand with nausea). Soda is thought to be more effective than water at relieving systems because it helps to relax the stomach and ease the symptoms of indigestion. It can also encourage you to burp, which is another way of releasing some of the pressure in the stomach.
The sugar content of a soda can also be an invaluable way of getting calories into your body if you’re struggling to keep food down.
3. Acupressure
The idea behind acupressure is to put pressure on particular points in the body to relieve nausea or other uncomfortable symptoms. Gently applying pressure on the inside of your wrist (just below your palm) with two fingers is commonly thought to be an effective point for nausea relief. Pressure should be applied for around 30 seconds at a time, with short breaks of around 30 seconds in between.
4. Peppermint
Peppermint is known to relax the muscles in your stomach which, according to research, allows food to pass through more quickly. When muscles are more relaxed, the bile in your stomach is able to break down some of the trickier compounds, like fats for instance, so that everything can keep on moving like it should. This effect of naturally clearing the stomach can help to relieve nausea.
Peppermint is most commonly consumed in a tea, but other forms are also available.
