Coping with Nausea Through Relaxation
Lie or sit down in a comfortable position. If you're feeling dizzy from your nausea, try not to move around too much, even when your stomach is doing somersaults—unless vomiting is imminent. The most important thing to do when fighting dizziness is to keep your head still. Always get up slowly after resting to prevent head spins. Alternatively, if you get head spins, you can work through it.
Apply a cool, wet cloth to your forehead. Although it won’t treat the nausea or make it pass more quickly, many people find that a dampened rag can ease the suffering significantly. Lay back or tilt your head back so the cloth stays in place on your forehead, and re-wet it as necessary. You can experiment with moving the cloth over different parts of your body to see if you can further alleviate your discomfort — try your neck and shoulders, your arms, or your stomach.
Relax. Anxiety is known to make nausea worse, so try to stop obsessing about how your sickness is interfering with your plans. Make sure you get enough sleep, and take naps to rest during the day. Whether you feel better or worse when you wake up, at least you won’t experience the nausea for the time you’re asleep! Try deep breathing to treat a light upset stomach. The deep breaths create a different rhythm pattern in the stomach. Find a quiet place to sit. Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your chest and lower belly to rise as you fill your lungs. Let your abdomen expand fully. Then breathe out slowly through your mouth.
Surround yourself with pleasant aromas. Studies suggest that inhaling the vapor from essential oils like peppermint and ginger oil can help ease nausea, but thus far the results have been inconclusive. However, many people do feel better when surrounded by pleasant smells, whether from vaporized essential oils or a scented candle. Remove bad odors from your environment. Ask someone to take out the trash or clean the litter box, and avoid sitting in hot rooms. Get the air flowing by opening windows or directing a fan over your face or body.
Distract yourself. Sometimes just taking a walk and getting some fresh air will help your body feel better. The sooner you do it after the onset of nausea, the easier it will be. However, make sure not to distract yourself with activities that will worsen the nausea. If anything makes you feel worse, stop that activity immediately. Try to have some fun and forget about the nausea. Watch a movie or talk to a friend. Play a video game or listen to your favorite album! "Better out than in". Accept that you may vomit, and actually look forward to the relief it may provide. Getting worked up trying to avoid vomiting may be worse than actually throwing up and getting it over it. Some people will purposely induce vomiting to try to get the retching done quickly and in a more convenient time and location.
Using Food and Drinks to Ease Nausea
Have regular meals and snacks. If you feel nauseous, food may be the last thing you want to think about. However, it should be at the top of your list of cures! Hunger from skipping meals and snacks will only make you feel even sicker, so get over your temporary food aversion to get back on track. Eat small meals throughout the day, or snack on things to keep your stomach from being upset. Avoid overeating, though, and stop when you are full. Avoid spicy or greasy and processed foods such as chips, fried foods, doughnuts, pizza, etc. These types of food can make the nausea worse.
Follow the BRAT diet. BRAT stands for “Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast.” This bland diet is recommended for people suffering from upset stomachs or diarrhea because bland foods are easy to digest and keep down. While it will not cure the nausea, it will shorten the duration of your symptoms and prevent reactions from bad food choices. This is not a long-term diet. You should be able to slowly switch to a more regular diet in 24-48 hours. You can add other easy to digest, bland foods (clear soup, crackers, etc.) to this diet. It is important to note that if you are actively vomiting, stick to drinking clear liquids only. The BRAT diet is recommended only after about six hours without vomiting.
Use ginger. Some studies show that about 1 gram (0.04 oz) of ginger may reduce nausea. Take up to one gram of ginger at a time, up to 4 grams (0.14 oz) per day. If you are pregnant, ask your doctor before taking ginger — the dosage for pregnancy ranges from 650mg to 1 gram (0.035 oz), but should never exceed 1 gram (0.035 oz). There are many ways to work ginger into your snacks, though none of them provide a high dose. Nibble crystallized ginger. Make ginger tea by steeping grated fresh ginger in boiling water. Drink ginger ale that contains real ginger. Not everyone will respond to ginger. A portion of the population will not get relief from use of ginger, for unknown reasons.
Make use of peppermint. Although there isn’t a scientific consensus on peppermint, there are some studies that show that it can effectively soothe nausea. Peppermint has been used for digestive problems such as heartburn and indigestion, and it may help stops spasms in the stomach that lead to vomiting. Peppermint-flavored candies such as Mentos or Tic-Tacs should be eaten in moderation, as sugary sweets can make nausea worse. Sugar-free peppermint gum is an option, but be careful — chewing brings a lot of air into the stomach and can cause bloating, worsening the nauseous sensations. If you’re still on a liquid diet, peppermint tea is a great option.
Drink enough fluids. Drinking plenty of fluids every day is important for overall health, but it’s especially important when you’re sick. If your nausea is accompanied by vomiting, take special care to keep yourself hydrated.
Try a flat soda to ease your stomach. Although it is high in sugar, flat soda can be useful to a queasy stomach. To make a soda flat, put it in a Tupperware-like container, shake, let out the air, seal, and shake, until no more carbonation is left.
Stay away from harmful drinks. Although drinking liquids is important, there are some drinks that will make your nausea worse. Alcohol, caffeine, and carbonated beverages, for example, are not useful for nausea treatment, as they can further irritate the stomach. If your nausea is accompanied by diarrhea, avoid milk and other dairy products until you’ve recovered. The lactose in dairy can be hard to digest, and will worsen or prolong the diarrhea.
Taking Medications to Treat Nausea
Seek relief with non-prescription drugs. If you're sure that the nausea has a temporary cause and isn't a symptom underlying medical issue, you can take a variety of over-the-counter medications. Try to pinpoint the cause of your nausea — whether upset stomach or motion sickness — before purchasing an over-the-counter drug. They're often targeted toward specific types of nausea. For example, nausea from an upset stomach or gastroenteritis can be treated with Pepto-Bismol, Maalox, or Mylanta. Nausea from motion sickness, though, would be better treated with Dramamine.
See a doctor for prescription medication if necessary. Some medical procedures, like surgery or cancer treatment, can cause severe nausea that requires prescription-strength drugs. Nausea can also be a symptom of various medical conditions, such as chronic kidney disease or peptic ulcers. There are many different classes of drugs that can be used to treat nausea, and a doctor will be able to match your cause to an appropriate medication. For example, Zofran (ondansetron) is commonly used to offset the nausea from chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Phenergan (promethazine) is prescribed for use after surgeries and to treat motion sickness, and scopolamine is used to treat motion sickness alone. Domperidone (sold as Motilium in the UK) is used to treat seriously upset stomachs, and is sometimes used as part of treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Take all medications as directed. Read the labels on over-the-counter medications closely for dosage instructions, and follow them carefully. Prescription medication also carries instructions on the packaging, but defer to your doctor’s instructions. She may slightly alter your dosage based on her knowledge of your medical history. These powerful medications can have serious unwanted side effects if taken incorrectly. For example, a Zofran overdose might cause temporary blindness, hypotension and faintness, and severe constipation.
Addressing the Cause of Your Nausea
Think of whether you're sick. One of the main causes of nausea is simply having an illness. A flu bug, stomach ailment, or other illnesses can be a major cause of nausea. This may be a good time to check for a fever. While not every illness causes elevated fever, it can help narrow down why the nausea is happening. Was it something you ate that turned bad? Food poisoning is surprisingly common. Check with other members of your household--if all of your roommates have stomachaches after eating dinner last night, it may be due to food poisoning. If you keep having issues more than a couple of days, it is possible that you may have a gastro-intestinal issue that goes beyond a "stomach bug". There are a lot of medical reasons nausea happens, from simple to severe. A trip to your general practitioner may be in order. Severe and prolonged nausea may even be a reason to go to the ER (as discussed more in-depth below.)
Consider food allergies or food intolerance. If you have frequent bouts of nausea, keep a journal for a couple weeks to see if you can find a pattern that points to the culprit. If you suspect food intolerance or other reactions, avoid or limit the food and talk to your doctor. Lactose intolerance is a common cause of nausea. The ability to digest milk comfortably as an adult is mostly limited to people of European descent, and even then many are lactose-intolerant. Use over-the-counter medications like Lactaid or Dairy Ease to help you digest dairy items, or stick with milk products in which are processed by enzymes, such as yogurt and cheese. Food sensitivities or even allergies can be another issue. If you notice that you feel queasy shortly after eating strawberries or foods with strawberry, this may be an indicator of this problem. Food sensitivity and intolerance can only be definitively diagnosed by a qualified medical specialist. It has become trendy in some regions for people to self-identify as "gluten intolerant" and the like without any sort of medical testing. Be careful of such fads. There are some people who feel they react horribly to gluten. But sometimes the "cure" is due to a placebo effect or simply due to the person feeling better after a period of time, and ascribing the "cure" to the diet change when in fact the condition simply healed on its own.
Make sure medication isn’t the cause of your nausea. Before introducing more drugs into your system to treat the nausea, you should first make sure that the source itself isn’t one of the medications you’re already on. Many drugs, like codeine or hydrocodone, can cause nausea and vomiting. If you suffer from ongoing nausea, talk to your doctor about whether any of your medications list it as a side effect. He or she may be able to suggest an alternate medication or a lower dosage.
Consider the possibility of motion sickness. Some people get sick riding on planes, boats, or in cars. It can also be caused by things such as riding on carnival rides. This can be prevented by choosing the seat that will typically have the least motion — the front seat of a car or the window seat of a plane. Try fresh air, whether by rolling down a window, or taking a walk outside for a few minutes. Avoid smoking. Void spicy or greasy foods. Try to keep your head as still as possible to manage motion sickness. Antihistamines such as Dramamine or Antivert are great over-the-counter medications that can effectively treat motion sickness, as well. These should be taken about 30 minutes to one hour before travel, but can cause drowsiness. Scopolamine is a medication available by prescription for severe cases. Some people get relief from ginger and ginger products. Ginger ale (with natural flavoring), ginger root, or ginger candy can all be helpful. Avoid traveling on a very full or empty stomach.
Know that "morning sickness" from pregnancy will pass. Though commonly called “morning sickness,” the nausea that comes with the early (and sometimes later) stages of pregnancy and can come at any time in the day. In most cases, the nausea passes after the first trimester, so stay strong and wait it out! However, if it is severe, frequent, or increasing, see your doctor. Eating crackers, especially plain saltines, will help you feel better, but avoid large meals. Instead, snack every 1-2 hours. Ginger products such as ginger tea have been proven to help with morning sickness nausea as well.
Hydrate your body if you have a hangover. If you had too much to drink the night before, you need to regain fluids before your body can start to feel better. There are also products available over the counter — like Alka-Seltzer Morning Relief — that are formulated to speed up the recovery process from a hangover.
Hydrate to treat gastroenteritis, as well. A stomach flu or bug can cause mild to severe nausea and vomiting, and is often accompanied by stomach pain, diarrhea, and fever. Vomiting and diarrhea can dehydrate the body, so make sure to replenish yourself with plenty of water and sports drinks. If you’re having trouble keeping liquids down, try taking frequent, small sips rather than chugging a drink. Signs of dehydration include dark urine, dizziness and dry mouth. Seek medical help if you cannot keep down liquids.
Check for dehydration. In cases of heat exhaustion and other situations in which a person can get dehydrated, ironically one of the symptoms may be nausea. Do not drink water quickly. Take a few sips at a time, or suck on ice chips so you do not trigger a throwing up response and make things worse. Liquids should ideally not be ice-cold; cool or lukewarm is best. Especially if you are overheated, drinking very cold liquids can cause the stomach to cramp up and throw up.
Know when to turn to a doctor. There are many serious conditions which can also cause nausea including hepatitis, ketoacidosis, serious head injuries, food poisoning, pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, appendicitis or others. Contact your doctor if you: Cannot keep any food or liquid down Vomit 3 or more times in 1 day Have nausea for more than 48 hours Feel weakness Have a fever Have stomach pain Have not urinated for 8 hours or more
Seek emergency care if necessary. In most cases, nausea is not a reason to head to the ER. However, if you observe any of the following symptoms, you may need to get emergency attention: Chest pain Severe abdominal pain or cramping Blurred vision or fainting Confusion High fever and stiff neck Severe headache Vomit contains blood or is like coffee grounds
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