Nausea arises in a variety of situations, and understanding the cause is important for determining the most appropriate treatment. For example, nausea is frequently experienced in pregnancy, so some of these natural remedies may be particularly helpful, especially since you need to be very careful about the medications you take at this time. But whether or not pregnancy is the cause of your nausea, be sure to talk with your doctor about how to best treat it.
1. Ginger
Ginger has a long history of being used to treat nausea, stomachaches, and diarrhea. In China, for instance, it’s been used to treat a variety of digestive and pain issues for more than 2,000 years. It’s unclear exactly how ginger works to ease nausea, but it’s thought that active components such as gingerol directly affect the digestive and central nervous systems. “It’s an excellent treatment for nausea, especially in pregnancy,” says Lauren Richter, DO, assistant professor of family and community medicine at the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) indicates that ginger may be a safe way to relieve nausea symptoms during pregnancy. More research is needed to gain a clear understanding of what ginger can and cannot do, but studies suggest it is an effective treatment for post-operative and chemotherapy-related nausea as well. A study published in February 2012 in Integrative Cancer Therapies found that out of a group of 100 women with advanced breast cancer, those who took ginger following chemotherapy experienced significantly less nausea in the first 6 to 24 hours post-treatment than those in the control group. There are many ways to get your ginger. Dr. Richter recommends using raw ginger in cooking, drinking it in tea, or eating the candied form, which you can eat as you would mints.
2. Peppermint
Peppermint is another traditional remedy that’s been around for many years. Both its leaves and its oil are helpful in dealing with indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome, according to the NCCIH, and a small study published in February 2014 in the Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing suggests that the scent of peppermint oil can ease nausea. “Peppermint is wonderful for nausea,” says Richter. Its calming and numbing effect relaxes your stomach muscles so that bile can break down fats, and food can move through the stomach quickly. Peppermint tea is probably the most common way to take this remedy, but it is also available in capsule form for oral intake. You can use essential oil of peppermint for aromatherapy, but you should mix it with a carrier oil, which is a vegetable oil that helps dilute the essential oil, for safe application. A word of caution: If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), you should avoid the mint.
3. Acupuncture and Acupressure
Eastern practitioners have been stimulating pressure points throughout the body to alleviate pain and illness for thousands of years. Acupuncture, which is one version of this approach, involves inserting long, thin needles into the skin. Although there are numerous hypotheses about the way acupuncture works, many scientists believe the needles stimulate certain nerves in the body, and those nerves then send signals to the brain to release hormones that reduce feelings of pain and nausea. In a study that looked at controlling nausea in cancer patients, researchers found that acupuncture was at least as effective as medications. And a study published in January 2015 in Gynecologic Oncology found that acupuncture reduced the need for anti-vomiting medications after chemotherapy. In acupressure, which can be performed at home or by a massage therapist, physical pressure is applied to certain points of the body. Some research suggests that it may be helpful for pregnant women and those undergoing chemotherapy. A small study, for instance, published in June 2015 in Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that acupressure to the wrist significantly reduced nausea and vomiting in cardiac surgery patients. Both acupuncture and acupressure can help ease the nausea caused by cancer, acid reflux, and other conditions. “Again, these therapies are particularly useful in pregnancy, where most drugs are to be avoided,” Richter notes. If you do decide to pursue acupuncture, make sure your acupuncturist is a licensed professional, she advises.
4. Aromatherapy
Managing the scents in your environment is another way to ease nausea. Aromatherapy, which involves using scents like peppermint or lemon therapeutically for stress and anxiety, can help you do that. In a September 2013 study published in Anesthesia & Analgesia, surgical patients were asked to smell one of three aromatherapy treatments: essential oil of ginger; a blend of ginger, spearmint, peppermint, and cardamom essential oils; or isopropyl alcohol. The researchers found that patients who smelled either the ginger oil or the blend of oils had significantly reduced nausea compared with the patients who smelled isopropyl alcohol. “You can place a drop or two of essential oil on a tissue and inhale the scent when you feel nauseated, or put it in an essential oil diffuser,” Richter says. These oils can also be used in massage therapy — but, as mentioned above, you should always use a neutral oil, such as mineral oil, to dilute essential oils before putting them on your skin, because they can cause irritation or an allergic reaction.
