Most nausea can be eased at home with a combination of simple physical techniques, specific foods and drinks, and over-the-counter options. What works best depends on the cause, but several strategies have strong evidence behind them and can bring relief within minutes.
Why You Feel Nauseated
Nausea starts when your brain’s vomiting center receives alarm signals from multiple sources: your gut, your inner ear, or chemicals circulating in your blood. When the normal rhythmic contractions of your stomach fall out of sync, a pattern called gastric dysrhythmia, your body interprets this as a sign that something is wrong. That disruption is common in motion sickness, food poisoning, pregnancy, and even anxiety. Understanding that nausea is essentially a miscommunication between your gut and brain helps explain why so many different remedies work: they interrupt the signal at different points along the chain.
Sniff an Alcohol Prep Pad
One of the fastest and least expected nausea remedies is inhaling the scent of a standard isopropyl alcohol swab, the kind found in any first aid kit. In an emergency department trial of 122 adults with nausea and vomiting, patients who inhaled from an alcohol pad held about an inch below their nose saw their nausea score drop from 50 to 20 on a 100-point scale within 30 minutes. That was twice the improvement seen with a commonly prescribed anti-nausea medication. Patients in the alcohol-inhalation group also reported higher satisfaction and needed fewer backup medications.
To try this, open a sealed alcohol pad and hold it just below your nostrils. Take slow, deep breaths through your nose as often as needed. It’s inexpensive, portable, and works quickly for mild to moderate nausea from most causes.
Try Ginger
Ginger is one of the most studied natural remedies for nausea. A meta-analysis pooling five randomized trials found that a dose of at least 1 gram of ginger reduced the risk of nausea and vomiting by about 31%, and the risk of vomiting specifically by 39%. The only reported side effect was mild abdominal discomfort in some participants.
One gram is roughly half a teaspoon of ground ginger, two standard ginger capsules, or a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger steeped in hot water. Ginger chews, ginger ale made with real ginger, and crystallized ginger all count, though it’s harder to gauge the exact amount. If you’re prone to nausea from travel or medical treatments, taking ginger 30 to 60 minutes beforehand gives it time to work.
Press the P6 Acupressure Point
There’s a pressure point on the inside of your wrist, known as P6, that has been used for decades to manage nausea from motion sickness, surgery, and pregnancy. To find it, place three fingers flat across the inside of your opposite wrist, starting just below the crease where your hand meets your arm. The point sits directly below your third finger, in the groove between the two large tendons running down toward your palm.
Press firmly with your thumb for two to three minutes, then switch wrists. You can repeat this as often as needed. Commercially available acupressure wristbands (often sold as “sea bands”) apply continuous pressure to this spot and are a hands-free alternative for ongoing nausea.
What to Eat and Drink
The old advice to stick strictly to bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast (the BRAT diet) is no longer recommended. While those foods are gentle on your stomach, the diet lacks calcium, vitamin B12, protein, and fiber. For children especially, the American Academy of Pediatrics says following a strict BRAT diet for more than 24 hours can actually slow recovery.
A better approach: eat bland, soft foods as tolerated, and expand back to your normal diet as soon as you can. Plain crackers, broth, boiled potatoes, plain chicken, and oatmeal are all reasonable starting points. Avoid greasy, spicy, or strongly flavored foods until your stomach settles. Cold foods tend to be easier to tolerate because they have less aroma.
Staying hydrated matters more than eating when nausea is severe. If you’re vomiting, take small sips rather than large gulps. Premixed oral rehydration solutions (available at any pharmacy) contain a balance of sodium and glucose that helps your gut absorb fluid efficiently. Even at non-ideal ratios, these commercial solutions work well. If you don’t have one on hand, diluted juice with a pinch of salt or clear broth can serve as a temporary substitute. Popsicles and ice chips are another way to get fluids in slowly.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Several pharmacy options can help depending on the type of nausea you’re dealing with. Meclizine is an antihistamine sold specifically for motion sickness and vertigo-related nausea. It’s effective but commonly causes drowsiness, so it’s best taken when you don’t need to drive or stay alert.
Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) coats the stomach lining and can ease nausea tied to indigestion, overeating, or mild stomach bugs. It’s not appropriate for children or anyone who shouldn’t take aspirin-like compounds.
For pregnancy-related nausea, a combination of vitamin B6 and doxylamine (a mild antihistamine) is the standard first-line treatment. This combination is available as a prescription delayed-release tablet, but many people start with over-the-counter vitamin B6 (25 mg up to three times daily) alone. If that’s not enough, adding half a doxylamine tablet (the same antihistamine found in some sleep aids) at bedtime is a common next step, though it’s worth discussing the specific dosing schedule with a provider since it can be adjusted based on when symptoms are worst.
Simple Habits That Reduce Nausea
Beyond specific remedies, a few behavioral changes can make a noticeable difference. Fresh air helps, even if it just means opening a window or stepping outside for a few minutes. Strong smells are a common trigger, so avoiding perfume, cooking odors, and cigarette smoke during a nausea episode is important. Lying flat can worsen nausea because it slows gastric emptying. Instead, sit upright or recline at a slight angle. Loosening tight clothing around your waist takes pressure off your stomach.
Eating smaller, more frequent meals instead of three large ones keeps your stomach from being either too full or too empty, both of which can trigger nausea. If mornings are your worst time, keeping a few plain crackers by your bed and eating them before you sit up can help settle your stomach before gravity and movement compound the problem.
Warning Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most nausea passes on its own or responds to the strategies above. But certain symptoms alongside nausea signal something more serious. Seek immediate care if you notice vomit that contains blood, looks like coffee grounds, or is bright green. Chest pain, severe abdominal cramping, blurred vision, confusion, or a high fever with a stiff neck all warrant emergency evaluation. Rectal bleeding alongside nausea and vomiting is another red flag.
Dehydration is the most common complication of prolonged vomiting. Signs include dark urine, dry mouth, infrequent urination, and dizziness when you stand up. If you can’t keep any fluids down for more than 12 hours, or if a child can’t keep fluids down for 8 hours, that’s the point where medical help becomes necessary to prevent complications.