Several remedies can help with nausea, ranging from ginger and acupressure to over-the-counter medications and simple dietary adjustments. What works best depends on the cause, but most people find relief by combining a few approaches rather than relying on just one.
Why Nausea Happens
Your brain has a specialized area that sits outside the blood-brain barrier, essentially acting as a chemical sensor for your bloodstream. When it detects something off, whether that’s a toxin, a medication, or a hormonal shift, it activates the vomiting center in your brainstem. Two key chemical messengers drive this process: dopamine and serotonin. That’s why different remedies target different pathways. Motion sickness, morning sickness, food poisoning, and medication side effects all trigger nausea through slightly different routes, which is why one remedy might work perfectly for one type of nausea but barely touch another.
Ginger
Ginger is one of the best-studied natural remedies for nausea. A large clinical trial of 644 cancer patients found that ginger supplements at doses of 0.5 to 1.0 grams per day significantly reduced nausea, particularly during the first day of chemotherapy. Higher doses (1.5 grams) didn’t perform better, so more isn’t necessarily more effective here.
For everyday nausea, you can get ginger through capsules, fresh ginger tea (slice a thumb-sized piece into hot water and steep for 10 minutes), ginger chews, or flat ginger ale. If you’re using capsules, aim for 250 mg taken a few times throughout the day rather than a single large dose. Ginger works best when you start it before nausea peaks, so if you know a trigger is coming (a car ride, a treatment session), take it ahead of time.
Acupressure on the Wrist
Pressing firmly on a point called P6 on the inner wrist can ease mild nausea, including morning sickness. To find it, place three fingers flat across the inside of your wrist, starting just below the crease where your hand meets your arm. The point sits right below where your third finger lands, in the groove between the two large tendons that run down toward your palm. Press firmly with your thumb for a few minutes. It shouldn’t hurt. This is the same spot targeted by anti-nausea wristbands, which apply steady pressure using a small plastic button.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Antihistamines are the most widely available OTC option for nausea. They work by blocking signals in the inner ear and vomiting center, making them especially effective for motion sickness and vertigo-related nausea. Dimenhydrinate (sold as Dramamine) and meclizine (sold as Bonine or Dramamine-N) are the most common choices. Meclizine tends to cause less drowsiness than dimenhydrinate, so it’s a better pick if you need to stay alert. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) also has anti-nausea effects, but drowsiness is almost guaranteed.
For nausea tied to an upset stomach, particularly from overeating, rich food, or mild food-borne illness, bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) coats the stomach lining and can calm things down. It won’t do much for motion sickness or hormonal nausea, though.
Peppermint Aromatherapy
Simply smelling peppermint oil can reduce nausea. In a randomized trial of 106 surgical patients, those who inhaled peppermint essential oil had significantly less nausea in the 24 hours after surgery compared to a control group. The effect was strongest in the first hour, when the peppermint group experienced nausea at roughly half the rate of the control group (45% versus 74%).
You don’t need anything elaborate. Place a drop of peppermint oil on a tissue or cotton ball and hold it a few inches from your nose, breathing normally. Peppermint tea works too, since the steam carries the same volatile compounds. This approach is particularly useful when you can’t keep anything down, since it doesn’t require swallowing.
What to Eat and Drink
The classic BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) is fine for the first day or two of nausea, but experts at Harvard Health note there’s no research showing it’s better than other bland foods. A broader approach gives your body more of the nutrients it needs to recover. Good options include brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereal. Once your stomach settles, add cooked squash, carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, and eggs. These are all easy to digest but provide protein and other nutrients the BRAT foods lack.
A few eating habits make a difference regardless of what you choose. Eat small amounts frequently rather than full meals. Cold or room-temperature foods tend to have less aroma than hot foods, which helps if smells are triggering your nausea. Avoid greasy, spicy, or heavily seasoned dishes until you’re feeling consistently better.
Staying Hydrated
Nausea and vomiting can cause dehydration quickly, especially if you’re also dealing with diarrhea. Plain water is a start, but it doesn’t replace the sodium and sugar your body loses. You can make a simple oral rehydration solution using the World Health Organization’s formula: dissolve half a teaspoon (3 grams) of salt and 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of sugar into about 4 and a quarter cups (just over 1 liter) of water. Sip it slowly throughout the day.
If mixing your own solution sounds unappealing, store-bought electrolyte drinks or popsicles work similarly. Take small, frequent sips rather than gulping, since a large volume hitting your stomach at once can trigger more nausea. Ice chips are another option when even sipping feels like too much.
Nausea During Pregnancy
Vitamin B6 is the standard first-line approach for pregnancy-related nausea. A dosage of 25 mg taken three times a day (75 mg total) has been shown to be more effective than placebo. It’s often combined with doxylamine, an antihistamine found in some over-the-counter sleep aids, and this combination is specifically approved for use during pregnancy. Ginger and acupressure wristbands are also considered safe during pregnancy and can be used alongside B6.
Red Flags That Need Medical Attention
Most nausea resolves on its own or with the remedies above, but certain symptoms signal something more serious. Call emergency services if nausea or vomiting comes with chest pain, severe abdominal cramping, blurred vision, confusion, or a high fever with a stiff neck.
Get to urgent care or an emergency room if your vomit contains blood, looks like coffee grounds, or is green. The same applies if you’re experiencing signs of significant dehydration: excessive thirst, dark urine, infrequent urination, or dizziness when you stand up. For adults, vomiting that lasts more than two days warrants a doctor visit. For children under two, the threshold is 24 hours, and for infants, it’s 12 hours. Unexplained weight loss alongside ongoing nausea also deserves evaluation.