If you feel like you’re about to throw up, the fastest things you can do right now are sit upright, take slow deep breaths, and sip a small amount of cool water. Most bouts of nausea pass on their own within minutes to hours, but there are several techniques that can help you feel better faster and a few warning signs worth knowing about.
Sit Up and Stay Still
Your body position matters more than you might expect. Sitting upright at roughly a 45-degree angle, with your back propped against pillows or a chair, reduces the pressure your abdominal organs place on your stomach and diaphragm. Clinical studies across multiple settings have found that this semi-reclined position significantly reduces the severity, duration, and frequency of nausea compared to lying flat on your back. If you’re in bed, stack pillows behind you so your upper body is elevated. Avoid lying completely flat, which increases pressure inside the stomach and can make the urge to vomit worse.
Try to minimize head and body movement. Sudden position changes can stimulate your vestibular system (the balance center in your inner ear) and intensify nausea. If you need to move, do it slowly.
Breathe Slowly and Deliberately
Controlled breathing is one of the most underrated tools for nausea. Diaphragmatic breathing, where you inhale deeply through your nose so your belly rises, then exhale slowly through your mouth, has been shown to reduce nausea severity within the first few sessions. Aim for about three minutes of slow, steady breaths. Inhale for a count of four, hold briefly, then exhale for a count of six. This activates your body’s calming response and can interrupt the nausea signal before it escalates to vomiting.
Try the Wrist Pressure Point
There’s an acupressure point on the inside of your wrist called P6 that can ease mild nausea. To find it, place three fingers from your opposite hand across your inner wrist, starting just below the crease where your hand meets your arm. Right below where your third finger lands, you’ll feel a groove between two tendons. Press firmly into that spot with your thumb for one to two minutes. It shouldn’t hurt. This technique is backed by enough evidence that the NIH includes it as a recommendation, and it’s the same principle behind anti-nausea wristbands sold for motion sickness and morning sickness.
Get Cool, Fresh Air
Open a window, turn on a fan, or step outside if you can. Cool air moving across your face can reduce the sensation of nausea quickly. Heat and stuffy environments tend to make nausea worse. If you can’t get outside, place a cool, damp cloth on your forehead or the back of your neck. Strong smells, cooking odors, perfumes, and cleaning products are common nausea triggers, so move away from them if possible.
Sip Fluids the Right Way
Dehydration can make nausea worse, but gulping a full glass of water when your stomach is already upset often triggers vomiting. The key is small, frequent sips. Start with a few tablespoons of cool water or an electrolyte drink every five to ten minutes. As your body tolerates it, gradually increase the amount. For adults, the goal is roughly eight to sixteen cups of fluid over three to four hours, but only if you can keep it down.
Good options include water, clear broth, diluted juice, or an oral rehydration solution. Avoid carbonated drinks, alcohol, and anything very sweet, which can irritate your stomach further. If plain water feels unappealing, sucking on ice chips is a gentler alternative.
Use Ginger
Ginger is one of the most studied natural remedies for nausea, and it genuinely works. It contains compounds that block serotonin receptors in the gut, the same receptors targeted by prescription anti-nausea medications. The most commonly recommended dose is about 1,000 mg per day (roughly half a teaspoon of ground ginger), though studies have used anywhere from 600 to 2,500 mg daily with positive results. The FDA recognizes up to 4 grams daily as safe.
You don’t need capsules. Ginger tea made from fresh sliced ginger root, ginger chews, or even ginger ale made with real ginger can help. The effect isn’t instant, so if nausea is something you deal with regularly, having ginger on hand is worth it.
What to Eat When You’re Ready
Don’t force yourself to eat while you’re actively nauseous. Once the worst passes and you feel like you could tolerate food, start with bland, easy-to-digest options. The classic BRAT foods (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) are fine for a day or two, but Harvard Health notes there’s no reason to limit yourself strictly to those four. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and plain dry cereal are equally gentle on the stomach.
As you improve, add more nutritious foods back in: cooked squash, carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, avocado, skinless chicken, fish, and eggs. These are still bland enough to be tolerated but provide the protein and nutrients your body needs to recover. Eat small amounts frequently rather than large meals, and avoid greasy, spicy, or heavily seasoned food until you feel fully normal.
Over-the-Counter Options
If home remedies aren’t enough, a few pharmacy options can help depending on the cause. Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) treats nausea related to upset stomach, heartburn, and indigestion. For motion sickness or dizziness-related nausea, antihistamine-based medications like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or meclizine are more effective. These work by dampening signals from your inner ear’s balance system. Note that antihistamine options can cause drowsiness.
Warning Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most nausea resolves on its own, but certain combinations of symptoms require urgent care. Call emergency services if your nausea comes with chest pain, severe abdominal cramping, blurred vision, confusion, or a high fever with a stiff neck. Vomit that contains blood, looks like dark coffee grounds, or is bright green also warrants a 911 call.
Head to an emergency room or urgent care if your nausea is paired with a severe headache you haven’t experienced before, or if you’re showing signs of significant dehydration: very dark urine, dry mouth, dizziness when standing, or not urinating at all. You can check for dehydration by gently pinching the skin on the back of your hand. Normally it snaps back immediately. If it sags back slowly, you’re likely dehydrated.
For adults, vomiting that lasts more than two days deserves a doctor’s visit. So does recurring nausea and vomiting that stretches beyond a month, or unexplained weight loss alongside persistent nausea. For children under two, the threshold is lower: seek care after 24 hours of vomiting, or 12 hours for infants.