When nausea hits, the fastest relief comes from staying still, sitting upright with your upper body elevated, and taking slow, controlled breaths. Most episodes pass on their own within a few hours, but there are several things you can do to ease the discomfort and keep it from getting worse.
Sit Up and Stay Still
Your first instinct might be to lie flat, but that can actually make nausea worse. When you’re horizontal, stomach acid can rise and increase discomfort, especially if you have any degree of acid reflux. Instead, recline with your upper body propped up, or sit in a comfortable position without crunching your stomach forward. Avoid sudden movements. The less your body has to process physically, the faster the queasy feeling tends to settle.
If you’re in bed, prop yourself up with pillows so your head and chest are elevated above your stomach. Fresh, cool air on your face also helps. Open a window or point a fan toward you.
Use Slow Belly Breathing
Deep, slow breathing through your diaphragm activates your vagus nerve, which triggers your body’s relaxation response and dials down the stress signals that fuel nausea. This is one of the most effective things you can do in the moment, and it costs nothing.
Here’s how: lie on your back or sit comfortably. Place one hand on your stomach above your belly button and the other on your chest. Breathe in slowly through your nose, imagining you’re inflating a balloon in your stomach. Your stomach hand should rise while your chest hand stays still. Then breathe out slowly through pursed lips, as if you’re gently blowing out birthday candles. Repeat this for several minutes. If you can’t feel your stomach moving, try standing with your hands locked behind your head, which forces your diaphragm to do the work.
Sip Fluids in Small Amounts
Dehydration makes nausea worse, but gulping down a full glass of water can trigger vomiting. The key is small, frequent sips. Aim for at least one ounce (about two tablespoons) per hour as a baseline. You can sip water, suck on ice chips, or try broth, diluted fruit juice (half water, half juice), popsicles, or weak decaffeinated tea.
Avoid sugary drinks, full-strength juice, and anything carbonated if your stomach is very sensitive. If you’ve been vomiting, an oral rehydration solution from the pharmacy replaces lost electrolytes better than water alone. Use a medicine syringe or teaspoon if even small sips from a cup feel like too much.
Try Ginger
Ginger is one of the best-studied natural remedies for nausea. Clinical research shows that taking up to 1 gram of ginger per day for at least three to four days significantly reduces acute vomiting compared to placebo. You don’t need to hit that exact threshold for mild, occasional nausea, though. Even smaller amounts can help settle your stomach.
The form doesn’t matter much. Ginger tea, ginger capsules, ginger chews, or even grating fresh ginger into hot water all work. If you’re buying capsules, check the label for the milligram amount. Studies have used everything from 160 milligrams to several grams daily, but doses around 1 gram per day appear to be the sweet spot for effectiveness without side effects.
Inhale Peppermint
Peppermint oil works through a different path than ginger. Inhaling it creates a cooling sensation and increases salivation, both of which counteract the nausea reflex. It also has antispasmodic effects on the stomach and intestines, meaning it calms the muscular contractions that can make you feel like you’re about to vomit.
You don’t need a nebulizer. Place a drop or two of peppermint essential oil on a tissue or cotton ball and hold it near your nose, breathing normally. Peppermint tea works too, giving you both the aromatherapy benefit and gentle hydration. Avoid swallowing concentrated peppermint oil directly, as it can irritate an already sensitive stomach.
Press the P6 Acupressure Point
There’s a pressure point on your inner wrist called P6 (also known as Neiguan) that has been used for centuries to manage nausea. It’s the same point targeted by anti-nausea wristbands. To find it, place three fingers across the inside of your wrist starting at the crease. Just below where your third finger lands, you’ll feel two large tendons. The point sits right between them.
Press firmly with your thumb for two to three minutes, then switch wrists. You should feel a dull ache or mild tenderness at the spot, which tells you you’re in the right place. This technique is especially popular for motion sickness and pregnancy-related nausea.
Ease Back Into Eating
Don’t force food when you’re actively nauseous. Wait until the worst has passed and you feel a flicker of appetite returning. When you do start eating, stick to bland, easy-to-digest options: plain crackers, dry toast, brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, or unsweetened dry cereal. These are gentle on your stomach and unlikely to trigger another wave.
The old BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) is fine for a day or two, but you don’t need to limit yourself to just those four foods. Anything bland and low in fat will work. Avoid greasy, spicy, or heavily seasoned foods until you’ve kept simple foods down comfortably for several hours. Eat small portions rather than full meals, and stop if your nausea returns.
Over-the-Counter Options
If home remedies aren’t cutting it, a few pharmacy options can help. Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) coats the stomach lining and is useful for nausea from general stomach upset or food-related illness. Antihistamine-based anti-nausea products like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or meclizine work well for motion sickness and inner ear-related dizziness, though they tend to cause drowsiness.
For nausea caused by overeating or indigestion, antacids can sometimes take the edge off. Read labels carefully and avoid mixing multiple products without checking for overlapping ingredients.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most nausea resolves on its own, but certain combinations of symptoms are serious. Call emergency services if your nausea comes with chest pain, severe abdominal cramping, blurred vision, confusion, high fever with a stiff neck, or rectal bleeding.
Get to urgent care or an emergency room if your vomit contains blood, looks like coffee grounds, or is bright green. The same goes for signs of dehydration: excessive thirst, dark urine, dizziness when standing, or going many hours without urinating. A severe headache alongside vomiting, especially one that feels different from any headache you’ve had before, also warrants immediate evaluation.
For adults, vomiting that lasts more than two days deserves a doctor’s visit. If you’ve had recurring bouts of nausea and vomiting for longer than a month, or you’ve noticed unexplained weight loss alongside your symptoms, schedule an appointment to investigate the underlying cause.