A few simple strategies can calm an upset stomach quickly: sipping ginger tea, chewing a calcium carbonate antacid, or just giving your digestive system a short rest from food. The right approach depends on what’s causing your discomfort, whether it’s nausea, bloating, acid, or general queasiness. Here’s what actually works and why.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is one of the most reliable natural options for settling nausea. The active compounds in ginger, called gingerols, block serotonin receptors in the gut that trigger the vomiting reflex. They also speed up gastric emptying, which means food moves out of your stomach faster instead of sitting there making you feel worse. This effect is dose-dependent: more ginger generally means more relief, up to a point.
You can get ginger through tea, chewable ginger candies, capsules, or even flat ginger ale (though most commercial ginger ales contain very little actual ginger). Fresh ginger sliced into hot water is the most straightforward option. Studies on ginger supplements have used doses ranging from 160 mg to several grams per day, but for everyday stomach upset, a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger steeped in hot water for 10 minutes is a reasonable starting point.
Peppermint for Cramping and Bloating
If your stomach trouble feels more like cramping, bloating, or a tight uncomfortable pressure, peppermint may work better than ginger. Peppermint oil relaxes the smooth muscle lining your stomach, intestines, and colon. This antispasmodic effect can ease the clenching sensation that comes with indigestion or irritable bowel flare-ups. Peppermint tea is the gentlest way to try this. Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules are another option, designed to dissolve in the intestines rather than the stomach.
One caveat: because peppermint relaxes the valve between your stomach and esophagus, it can make acid reflux worse. If your stomach upset comes with heartburn or a burning sensation in your chest, skip the peppermint and try ginger or an antacid instead.
Over-the-Counter Antacids
When the problem is excess stomach acid, a chewable calcium carbonate tablet (the active ingredient in Tums and similar products) neutralizes acid on contact. The onset of relief takes about 30 minutes, and the effect in your stomach lasts roughly 100 to 180 minutes for chewable tablets. Swallowable tablets, interestingly, perform significantly worse, so chewing matters.
For a broader range of symptoms, including nausea, diarrhea, and general stomach upset, bismuth subsalicylate (the pink liquid or chewable tablets sold as Pepto-Bismol) takes a different approach. Once it reaches your stomach, it breaks down into two components. One reduces inflammation and calms intestinal secretions. The other has antibacterial properties, preventing harmful bacteria from attaching to your stomach lining. It also promotes fluid reabsorption in the intestines, which is why it helps with diarrhea. Bismuth subsalicylate does not disrupt the normal balance of bacteria in your gut.
Stay Hydrated, Especially After Vomiting
Vomiting and diarrhea deplete your body of water and electrolytes fast. Plain water helps, but it doesn’t replace the sodium and potassium you’ve lost. Oral rehydration solutions are specifically formulated to match what your gut absorbs most efficiently. The World Health Organization’s reduced-osmolality formula contains about 75 mmol/L of sodium and a small amount of glucose, because sodium and glucose are absorbed together through the intestinal wall, pulling water along with them.
You don’t need to buy a special product. You can approximate this at home with a liter of water, six level teaspoons of sugar, and half a teaspoon of salt. Sip slowly rather than gulping. If you drink too much too fast on an already irritated stomach, you may trigger more nausea.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
The old BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) was once standard advice, but it’s no longer recommended as a strict protocol. It’s too low in protein, fiber, calcium, and B vitamins, and following it for more than a day or two can actually slow recovery. The American Academy of Pediatrics specifically advises against it for children with diarrhea.
That said, the underlying principle still holds: bland, low-fat, easy-to-digest foods are easier on an upset stomach than rich or spicy ones. Plain crackers, broth, boiled potatoes, and steamed chicken are all reasonable choices. The goal is to eat lightly when you feel ready, not to restrict yourself to four specific foods. If you can tolerate a normal meal within 24 hours, go for it.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, fried foods, and highly acidic foods like tomato sauce or citrus until your stomach has settled. These all stimulate acid production or irritate an already inflamed stomach lining.
Wrist Pressure for Nausea
Pressing on the PC6 acupressure point on the inner wrist is a drug-free technique with surprisingly solid clinical evidence. A large Cochrane review covering over 5,000 participants found that stimulating this point reduced nausea by about 32% and vomiting by 40% compared to a sham treatment. In head-to-head comparisons, it performed about as well as standard anti-nausea medications.
To find the point, place three fingers across the inside of your wrist, starting at the crease where your hand meets your arm. The spot is just below your third finger, between the two tendons running up your forearm. Press firmly with your thumb for two to three minutes. Motion sickness wristbands work on the same principle, applying constant pressure to this area.
Your Sleep Position Matters
If your stomach is acting up at night, particularly with acid reflux, lying on your left side can help. When you lie on your right side, your esophagus sits below the opening to your stomach, making it easy for acid to flow upward. Switching to your left side flips this arrangement so gravity works in your favor, keeping acid in the stomach and shortening the time it takes to clear any acid that does escape. A systematic review and meta-analysis confirmed that left-side sleeping is associated with measurably improved reflux symptoms.
Elevating the head of your bed by a few inches (using a wedge pillow or blocks under the bed frame) provides additional benefit by keeping your upper body slightly above your stomach.
Signs That Need Urgent Attention
Most stomach upset resolves on its own within a day or two. But certain symptoms signal something more serious. Seek immediate medical care if you experience severe abdominal pain that comes on suddenly, blood in your vomit or stool, dark tarry stools, a fever alongside stomach pain, or pain that gets dramatically worse when you move or when something bumps your abdomen. Yellowing of the skin or eyes combined with upper right abdominal pain also warrants prompt evaluation. In children, watch for inconsolable crying, especially if it comes in waves with the child pulling their knees toward their chest.