7 Ways to Treat Nausea at Home

Nausea can strike at any time. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to feel it coming. Other times, it’ll seem to come from out of nowhere. If you sense it coming or not, the uneasy feeling and vomiting is always unpleasant. Fortunately, there are many methods you can use at home to ease your nausea.

  1. Clear liquids. If your stomach queasy, it doesn’t necessarily need the additional stress of digesting food. You’ll want to keep with fluids until you feel better and have stopped vomiting. Diluted non-citrus fruit juices or water are easier to handle. They are also a necessity in preventing the dehydration that can lead to diarrhea or vomiting.
  2. Go to bed. Curing whatever’s causing your sickness is often best done by staying in bed. Doctors recommend a good amount of time in bed is one of the best ways to fight the 24 hour flu. With more rest, your body gains more energy to fight the affliction.
  3. Don’t drink alcohol. If you’ve ever had a hangover, you know alcohol can make you nauseous. If you already have an upset stomach, now is definitely not the time to go drinking. It’s the same with cigarettes, beverages containing caffeine, highly seasoned foods, and fatty foods.
  4. Don’t fight it. Your body attempts to eliminate your stomach’s problems through vomiting. Holding back the urge could actually cause tears in your esophagus, which often leads to more serious problems.
  5. Drink pink. Over the counter stomach medicines that have bismuth, like Pepto-Bismol, claim to coat the stomach. This helps provide relief from the discomfort you’re experiencing. Since aspirin can be a stomach irritant, you’ll want to avoid Alka-Seltzer and other products that contain aspirin.
  6. Cold compresses. A cold compress might not stop your vomiting or cure your ailments. However, placing one on your forehead will comfort you and help you feel better.
  7. Maintain your electrolyte balance. If you’ve more than a day without keeping food down, sports drinks like Gatorade are easy on your stomach. They’re designed to replace electrolytes. Should the sports drinks irritate your stomach, try diluting it with water.

When all is said and done, your mother was right when she told you to stay in bed, get lots of rest and stay hydrated. If all else fails and you can’t shake the nausea, have been vomiting for more than 24 hours or are vomiting blood, contact your doctor immediately.