Nausea is an upset feeling in the stomach that makes you feel like you might be throwing up. It could trigger retching because stomach contents reaching the back of the throat stimulate a nerve that induces this reflex. There are many conditions and medications that can cause nausea, including gastroenteritis, cancer, motion sickness, chemotherapy, medications, pregnancy, dizziness, anxiety, and some emotional states. This is a very common disorder and there are several ways to manage it. Read on to learn more.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using Food and Drinks
Step 1. Follow the BRAT diet
This diet was designed to help people who cannot eat normally due to nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. It involves the consumption of light foods that do not irritate the stomach. Its name comes from the English acronym which means B.pineapple (bananas), R.ice (rice), TOpplesauce (apple puree) e T.oast (toast).
Stick to this type of diet for only a short time, no more than 24-36 hours. It has the sole purpose of fighting stomach problems for a short time, as it does not provide all the necessary nutrients like normal nutrition
Step 2. Eat certain foods
In addition to the BRAT diet, or after following it for a day or two, you can eat other foods to try to control nausea. In fact, some have proved particularly useful against this type of malaise and are delicate for the stomach, especially if you suffer from morning sickness, those induced by pregnancy. Try some light, but a little more substantial, products, such as crackers, scones, baked chicken, potatoes, and noodles.
You can also try mints, broth, flavored jellies, fluffy donuts, sorbets, popsicles, pineapple ice cubes, or grape juice
Step 3. Avoid other types of food
Some foods may make you feel nauseous by irritating your stomach and causing acid reflux, nausea, and vomiting. If you feel very unwell, limit or don't eat the following foods at all:
- Fatty foods, such as fried foods
- Spicy or seasoned foods;
- Industrially processed foods, such as french fries, donuts, fast food and canned foods;
- Beverages containing alcohol or caffeine, especially coffee;
- Foods with particularly strong flavors.
Step 4. Eat small meals
When you are not feeling well, you need to avoid large meals; you should rather eat less, but more often throughout the day; in this way, the stomach works less because it has less food to digest.
Eat light meals with the foods already described above
Step 5. Get the ginger
It is often used to reduce nausea because it calms the stomach and promotes digestion. You can consume it in different ways, such as adding fresh or powdered to preparations, sucking on hard candies, eating the raw root or even sipping it in the form of herbal tea. You can also buy ginger tablets at major health food stores. The typical recommended dosage is 1000 mg taken by mouth with water.
Ginger is a home remedy that has been used for a very long time to treat various ailments that cause nausea. These include motion sickness, seasickness, hyperemesis gravidarum (vomiting during pregnancy), chemotherapy-induced nausea, and post-operative nausea
Step 6. Sip your drinks
Since nausea is related to stomach upset, you need to pay attention to what you introduce into your stomach. When you feel nauseous, you should sip soft drinks, such as water, sports drinks, soft drinks, and tea. Excess fluid promotes nausea, so you should drink slowly; try taking small sips every five to ten minutes. By doing this, you should be able to restore your stomach and, if you have also been vomiting, replenish lost fluids and electrolytes.
Drinks like ginger ale or lemon or lime flavored ones are great against nausea; they can also be carbonated
Method 2 of 3: Using Alternative Methods
Step 1. Stay seated
When you feel nauseous, try to stay seated on a chair or sofa and avoid moving. Movement is perceived by different parts of the body, including the inner ear, eyes, muscles and joints. If these parts are not sending the same sensations of movement to the brain or if they are not in sync with each other, you may start to feel nauseated.
Some people find it helpful to keep their head between their knees
Step 2. Don't lie down after eating
Freshly ingested food is not yet digested. If you lie down before digestion takes place, the contents of the stomach can return to the esophagus and cause nausea, as well as inducing gastric reflux and even vomiting.
It is a good idea to take a half-hour walk after meals to aid digestion
Step 3. Breathe in fresh air
Sometimes nausea is also caused by poor quality of the air you breathe, for example if it is stale or there are irritants. The air can be stale if there is insufficient ventilation in the room and dust builds up, consequently blocking the respiratory system and making it difficult to breathe through the nose, lungs and throat. Kitchen smells can also be irritating and cause nausea if the room is not properly ventilated.
- Clean, fresh air can provide relief. Quickly go outside to get some fresh air. If that's not possible, you can turn on a fan or air conditioner to achieve a similar effect.
- If necessary, open the window or turn on the kitchen fan when you prepare meals, to remove the smells of cooking.
Step 4. Try mint aromatherapy
Do deep breathing exercises with peppermint essential oil to try to reduce nausea and vomiting. Some studies have found that inhaling this aroma not only reduces the incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting, but also decreases the need to take anti-emetic drugs. You can buy this essential oil at major drugstores, health food stores, and health food stores. Here's how to use it:
- Smell the mint oil directly from the vial or apply a few drops on a cotton ball, put it in a cup and inhale;
- Massage the oil on your abdomen or chest to breathe in the vapors;
- Mix a few drops in the water and pour the mixture into a spray bottle to vaporize it at home and in the car;
- Add 5-10 drops of oil to the tub water before taking a bath.
Step 5. Practice breathing techniques
Some studies have found that deep, controlled breathing can reduce the severity of nausea when it is due to post-surgical effects. To perform these techniques, find a quiet, comfortable place to sit. Take a normal breath followed by a deep one. Inhale slowly through the nose, let the chest and lower abdomen area swell as you fill the lungs; fully expand your abdomen, then slowly exhale through your mouth. You can also exhale through your nose if it feels more natural to you.
Try doing guided imagery exercises in combination with deep breathing. When sitting comfortably with your eyes closed, combine deep breathing with helpful pictures and possibly a few specific words or phrases to help you relax. The image can be a vacation spot, a room in your home, or some other pleasant and safe place. In this way, some people are able to get rid of nausea and the urge to vomit
Step 6. Undergo music therapy
Research has shown that people with chemotherapy-induced nausea experience improvement after undergoing music therapy sessions. During the sessions, professionals trained in this type of therapy - called music therapists - use music to relieve symptoms. Different methods are used for each person, based on individual needs and abilities.
This method also reduces heart rate, blood pressure, relieves stress, and provides a sense of general well-being
Method 3 of 3: Take Medication
Step 1. Go to the doctor
Many anti-emetic drugs require a prescription, so you need to go to your doctor to get it. During the visit, describe your symptoms and your medical history. Your doctor will prescribe a strong medication or recommend an over-the-counter, nonprescription one based on your specific situation.
Take your medications following the instructions on the leaflet or provided by your doctor
Step 2. Manage normal ailments that cause nausea
Some people experience migraine induced nausea. If this is the case, ask your doctor to prescribe metoclopramide (Plasil) or prochlorperazine (Stematil) to relieve symptoms. If you suffer from dizziness and motion sickness, antihistamines, such as meclizine and dimenhydrinate, can help.
- You can also take anticholinergic medicines, such as the scopolamine patch, to reduce nausea from such situations.
- Remember that these drugs have significant side effects and should only be taken under the careful guidance of a doctor.
Step 3. Monitor pregnancy, surgery-induced nausea and gastroenteritis nausea
It is quite normal to suffer from it under these circumstances. For pregnancy, you can take pyridoxine, or vitamin B6, which has been shown to be safe and effective in dosages of 50 to 200 mg per day. You can also buy it in the form of medicinal candies or lollipops. You can take ginger for oral use in doses of one gram per day to effectively combat nausea and vomiting in the first stage of pregnancy. Post-operative nausea, on the other hand, can be alleviated with dopamine receptor antagonists (droperidol and promethazine), with serotonin antagonists (ondansetron) and with dexamethasone (steroids).
- Make sure you follow your doctor's directions regarding the correct dosage. The amount to take depends on your current situation.
- To relieve the symptoms of gastroenteritis you can take bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) or serotonin antagonists (ondansetron).
