Most stomach upset resolves on its own within a few hours, and simple home strategies can speed that process along. What works best depends on what’s causing the trouble: nausea, bloating, acid irritation, or diarrhea each respond to different approaches. Here’s what actually helps and why.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is one of the most reliable natural remedies for settling a queasy stomach. It works by interacting with serotonin receptors in the gut, the same receptors involved in triggering nausea. It also stimulates the muscles that move food through your digestive tract, which helps when your stomach feels heavy or stalled.
Fresh ginger tea is the simplest option. Slice a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger root, steep it in hot water for five to ten minutes, and sip slowly. Ginger chews, ginger ale made with real ginger (check the ingredients), and ginger capsules all work too. The key is using actual ginger rather than artificial ginger flavoring, which won’t have the same effect.
Peppermint for Cramps and Bloating
If your stomach upset involves cramping, bloating, or that tight, spasming feeling in your abdomen, peppermint is worth trying. The menthol in peppermint relaxes the smooth muscle lining your digestive tract by blocking calcium from entering muscle cells. Less calcium means the muscles can’t contract as forcefully, which reduces spasms. This mechanism is similar to how some prescription muscle relaxants work.
Peppermint tea is the gentlest delivery method. You can also suck on a peppermint candy or place a drop of food-grade peppermint oil in warm water. One caveat: if your stomach upset is caused by acid reflux, peppermint can make it worse. The same muscle relaxation that eases cramps can also relax the valve between your stomach and esophagus, letting acid travel upward.
Chamomile Tea for Inflammation
Chamomile works differently from ginger and peppermint. Its compounds reduce inflammation in the digestive tract by dialing down the production of certain inflammatory chemicals your body makes in response to irritation. This makes it particularly useful when your stomach lining feels raw or irritated, like after eating something that disagreed with you or during a mild stomach bug.
Brew a cup using a chamomile tea bag or loose dried flowers, and let it steep for at least five minutes to extract the active compounds. Drinking it warm (not hot) adds the benefit of gentle heat, which on its own can help relax tense abdominal muscles.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
When your stomach is upset, bland and easy-to-digest foods put the least demand on your digestive system. You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s a useful starting point, but major health organizations no longer recommend following it strictly. The Cleveland Clinic notes it lacks calcium, vitamin B12, protein, and fiber, and sticking with it for more than 24 hours can actually slow recovery, especially in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics considers it too restrictive for kids with diarrhea.
Instead, think of BRAT foods as a short list within a broader category of gentle options. Plain crackers, broth-based soups, boiled potatoes, steamed vegetables, and plain chicken are all fine. The goal is to avoid anything greasy, spicy, highly acidic, or high in fiber until your stomach calms down. Dairy can be tricky for some people during a bout of stomach upset, so it’s worth skipping temporarily if you notice it makes things worse.
If acid is your main issue, certain foods can help buffer it. Bananas, melons, cauliflower, fennel, and nuts are all mildly alkaline. Nonfat milk can act as a temporary barrier between your stomach lining and acid. A small amount of lemon juice in warm water with honey, despite being acidic on its own, has an alkalizing effect once metabolized and can ease irritation.
Stay Hydrated the Right Way
Vomiting and diarrhea drain your body of water and electrolytes fast, and dehydration makes nausea worse. Plain water is fine for mild upset, but if you’ve been vomiting or having diarrhea for more than a few hours, you need to replace sodium and potassium too.
The most effective approach is an oral rehydration solution, which uses a specific balance of glucose and sodium (in roughly equal concentrations) to maximize water absorption in your intestines. You can buy premade versions at any pharmacy. If you don’t have one on hand, diluted broth, coconut water, or a sports drink diluted with equal parts water will help. Sip slowly rather than gulping. Taking small, frequent sips every few minutes is far easier on an irritated stomach than drinking a full glass at once.
The Acupressure Point That Works
There’s a pressure point on your inner wrist called P6 (or Neiguan) that has surprisingly solid evidence behind it. It sits about three finger-widths below the base of your palm, between the two tendons on the inside of your wrist. Press firmly with your thumb for two to three minutes, then switch wrists.
This technique has been studied most extensively in pregnancy-related nausea. Across eight clinical trials involving over 700 women, six studies found that P6 acupressure significantly reduced nausea and vomiting compared to control treatments. It also reduced anxiety and improved daily functioning. The same point is the target of anti-nausea wristbands sold at pharmacies, which apply constant gentle pressure. It won’t work for everyone, but it’s free, has no side effects, and takes two minutes.
Over-the-Counter Options
Different stomach problems call for different products, and grabbing the wrong one won’t help much.
- Antacids (calcium carbonate): Best for heartburn, acid indigestion, and that burning feeling in your upper stomach or chest. They work by directly neutralizing stomach acid. Take them when you feel the burn, not preemptively.
- Bismuth subsalicylate (the pink stuff): Better suited for nausea, diarrhea, and general stomach upset from food or travel. It coats the stomach lining and has mild antimicrobial properties. This is the better pick if your symptoms include loose stools or a general unsettled feeling rather than acid-related burning.
- Simethicone: Specifically targets gas and bloating. It breaks up gas bubbles in your digestive tract. If your discomfort is mainly pressure and bloating, this is the most targeted choice.
Simple Habits That Help Right Now
Beyond what you eat or drink, a few physical strategies can make a noticeable difference. Lying on your left side helps because of how your stomach is positioned in your body. Gravity keeps stomach contents away from the valve leading to your esophagus, reducing acid discomfort. Applying a warm (not hot) heating pad or water bottle to your abdomen relaxes the muscles and improves blood flow to the area, which can ease cramping.
Avoid lying completely flat if acid is involved. Prop yourself up at a slight angle with pillows. Loose clothing helps too, since anything tight around your waist puts extra pressure on your abdomen and can worsen nausea and bloating. And while it sounds obvious, try to avoid screens and strong smells. Both can intensify nausea through sensory pathways that connect directly to the part of your brain controlling the vomit reflex.
Probiotics for Recovery
If your stomach upset involves diarrhea, especially from a stomach bug, probiotics can shorten how long it lasts. One well-studied strain reduced diarrhea duration by roughly 20 to 24 hours in clinical trials. In children with acute diarrhea, those given probiotics recovered in about 60 hours compared to 78 hours without them, and stool consistency improved faster too.
Probiotics are most useful during and after a bout of illness, not necessarily for one-off indigestion. Yogurt with live active cultures, kefir, and probiotic supplements are all options. Look for products that list specific bacterial strains and contain at least 1 billion colony-forming units.
When Stomach Upset Is Something More
Most stomach discomfort passes within a few hours to a day. But certain patterns signal something that needs medical attention. The American College of Emergency Physicians recommends seeking emergency care if abdominal pain is sudden and severe, or doesn’t ease within 30 minutes. Continuous, severe pain paired with persistent vomiting can indicate a serious condition.
Watch specifically for pain concentrated in the lower right abdomen with loss of appetite and fever (possible appendicitis), or pain in the middle upper abdomen that worsens after eating and comes with nausea and a rapid pulse (possible pancreatitis). Blood in your vomit or stool, an inability to keep any fluids down for more than 12 hours, or signs of dehydration like dark urine, dizziness, or a dry mouth all warrant a call to your doctor or a trip to urgent care.