Nausea usually responds well to a combination of simple strategies you can start immediately: slow breathing, small sips of fluid, ginger, peppermint scent, bland foods, and cold on the neck. Most episodes pass on their own, but knowing which techniques work and why can help you feel better faster.
Slow, Controlled Breathing
This is the fastest tool you have because it works in seconds and requires nothing. When you feel nauseous, your body’s fight-or-flight system is ramped up, which makes your gut more reactive. Deep, slow breathing activates the opposing system (your parasympathetic “rest and digest” response) and calms the stomach directly.
Sit or recline in a comfortable position. Inhale through your nose to a count of 4, then exhale slowly through your mouth to a count of 6. The longer exhale is what shifts your nervous system toward calm. Repeat for two to five minutes. If your nausea tends to hit after eating, try this at the end of a meal before it builds.
Cold on the Neck or Forehead
A cold washcloth or ice pack placed on the side of your neck can activate the vagus nerve, a long nerve that runs from your brain down through your chest and abdomen. Stimulating it triggers your parasympathetic system, slows your heart rate, and reduces that wave-like nausea sensation. Press a cold, damp cloth against the lateral (side) part of your neck for a few minutes, or drape it across the back of your neck. A cold pack on the forehead can also help, especially if you’re overheated.
Ginger
Ginger is one of the most studied natural anti-nausea remedies. Its active compounds appear to block serotonin receptors in both the gut and the brain, which are the same pathways that prescription anti-nausea medications target. Most clinical research has used 250 mg to 1 g of powdered ginger root in capsule form, taken one to four times daily. For pregnancy-related nausea, the most common dosing in studies was 250 mg four times a day.
You don’t need capsules to benefit. Ginger tea, ginger chews, and flat ginger ale (let it go flat so the carbonation doesn’t irritate your stomach) all deliver the same active compounds. If you’re using fresh ginger, steep a thumb-sized piece in hot water for five to ten minutes. Sip slowly rather than gulping.
Peppermint Aromatherapy
Inhaling peppermint oil is surprisingly effective. A 2025 review of clinical trials found that peppermint inhalation reduced nausea severity across multiple settings: after surgery, during pregnancy, and during chemotherapy. Reductions were measurable within two to six hours, with effects continuing to build over 48 to 72 hours of repeated use.
The easiest method: put one or two drops of peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball and hold it a few inches from your nose, breathing normally. You can also add two drops to a cool, damp washcloth and drape it near your face. If you don’t have essential oil on hand, peppermint tea or even unwrapping a candy cane and smelling it can provide a milder version of the same effect.
Acupressure on the Inner Wrist
There’s a pressure point on the inner wrist called P6 (or Neiguan) that has been used for centuries to relieve nausea and is now incorporated into anti-nausea wristbands sold in pharmacies. To find it, place three fingers flat across the inside of your opposite wrist, just below the wrist crease. The point sits right below where your third finger lands, in the gap between the two large tendons that run down the center of your forearm. Press firmly with your thumb and hold for one to two minutes, then switch wrists. You should feel a dull ache, not sharp pain.
What to Eat and Drink
When nausea is active, the goal is to keep something down without triggering more waves. Take small sips of clear fluids: water, broth, diluted juice, or an electrolyte drink. The classic advice was to follow the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), and those foods are still fine for a day or two. But Harvard Health notes there’s no reason to limit yourself to just those four. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereal are equally easy to digest and give you more nutritional variety.
Once your stomach starts to settle, adding protein helps recovery. Skinless chicken or turkey, eggs, fish, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, and avocado are all gentle options that provide the nutrients your body needs to bounce back. Eat in small amounts every one to two hours rather than sitting down to a full meal. Avoid greasy, spicy, or heavily seasoned foods until you’ve kept bland food down comfortably for several hours.
If you’ve been vomiting, replacing lost electrolytes matters more than just drinking water. Oral rehydration solutions (available at any pharmacy, or you can make one at home with water, a small amount of sugar, and a pinch of salt) work because the glucose and sodium are absorbed together, pulling water into your system more efficiently than plain water alone.
Over-the-Counter Options
Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate) can help with nausea from an upset stomach, food poisoning, or stomach bugs. The standard adult dose is two tablets or two tablespoons of liquid, repeated every 30 minutes to one hour as needed. Don’t exceed 16 tablespoons of regular-strength liquid or 8 tablets in 24 hours.
A few important limits: this medication is not safe for children under 12, should not be used while breastfeeding, and should not be given to children or teenagers recovering from the flu or chickenpox due to the risk of Reye’s syndrome. Because it contains a salicylate (chemically related to aspirin), check your other medications for aspirin or salicylate ingredients before doubling up.
Vitamin B6 has some evidence for pregnancy-related nausea specifically. There is an FDA-approved combination of vitamin B6 and an antihistamine designed for morning sickness that doesn’t respond to diet and lifestyle changes. If you’re pregnant and struggling with persistent nausea, this is worth discussing with your provider, as study results on B6 alone have been mixed.
Warning Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most nausea resolves within a few hours to a couple of days. But certain combinations of symptoms signal something more serious. Call emergency services if nausea or vomiting 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 green. The same applies if you have a severe headache unlike any you’ve had before, or if you notice signs of dehydration: extreme thirst, dark urine, dry mouth, dizziness when you stand, or weakness.
For adults, vomiting that lasts more than two days warrants a doctor visit. For children under 2, the threshold is 24 hours; for infants, 12 hours. Recurring nausea lasting more than a month, or unexplained weight loss alongside nausea, also needs evaluation.