Most nausea passes on its own, but you don’t have to just wait it out. Several home remedies can cut nausea significantly within minutes, and the right food choices can keep it from coming back as your stomach settles. Here’s what actually works.
Ginger: The Best-Studied Home Remedy
Ginger is the most consistently effective natural option for nausea. It appears to work by blocking serotonin receptors in both the gut and the brain, interrupting the chemical signaling that triggers the urge to vomit. Most clinical research has used between 250 mg and 1 g of powdered ginger root in capsule form, taken one to four times daily. For pregnancy-related nausea specifically, the typical studied dose is 250 mg four times a day.
You don’t need capsules to get the benefit. Fresh ginger sliced into hot water makes a simple tea, and even ginger chews or ginger ale made with real ginger (check the ingredients) can help. The key is using actual ginger root rather than ginger-flavored products, which often contain little or none of the active compounds.
The Rubbing Alcohol Sniff Trick
One of the fastest-acting home remedies is also one of the least well known. Sniffing a standard rubbing alcohol pad (isopropyl alcohol) can cut nausea roughly in half within 10 minutes. In a randomized controlled trial conducted in an emergency department, patients who inhaled isopropyl alcohol dropped from a median nausea score of about 6 out of 10 down to 3, while those who sniffed a placebo saline pad stayed at 6. Satisfaction scores were also twice as high in the isopropyl alcohol group.
To try this, open a rubbing alcohol swab (the kind sold for first aid) and hold it a few inches from your nose. Take slow, deep breaths through your nose. You can repeat this as needed. It’s cheap, portable, and works faster than most oral remedies since you don’t have to keep anything down.
Acupressure on the Inner Wrist
Pressing a specific point on the inside of your wrist, known as the P6 or Neiguan point, is a well-known technique for nausea relief. To find it, place your first three fingers flat across the inside of your opposite wrist, just below the crease where your hand meets your arm. The point sits just below where your third finger lands, in the groove between the two large tendons that run down the center of your wrist.
Press firmly with your thumb and hold. You can also buy inexpensive acupressure wristbands (often marketed for motion sickness) that apply constant pressure to this spot. This technique is particularly popular during pregnancy and after surgery because it carries zero risk of side effects.
Vitamin B6 for Ongoing Nausea
Vitamin B6 is effective enough against nausea that the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends it as a first-line treatment for pregnancy-related nausea: 10 to 25 mg taken three or four times a day. It can help with other types of nausea too, though it’s been studied most in pregnant women.
The tolerable upper intake level for adults is 100 mg per day, so staying within the recommended dosing range keeps you well under that ceiling. Taking too much B6 over extended periods can cause nerve problems, so stick to the lower end of the range and don’t exceed 100 mg daily without medical guidance.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
The old standby BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) has fallen out of favor. The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends it because it’s too nutritionally restrictive and may actually slow recovery if followed for more than 24 hours. The underlying principle still holds, though: start bland and work your way up.
When you’re actively nauseous, good options include:
- Brothy soups
- Saltine crackers
- Dry cereal or oatmeal
- Boiled potatoes
- Plain toast
Once your stomach starts to settle, you can add slightly more nutritious foods like scrambled eggs, skinless chicken or turkey, and cooked vegetables. Eat small amounts frequently rather than full meals. Avoid greasy, spicy, or heavily seasoned foods until you’ve kept bland food down comfortably for several hours.
Sipping fluids is critical, especially if you’ve been vomiting. Small, frequent sips of water, clear broth, or an electrolyte drink are easier to keep down than gulping a full glass at once.
Your Environment Matters
Heat and stuffy air make nausea worse. If you’re feeling queasy, move to a cool, well-ventilated space. Turn on a fan or open a window to get air circulating against your skin. If you’re outdoors in heat and humidity, getting into air conditioning even briefly can help your body recover and ease the nausea that comes with heat exhaustion.
Lying flat can also intensify nausea. Propping yourself up at a slight angle, or sitting upright, helps keep stomach acid where it belongs. Avoid strong smells when possible, since your brain becomes more sensitive to odors when you’re already nauseous. Cooking smells, perfume, and cleaning products are common triggers.
Breathing Techniques
Slow, controlled breathing activates your body’s calming response and can reduce nausea on its own. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four, hold briefly, then exhale through your mouth for a count of six. This works especially well combined with the rubbing alcohol sniff mentioned earlier, since both techniques use deliberate nasal inhalation.
When Home Remedies Aren’t Enough
Most nausea from stomach bugs resolves within 24 hours. Food poisoning typically causes 12 to 24 hours of nausea and vomiting. If your symptoms last longer than that, or if you can’t keep any fluids down for an extended period, it’s worth getting checked out. Persistent, unexplained nausea that doesn’t respond to home treatment can signal an underlying issue that needs attention. In children, prolonged vomiting combined with signs of dehydration (dry mouth, no tears, reduced urination) or fever is a reason to call a pediatrician promptly.