Several proven strategies can stop or reduce nausea, ranging from simple techniques you can try in the next five minutes to medications that target the nausea reflex directly. What works best depends on what’s causing your nausea, but most people find relief through some combination of ginger, controlled breathing, pressure point stimulation, dietary changes, or over-the-counter medication.
Ginger: The Best-Studied Natural Remedy
Ginger is one of the most effective natural options for nausea, and it has more clinical research behind it than almost any other home remedy. A meta-analysis found that roughly 1,000 mg of ginger per day, taken for at least four days, significantly reduced nausea compared to placebo. That’s about a half-inch piece of fresh ginger root, two capsules of powdered ginger, or a strong cup of ginger tea.
The timing matters depending on the situation. For motion sickness, take 1,000 mg about an hour before travel. For morning sickness during pregnancy, 500 mg three times daily for three to five days is the dose most commonly studied. For nausea related to chemotherapy, doses of 500 mg to 1,000 mg were most effective at reducing acute nausea in the first 24 hours, though they didn’t help as much with nausea that set in later.
One important note: commercial ginger ale often contains very little actual ginger. Ginger tea, ginger chews, or ginger capsules from a supplement aisle are more reliable sources.
Peppermint Inhalation
Simply smelling peppermint oil can meaningfully reduce nausea. The active compounds, menthol and menthone, block certain receptors in the gut that trigger the nausea reflex and relax the smooth muscles of the digestive tract. You don’t need to swallow anything. Just inhaling the scent works.
Clinical trials show peppermint inhalation reduces nausea severity across multiple settings: post-surgical nausea, pregnancy-related nausea, and chemotherapy-induced nausea. In chemotherapy patients, peppermint oil inhalation produced the most notable symptom reductions at 48 and 72 hours. For pregnancy nausea, daily peppermint treatment lowered symptom severity within 48 hours.
To try it, put a drop or two of peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball and hold it a few inches from your nose. Breathe normally. If you don’t have essential oil, a strong peppermint tea held close to your face can work in a pinch.
The Pressure Point on Your Wrist
There’s a spot on your inner forearm called P6, and pressing it has been shown in randomized trials to reduce nausea severity, vomiting frequency, and the need for anti-nausea medication. To find it, place three fingers across your inner wrist, starting at the crease where your hand meets your forearm. The point sits right below your three fingers, in the small groove between the two tendons running up your forearm.
Press firmly with your thumb for two to three minutes. In clinical studies, patients who received acupressure at this point experienced significantly less nausea at two, four, and six hours compared to both placebo and control groups. This is the same principle behind anti-nausea wristbands (often sold as “Sea-Bands”), which apply constant pressure to P6. It’s free, has no side effects, and you can do it anywhere.
What to Eat (and Avoid) When Nauseated
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s still a reasonable starting point for a day or two when nausea hits, but there’s no reason to limit yourself to only those four foods. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereal are equally easy on the stomach.
Once the worst passes, adding more nutritious options helps your body recover faster. Cooked squash, carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, avocado, skinless chicken, fish, and eggs are all bland enough to tolerate but provide the protein and nutrients your body needs. Sticking too long with the original BRAT foods alone can leave you short on calories and nutrition at a time when your body needs both.
A few eating habits also make a difference. Eat small amounts frequently rather than large meals. Avoid greasy, spicy, or strongly scented foods. Sip clear fluids between meals rather than during them. Cold foods tend to have less odor than hot ones, which helps if smells are triggering your nausea.
Over-the-Counter Medications
When natural remedies aren’t enough, two common antihistamines are widely available without a prescription. Dimenhydrinate (sold as Dramamine) is effective for motion sickness and general nausea but commonly causes drowsiness, dizziness, and reduced mental alertness. Meclizine (sold as Bonine) works similarly but tends to cause less drowsiness, making it the better choice if you need to stay functional.
Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) is another option, particularly for nausea related to upset stomach, food poisoning, or traveler’s diarrhea. It coats and calms the stomach lining. For motion sickness specifically, both dimenhydrinate and meclizine work best when taken 30 to 60 minutes before travel rather than after symptoms start.
Prescription Anti-Nausea Medication
For severe or persistent nausea, especially from chemotherapy, surgery, or conditions like gastroparesis, doctors can prescribe stronger medications. The most commonly prescribed is ondansetron (Zofran), which blocks the specific chemical signals in your gut and brain that trigger the vomit reflex. It’s fast-acting and effective for many types of nausea.
Ondansetron does carry a known risk of affecting heart rhythm, particularly at higher doses or in people who already have heart rhythm conditions or electrolyte imbalances. For most people using it occasionally at standard doses, this isn’t a practical concern, but it’s one reason the medication requires a prescription rather than being available over the counter.
Quick Techniques That Help Right Now
If you’re nauseated this moment and don’t have ginger, peppermint, or medication on hand, a few simple strategies can take the edge off. Controlled breathing is surprisingly effective: inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four, then exhale through your mouth for a count of four. This activates your body’s calming nervous system response and can interrupt the nausea cycle within a few minutes.
Fresh, cool air helps. Step outside or sit near an open window. Avoid lying flat, which can worsen nausea. Instead, sit upright or recline at an angle. Loosen any tight clothing around your waist and abdomen. If you’re in a car or on a boat, fix your eyes on a stable point on the horizon to reduce the sensory mismatch that drives motion sickness.
Stay hydrated, but take small sips rather than gulping water. Ice chips or small sips of clear broth are easier to keep down than large glasses of liquid. If you’ve been vomiting for several hours and can’t keep fluids down, watch for signs of dehydration: dark urine, dizziness when standing, dry mouth, or unusual confusion or sleepiness. Persistent vomiting lasting more than 24 hours, a fever above 102°F, or blood in your vomit or stool are all signs that warrant medical attention.