If you feel like you’re about to throw up, the fastest things you can do right now are sit upright, breathe slowly, and place something cool on the back of your neck. Most bouts of nausea pass on their own within minutes to hours, but how you breathe, what you eat, and how you hydrate all make a real difference in whether the feeling fades or gets worse.
Slow Your Breathing First
Controlled breathing is one of the quickest ways to dial down nausea because it activates your body’s calming nervous system response. Breathe in slowly through your nose, hold for three seconds, then breathe out slowly through your mouth. Repeat this cycle several times. Many people notice the wave of nausea softening within a minute or two. This works whether your nausea is from anxiety, motion sickness, a stomach bug, or something you ate.
Cool the Back of Your Neck
A cool, damp cloth placed on the back of your neck can ease nausea surprisingly well. When you feel sick, your body temperature often rises slightly, and cooling that area helps counteract the sensation. A cold washcloth, a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel, or even just splashing cold water on the back of your neck and wrists all work. Keep the compress there for several minutes while you focus on breathing.
Try the Pressure Point on Your Wrist
There’s a spot on the inside of your wrist, known as P6, that can reduce mild nausea when you press on it firmly. To find it, place three fingers from your opposite hand flat across your inner wrist, starting just below the crease where your hand meets your arm. Right below where your third finger lands, feel for the groove between the two large tendons that run down toward your palm. Press firmly into that groove with your thumb and hold for 30 to 60 seconds. This is the same principle behind anti-nausea wristbands sold in pharmacies. It works best for mild nausea and morning sickness, though it won’t necessarily stop severe vomiting.
Sit Up and Stay Still
Resist the urge to lie flat. Sitting upright or propping yourself up at an angle keeps stomach acid where it belongs and reduces the pressure that can trigger vomiting. Lying down, especially on your back, lets stomach contents press against the valve at the top of your stomach, which makes nausea worse. If you need to rest, recline at about a 45-degree angle with pillows behind you. Avoid sudden movements, and stay away from screens or reading material if motion sensitivity is part of the problem.
Smell Something Sharp
Inhaling peppermint or lemon scent can quiet nausea. A clinical trial found that inhaling peppermint and lemon essential oils significantly reduced nausea and vomiting compared to a placebo. You don’t need a diffuser. Cut a lemon in half and hold it near your nose, or put a drop of peppermint oil on a tissue and breathe it in. Even a peppermint tea bag held under your nose works. Fresh air in general helps, so opening a window or stepping outside is worth trying, especially if cooking smells or stuffy air are making things worse.
Hydrate in Tiny Sips
The biggest mistake people make when nauseous is either drinking nothing or gulping down a full glass of water. Both backfire. Drinking nothing leads to dehydration, especially if you do end up vomiting. Chugging water on an already irritated stomach almost guarantees you’ll throw it back up.
The approach that works: take about two large sips (roughly 30 milliliters, or a couple of tablespoons) every three to five minutes. Your goal over two hours is about a liter of fluid. If you vomit, slow the pace but don’t stop entirely. Water is fine, but drinks with electrolytes are better if you’ve already been vomiting or have diarrhea. Flat ginger ale, diluted juice, broth, or an oral rehydration solution all count.
You can check yourself for dehydration at home by pinching the skin on the back of your hand. If it snaps back immediately, you’re adequately hydrated. If the skin stays tented for a moment before flattening, you’re losing fluid and need to increase your intake.
What to Eat (and When)
Don’t force yourself to eat while you’re actively nauseous. Once the worst wave passes and you feel like you could keep something down, start with bland, easy foods. The old advice about sticking strictly to bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast is fine for a day or two, but you don’t need to limit yourself to just those four foods. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and plain dry cereal are equally gentle on your stomach.
After a day of bland eating, start adding more nutritious options: cooked carrots, sweet potatoes without the skin, avocado, skinless chicken, fish, or eggs. These are still easy to digest but give your body the protein and nutrients it needs to actually recover. Avoid greasy, spicy, or heavily seasoned food until you’ve gone at least 24 hours without nausea. Eating small amounts frequently is easier on your stomach than sitting down to a full meal.
Over-the-Counter Options
If home remedies aren’t cutting it, a few pharmacy options can help. Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) coats the stomach lining and can calm nausea from food-related causes. Antihistamine-based motion sickness tablets work well for nausea triggered by travel, inner ear issues, or dizziness. Ginger supplements in capsule form have decent evidence behind them, particularly for pregnancy-related nausea. For any of these, follow the dosing on the package and avoid combining multiple products.
Warning Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most nausea resolves without medical help, but certain combinations of symptoms point to something more serious. Get to an emergency room or urgent care if your nausea comes with any of the following:
- Vomit that contains blood, looks like coffee grounds, or is green
- Severe abdominal pain or cramping
- Chest pain
- A severe headache unlike any you’ve had before
- High fever with a stiff neck
- Blurred vision or confusion
- Signs of significant dehydration, including dark urine, dry mouth, dizziness when standing, or not urinating for eight or more hours
Vomiting that lasts more than 24 hours in adults, or that prevents you from keeping down any fluids at all, also warrants a call to your doctor. Dehydration can escalate quickly, especially in hot weather or if you started out under-hydrated.