The world is full of things that make our stomachs turn. Depending on the situation, everything from eating egg salad to giving blood to reading credit card bills can make you clutch your belly in agony. Normally, your stomach contracts 3 times a minute, which is the ideal speed for grinding up food and passing it along the digestive system, says Max Levine, PhD, a psychologist who studies mental and emotional issues related to nausea. If your stomach contracts faster than that, it can make a kind of quivering motion, he says—it’s a bit like what happens to your heart when it develops an irregular heartbeat. And what happens when that twisting, turning tummy becomes too much to bear? You guessed it—you vomit. “If the stomach’s not contracting, it makes it easier for things to move back up in the other direction,” he says.
Below are tips to help you keep nausea in check before you reach the point of no return and lose your lunch. If it’s too late, you can also take steps to nurse your stomach—and the rest of yourself—back to good health.
Try Over-The-Counter Nausea Remedies
A product called cola syrup—which contains corn syrup, caffeine, and flavorings—is helpful for treating nausea and upset stomach. Adults should take 1 to 2 tablespoons as needed. Another treatment available without a prescription is Emetrol, which contains the sugars dextrose and fructose, and the dosage for adults is also 1 to 2 tablespoons every 15 minutes for up to an hour or until you have relief. An alternative to these treatments is a glass of 7UP or cola. Pour a glass and let it stand until it becomes flat and lukewarm, then drink it. If your “countdown clock” until you get sick is ticking fast, you can pour the drink back and forth between two glasses to help it lose its fizz faster.
MORE: Beat Nausea On The Go
Choose Clear Liquids
Even if you’re craving food, stick with clear liquids such as tea and juice, says nausea researcher Kenneth Koch, MD. Drink the liquids warm or at room temperature, not cold, to avoid further shock to your stomach. Drink no more than 1 to 2 ounces at a time.
Get Minty Fresh
Mint makes your mouth a more pleasant place…and it may help your stomach, too. Peppermint leaves contain menthol, which is a digestive aid, and peppermint tea can ease nausea and vomiting. Steep a tablespoon of peppermint leaves in a cup of hot water, let it steep, strain, and drink.
Eat Carbs First
If you need something to eat, and your nausea isn’t too bad, eat light carbohydrates in small amounts—such as toast or crackers, Koch says. As your stomach starts to settle, graduate to light protein, like chicken breast or fish. Fatty foods are the last thing to add to your diet. If your problem is not nausea but vomiting, start with Jell-O. Then follow the progression mentioned previously to introduce other foods back into your diet.
Get Out Of The Pink
The stomach soother Pepto-Bismol—as well as Mylanta and Maalox—is for disease-provoked stomach upsets, not for a queasy stomach. If your nausea is caused by inflammation or irritation, however, Koch says it’s reasonable to start with them. But none of our experts wholeheartedly recommend them. As Samuel Klein, MD, says, none is specifically designed for nausea. You should probably avoid these products altogether if you’re already vomiting. By then, it’s usually too late.
Plan Ahead
A lot of medical research is devoted to the problem of dealing with nausea after chemotherapy. A problem that arises with nausea is that people may associate the foods they’ve eaten recently with their queasy stomach, and after a few times, whenever they eat that food—or think about eating it—they start to feel sick, Levine says. This association is called “scapegoating,” and it’s especially a problem for people with cancer who are trying to keep their weight from dropping. If you’re undergoing chemotherapy, it’s best to avoid eating your favorite foods or those you’re tolerating before you go for a treatment. That way you won’t become averse to eating them.
Find Relief In The Meadow
Meadowsweet, a pleasant-tasting wildflower, can be quite effective in reducing nausea, says Lois Johnson, MD. To make a soothing cup of meadowsweet tea, mix 1 tablespoon of dried herb per cup of boiling water, and steep for 5 to 10 minutes, then strain. Then sip the concoction slowly. Rosemary is another ideal herb to add to the mixture.
Rub Your Wrist
A potentially helpful idea that showed up in the pages of the journal American Family Physician in 2007 is to use acupressure on a spot on your inner wrist. Researchers found that stimulating the P6 point on the underside of the wrist using a variety of techniques, including acupressure, successfully relieved nausea and vomiting. Rubbing the point also compared well against antinausea drugs. To find the P6, run your fingertip about 2 inches up your inner wrist away from the crease at the edge of your palm. The spot is found between two tendons.
Settle Your Mind
Anxiety can trigger nausea and vomiting, because your body’s fight-or-flight impulse makes it easier for your stomach to kick into those out-of-rhythm contractions, Levine says. When you’re in a high-stress situation and feel your stomach start to churn, practice muscle relaxation, deep breathing exercises, or other steps to calm yourself down. Cooling your face can spur your parasympathetic nervous system into action, Levine says, which slows your heart rate and spurs digestion. It may be helpful to soak a washcloth in cold water and apply it to your face when stress has you feeling nauseous.
MORE: 10 Silent Signals You're Way Too Stressed
Find Out If Nausea Is Approaching
If you’re going to undergo a medical treatment that could cause nausea—such as chemotherapy or surgery—ask your doctor if you’re likely to feel sick to your stomach afterward. Although health care providers are often hesitant to tell people to expect nausea, it doesn’t feel as severe when you’re not surprised by it, Levine says.
Go Ahead And Vomit
One of the most effective ways to stop nausea is to allow yourself to vomit, Koch says. At the very least, you’ll have a temporary respite from that queasy feeling. Although it’s okay to just let it go, he doesn’t recommend making yourself vomit, however.
Replace Important Fluids And Nutrients
“The ultimate goals for someone who’s got a lot of vomiting are not to get dehydrated and not to lose weight,” Koch says. You lose a lot of fluid in vomiting, so the best thing you can do is drink water, tea, and weak juices to replace them. Gatorade, Pedialyte, and juices such as apple and cranberry also help replace nutrients flushed out while vomiting.
Sip—Don't Slurp
Sipping your fluids in tiny swallows lets your irritated stomach adjust, Koch says. Sip no more than 1 to 2 ounces at a time. In addition, sipping small amounts enables you to determine how much fluid you can handle at one time.
Use The Color Code
If your urine is deep yellow, you’re not getting enough fluid. The paler it gets, the better you’re doing at rehydrating.
MORE: 5 Natural Remedies For A Stressed Stomach
What To Eat When You Are Nauseated
Hawaiian Punch may be a great remedy to try for nausea or an upset stomach (although it may not be advisable if you have diabetes). The sweet drink contains fructose, the same active ingredient as in the nausea reliever cola syrup. Plus, Hawaiian Punch is caffeine-free and just a quick convenience-store run away. Just as with other liquids that can be used to relieve nausea, make sure you sip small amounts of Hawaiian Punch slowly.
When To Call A Doctor
“There are at least 25 different diseases that could cause chronic nausea,” says Koch. If your nausea doesn’t go away in a day or two, it’s a good idea to see your doctor. Vomiting, on the other hand, can be a sign of something serious, and if it’s persistent or contains blood, seek medical attention. Also see a doctor if you’ve gone 24 hours without being able to keep any food down and nothing seems to help, Koch says. “If your thirst is severe and you notice you’re not urinating very much—especially if you’re light-headed when you stand up, a sign of dehydration—see a doctor,” he adds. “If you know it’s the flu, or it’s something you’ve eaten, you might try to go a bit longer.” Nausea can also be a sign of a heart attack. If that may be the problem, get to a hospital right away.
Panel Of Advisors
Lois Johnson, MD, is a physician in Sebastopol, California, and a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
Samuel Klein, MD, is a William H. Danforth Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Science and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Kenneth Koch, MD, is a professor and medical director of the Digestive Health Center at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Max Levine, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychology at Siena College in Loudonville, New York, where he focuses on mind-body issues related to nausea.
