How to Perform Acupressure to Help Ease Upset Stomach Plus More Home Remedies for Nausea

Nausea is frustrating to say the least. It seems there are an endless number of potential causes which are often challenging if not impossible to pinpoint, and the feeling is usually equally difficult to describe. It’s not necessarily painful, but it’s wildly unsettling. One thing is for certain: nausea is one of those symptoms that, when you’re in the midst of it, you wish you wouldn’t have taken for granted the moments of pure bliss when you weren’t nauseous. We also know nausea on its own is usually not a reason to rush to the doctor’s office, and it’s usually something we can ease on our own at home.

Common causes of nausea

Changes in your immune system and central nervous system can trigger nausea and vomiting reflexes. These are some of the most common causes of nausea short of being a side effect of a severe illness or medical treatment.

1. Gastrointestinal upset

“One of the most common causes of nausea, excluding pregnancy, is gastroenteritis,” says Farhan Malik, MD, Medical Director at Atlanta Innovative Medicine. “Gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu, is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines usually caused by a viral infection. The viruses that most often cause gastroenteritis are norovirus and rotavirus. When a person is infected with one of these viruses, the lining of their GI tract becomes inflamed and irritated, leading to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite.”

Gastroenteritis is also extremely contagious and can spread rapidly through contaminated food or water as well as close contact with an infected person, Dr. Malik says. Outbreaks are most common in crowded settings like schools, daycares, nursing homes, restaurants, anywhere where people gather in groups. Of course, this makes it difficult to avoid. The illness usually resolves on its own within a few days, Dr. Malik adds, but staying hydrated is important especially for vulnerable populations like the very young and elderly.

GI issues can also occur after you eat in the forms of indigestion and, in less frequent cases, food poisoning, both of which lead to nausea.

2. Motion sickness

You might think motion sickness is only an issue if you're on a boat or turning upside down on a roller coaster, but motion sickness can happen to anyone and be caused by any kind of motion while your body is staying still, including riding in the car. You may become nauseous as the movement you see is different from what your inner ear and body senses.

3. Pain

If you’ve ever had a migraine, suffered a serious injury or experienced chronic pain, you know that nausea is a very real side effect of pain. “Visceral pain is most commonly described as pain that feels deep, distant, systemic, and sickening,” say the experts at the Chicago Institute for Neuropathic Pain. “It commonly causes nausea because this type of pain makes your whole body feel ‘off.’ Also, since you are in severe pain, you are most likely being subjected to shock. Your sympathetic nervous system plays a role in this as well by causing organs such as the adrenal glands to release hormones. This can subsequently raise your heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rates.”

Home remedies for nausea

1. Eat or drink ginger

Ginger has proven effective in easing nausea with little to no side effects as long as it is ingested in reasonable amounts. The plant has been long known for its anti-nausea properties and can help settle an upset stomach, so doctors recommend consuming it as ginger tea, ginger ale, chewing ginger candy, taking ginger capsules or supplements and even consuming ginger in raw form to reap the benefits.

2. Try peppermint oil

Peppermint oil has also been shown to reduce frequency and severity of nausea and vomiting. One study found that participants undergoing chemotherapy who applied one drop of oil on the spot between their upper lip and their nose three times a day during the five days following treatment experienced significant improvements. Another study saw that use of a nasal inhaler containing peppermint oil reduced nausea in 79% of participating patients who had undergone cardiac surgery.

“Peppermint essential oil is very effective,” says Ralph Waldo, M.D. “Its menthol provides a soothing effect. Place a few drops on a cloth to inhale or diluted in water.”

3. Try acupressure

While acupuncture has been shown to help reduce nausea, you don’t even need to go out for a professional appointment to reap the rewards. Acupressure aims to stimulate the same points of the body using pressure instead of needles. Studies have reported that stimulating the Neiguan acupuncture point, also known as the P6 or inner frontier gate point using a wristband reduces nausea. Dr. Waldo notes that wristbands applying pressure to the Neiguan acupressure point act as an anti-nausea stimulant for most. Take a look at this video from the MD Anderson Cancer Center to learn how to achieve this yourself in a few simple steps!

When should you see a doctor for nausea?

You should always pay attention to the other symptoms you experience in addition to nausea or vomiting, as some signal that you should seek medical attention. For example, Dr. Malik says to be on the lookout for fever as it could signal an infection that requires antibiotics.

“Nausea along with abdominal pain or cramping can also be a red flag,” he says. “I've seen cases where those symptoms were caused by appendicitis, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, or even intestinal blockages. Don't ignore persistent abdominal discomfort with nausea. Furthermore, if you find yourself vomiting up blood or passing bloody stools, call your doctor right away. That indicates potential bleeding somewhere in the GI tract that warrants prompt evaluation.”

Keep reading for more trusted home health remedies:

Home Remedies for Kidney Stones: Natural Ways to Ease Pain + Prevent Future Issues

What Causes Inside Knee Pain + How Can You Fix It? Experts Share Home Remedies That Actually Work

Doctor-Approved Home Remedies That Ease A Heat-Induced Headache Faster Than Meds

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.