6 Home Remedies for Nausea

Ginger, small frequent meals, and slow sips of fluid are practical home remedies for nausea. For more ideas on staying hydrated, see the best drinks for nausea.

What are 6 home remedies for nausea?

The ai symptom analyzer can help you organize your symptoms, but it cannot diagnose the cause of nausea or replace medical care.

These remedies may make mild nausea easier to manage while you work out what you can tolerate. They do not address every cause of nausea, and the evidence for some is much stronger than for others.

1. Try ginger

Ginger contains compounds that may affect digestive movement and nausea signaling, although exactly how it helps is not settled. Of the remedies on this list, ginger has the most direct clinical evidence for nausea relief.

A 2019 review of clinical trials on ginger found evidence of benefit for nausea, while noting that better studies are needed to establish effective preparations and doses. The trials involved different forms of ginger and different causes of nausea. Their results do not establish that a particular ginger tea will work or tell you how much ginger it contains.

To try it at home, choose a ginger-containing tea or add a little ginger to food, if its taste and smell are tolerable. Start with a small amount and stop if it makes you feel worse or causes heartburn. A ginger-flavored product may contain little actual ginger, so check its ingredients if that matters to you.

Food amounts and concentrated supplements are not interchangeable. If you are pregnant, take blood thinners or antiplatelet medication, or are considering a ginger supplement for a child, check with a clinician first.

2. Eat small, frequent meals

A full stomach can feel uncomfortable when you are nauseated. Eating a little at a time may be easier to tolerate than trying to finish a large meal, although this approach does not treat the underlying cause.

Try a small snack when you feel able to eat, then have another later rather than forcing a full plate. If you can tolerate it, include a protein-containing food, such as yogurt, an egg, or a small amount of nut butter. Choose foods that are familiar and appealing; there is no need to force a particular food if it makes nausea worse.

A 2025 systematic review of dietary strategies during pregnancy reported potential benefits from gradual food intake and dietary patterns that include protein. That evidence concerns nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, so it cannot prove that small meals will help every cause of nausea or that any one snack is best.

If you cannot eat normally, focus first on what you can tolerate and seek advice if the problem persists. Ongoing difficulty eating during pregnancy deserves particular attention.

3. Take slow sips of fluid

Nausea can make drinking difficult, especially if you are also vomiting. Small, frequent sips may be easier to keep down than a large drink. Their main benefit is helping prevent dehydration; drinking fluid does not necessarily relieve nausea itself.

Try water or another clear fluid you can tolerate. Take a sip, pause, and try another rather than drinking a full glass quickly. If swallowing liquid is difficult, sucking on ice chips may be more comfortable. Cool or room-temperature fluids may be easier to tolerate, depending on your preference.

If repeated vomiting makes dehydration a concern, a commercial oral rehydration solution can replace fluid and salts; follow the package directions. Ask a pediatric clinician for advice about a child who is vomiting, since children can become dehydrated quickly. People who have been told to limit fluids because of kidney or heart disease should ask their clinician how to manage vomiting safely.

Hydration is established supportive care, but the studies we found do not show that sipping water directly treats nausea. If even small sips will not stay down, seek medical advice rather than continuing to rely on home care.

4. Choose mild, easy-to-tolerate foods

Strong flavors, rich meals, or greasy foods can be unappealing when you feel sick. Mild foods may be easier to approach because their taste and smell are less intense, though the effect varies from person to person.

Try a little plain toast, crackers, rice, or noodles and see how you feel. Eat slowly, and stop before you feel overly full. If warm food smells unpleasant, let it cool or choose a food that is comfortable to eat at room temperature.

You do not need to stay on a restrictive diet once you can eat more normally. Gradually return to a varied diet as tolerated, including foods with protein and other nutrients. If a food usually considered bland makes you feel worse, choose something else rather than treating it as a requirement.

There is not enough evidence in the studies listed here to say that any specific bland food treats nausea. This is a practical comfort measure, not a proven remedy for an infection or another medical condition.

5. Move away from smells that trigger nausea

Cooking odors, perfume, and other strong smells can make nausea feel worse for some people. Reducing exposure may make it easier to rest, drink, or eat, but it does not remove the cause of nausea.

If a smell bothers you, move to another room or open a window when it is safe to do so. Ask someone else to prepare food if cooking odors are a problem. Cold or room-temperature foods can also produce less noticeable cooking aroma than a hot meal.

Pay attention to your own triggers rather than avoiding every smell. A scent that bothers one person may have no effect on someone else, and strongly scented products marketed for nausea can themselves be unpleasant.

This is a low-effort comfort strategy, but research has not established that avoiding odors independently treats nausea. If nausea continues despite changing your surroundings, look for medical advice rather than assuming a smell is the only cause.

6. Rest in a comfortable, upright position

Movement can make nausea feel more noticeable for some people, and lying flat after eating can be uncomfortable, particularly if they also have reflux. Sitting quietly or resting with your upper body raised may help you find a more comfortable position.

Loosen tight clothing around your waist and give yourself time to settle after eating or drinking. If you need to lie down, choose a position that feels comfortable and lets you respond safely if you vomit. Avoid forcing yourself to remain upright if you feel faint; seek help for fainting or severe dizziness.

You can also try slow, relaxed breathing while you rest. Stop any activity that clearly makes you feel worse and resume it gradually when you feel able. Rest is supportive rather than a substitute for identifying the cause of ongoing nausea.

The studies provided do not establish that a particular resting position cures nausea. Use this approach for comfort and judge it by whether it helps you personally.

When should you see a doctor for nausea?

Seek emergency care for nausea or vomiting with chest pain, trouble breathing, confusion, fainting, severe or worsening abdominal pain, a severe headache with a stiff neck, or vomit that contains blood, looks like coffee grounds, or is green. If poisoning is suspected, contact your local poison control service or emergency services rather than trying to manage it with a home remedy.

Seek prompt medical advice if you cannot keep fluids down, are urinating very little, feel dizzy when standing, or have other signs of dehydration. Contact a clinician if nausea is persistent or keeps returning, if you have fever or concerning abdominal symptoms, or if it prevents you from eating or drinking normally. Children, older adults, and people with significant health conditions may need assessment sooner.

During pregnancy, contact your maternity clinician if nausea interferes with eating or drinking, and seek prompt help if you cannot keep fluids down or show signs of dehydration. Severe pregnancy-related vomiting may require medical treatment, including fluids and medication, rather than home care alone, as described in a 2022 review of its management.

If you have diabetes, kidney disease, or heart disease, ask your clinician how to manage nausea and fluid intake; vomiting can complicate your usual care. If nausea begins after a new medicine or occurs during cancer treatment, contact the prescribing team. Do not stop prescribed medication without their advice.