Home remedies for nausea and vomiting

Surprisingly, ginger not only has the potential to cure a cold and flu, but it is also an effective remedy to treat several gastrointestinal issues. When it comes to banishing the continuous desire to throw up, it is ‘the’ magic spice. The traditional system of medicine has been using this property of ginger since ages for treating nausea and vomiting, especially in cases of pregnancy-related vomiting. Ginger has various pungent compounds called gingerols and shogaols, which are responsible for its beneficial effects. If you want to get benefits of ginger to combat nausea and stop vomiting, go to your kitchen and do the following:

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of diced ginger
• 1 tablespoon of honey

 Procedure:

• Take the dried ginger pieces and consume them with the help of honey so that they become palatable.
• Another way to consume ginger is by making ginger tea.

Tips: If you don’t like the taste of ginger, you could also make use of ginger powder, which is easily available in grocery stores. All you need to do is, mix it in water along with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and sip it slowly to feel refreshed without any further urge to vomit.

Mint is a herb commonly used for cooking and medicinal purposes in Indian tradition. Even a sight of green mint leaves can freshen up your mood. When you consume mint, it can prevent nausea and vomiting. The anti-emetic action of mint is attributed to its anesthetic and antispasmodic potential, that helps reduce abdominal cramps by inhibition of serotonin (a neurotransmitter) induced muscle contraction. To put it simply, mint can put your stomach walls to rest, thereby providing you with the much-needed relief.

If you are confused about choosing the right variety of mint for your remedy, you might be glad to know that almost all types of mint and their derivatives are useful in getting rid of the urge to vomit (and active vomiting).

Here is how you can use mint:

Ingredients:

• Few Mint leaves
• 1 cup of water

Procedure:

• Put the water on the stove and bring it to boil, then add mint leaves into it
• Keep it boiling for a few minutes
• Cool the water and drink it
• You can also chew some fresh green mint leaves as such to get the benefits

Tips: Another way to calm yourself with mint extracts is by aromatherapy with peppermint oil. Apart from preventing vomiting, it will also distract yourself enough to reduce the overwhelming feeling of nausea. For this, you need to add a few drops of peppermint oil into a diffuser and inhale the goodness of this magical oil. After a few minutes your senses will calm down and you will definitely feel better. Studies have indicated this method to be beneficial especially for pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting.

It does not take a master herbalist to know the cornucopia of benefits of clove oil and buds. Even our ancestors were aware of these benefits of clove and they incorporated it in various food recipes to reap them all. Whether it is a toothache, stomach ache, nausea or vomiting, you can definitely grab a few buds of clove and chew on them to get relief. Interestingly, most of the benefits of cloves are attributed to a single ingredient present in it that is eugenol oil. Eugenol oil helps in reducing pain and combating infections. It promotes liver health and reduces inflammation in the gut.

For you, to get relief from nausea by using clove, use the following method:

Ingredients:

• Few buds of the clove
• Water

Procedure:

• Boil water in a pan along with some clove buds for a few minutes
• Strain and pour it in a cup
• Let it cool down a little and drink it slowly. Another way to use it is by directly chewing clove buds. Though you may slightly dislike its taste, it's definitely worth all its benefits

Another herb in this category that can mend your nausea is cinnamon. It also works in a similar way as clove, as it also contains eugenol as one of its active components. However, cinnamon also contains cinnamaldehyde and various other vitamins, that just add onto the nourishing and healing properties of this aromatic spice. No wonder, it has been traditionally used as an ingredient in various oral medicines and topical formulations. A clinical study demonstrated that consumption of cinnamon is effective in reducing menstruation related nausea and vomiting. The same study also suggested that cinnamon has antispasmodic (prevention from muscle contraction) and anti-emetic (inhibits vomiting) effect.

If you want to pick this remedy to cure nausea, follow the steps given below:

Ingredients:

• A tiny piece of cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup water

Procedure:

• Take a cup of water, bring it to boil and add the cinnamon powder or the stick
• Let it boil for a few minutes
• Add honey for better taste
• Sip the health loaded drink slowly

Sinces ages, people have used this herb just to feel refreshed, as it possesses amazing aroma. The sweet fragrance of this spice makes the signature trait of various recipes. But, cardamom is more than just its scent. It is well-known for its soothing effects on the stomach and for improving digestion. A recent study revealed the successful use of cinnamon in pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. Apart from these, it also has proven benefits for other gastrointestinal problems like bloating and peptic ulcers. All these advantages of cardamom are due to the presence of compounds like terpenes, esters and flavonoids. This help in reducing inflammation, relieve abdominal spasms and also promote detoxification through diuresis (increased frequency of urination). You can simply chew the cardamom seeds to get rid of nauseating feel or make a cardamom tea for yourself in the following way:

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cardamom pods
• 1 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon honey

procedure:

• Boil the water in a pan
• Put cardamom seeds in the boiling water
• Strain in a cup
• Add honey
• Enjoy it warm

Tips: Oil extracted from cardamom is beneficial for getting rid of nausea if used in inhalational form by aromatherapy. While preparing tea, make sure to add honey after cooling the water down a bit. This will help retain all the beneficial effects of honey.

Just as a bad smell triggers nausea and vomiting, a good smell can help in getting rid of it. Moreover, it elevates mood and well being of the individual, providing respite from the constant distress and discomfort.

Aromatherapy basically involves the use of essential oils, either in the form of a massage or for inhalation. Each essential oil carries an inherent heavenly smell, which holds the potential to elevate your sense of wellness within a few seconds of exposure. It also possesses volatile compounds that can easily enter your skin, giving you the much-needed relief. Isn't it magical? Well, to firm your belief, a study reveals significant reduction in episodes of nausea and vomiting in pregnant patients with just two days of essential oil use. The essential oils used in the study was derived from the lemon. However, you can use any essential oil available easily. Now, the question arises, how should you use? Well, the answer is mentioned below:

Ingredients:

• Essential oil of your choice
• Oil burner or diffuser

Procedure:

• Keep an oil burner or diffuser somewhere near your bed or sofa
• Add 2 to 3 drops of essential oil into it
• Breathe in and out the air infused with the goodness of aromatic oil
• Repeat this a few times a day until you feel good and energised

Tip: In case you don't have oil burner or diffuser, you can just put 1 or 2 drops of essential oil on backside of your palm or to the pillow you are resting on.