Nausea

Causes & Symptoms of Nausea

Nausea can be described as a sensation of unease and discomfort in the stomach, with an urge to vomit. It is not a sickness in itself, rather a symptom, which might be experienced in case of numerous diseases or disorders.

Nausea can be seen in case of indigestion, morning sickness, motion and sea sickness, stress, chemotherapy, consumption of drugs and alcohol, overeating, food intolerance and different illnesses.

The main symptoms of the nauseating feeling are an urge to vomit, stomach pain, dizziness and sweating. The condition is not very grave and can be treated at home only.

When examined objectively - that is, when you don't have it - nausea, and the vomiting it induces, are simply the body's way of purging itself. If the queasiness comes from micro-organisms or toxins, you don't want to stop your body from cleansing itself.

Regardless of the cause of nausea, treatment always includes drinking lots of clear liquids (dehydration alone can provoke nausea in some people). Drink small amounts frequently: sip water, broth or tea, or suck on chipped ice or frozen herb tea. Drinking sports rehydration fluids helps replace not only water loss but also essential body salts.

If you feel very ill, can't keep down fluids and haven't urinated within eight hours, or if your nausea and vomiting continue for more than a day, call your doctor. When this happens, you've become dehydrated.

Sometimes nausea makes it difficult to keep even fluids down. If that's the case, remember to drink liquids in small, frequent sips, not big gulps.

Fortunately, the healing chemicals in many herbs can be absorbed through the skin. This fact comes in handy when nausea makes it hard to drink teas or tinctures. If your stomach turns at the idea of the'recommended teas, make one of them but don't drink it. Instead, let it cool, then soak a clean cloth or hand towel with the tea and apply the cloth to your stomach.

Another option: make a large pot of bath tea by tossing a handful of any of the recommended herbs into 1 litre of just-boiled water. Allow to steep off the heat for 10 to 15 minutes, strain the tea into a warm bath and soak.

If even tea is too much trouble to make, add 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (not more; essential oils are very concentrated) to a bath. Or put the same number of drops into 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and have someone give you a massage.

Home Remedy For Nausea

• The best way to treat nausea, at home, would be to have a cup of ginger tea.
• Mix 1 tbsp each of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of cold water. Have this mixture when you feel nauseous.
• In 2 cups of water, boil ½ cup of rice for about 10minutes. Once cooked, strain the rice water and have it when warm.
• Mix a few tsp of wheat germ in warm milk. Have this mixture every one hour. This is helpful in treating nausea.
• Consuming 1/2 tsp grounded cumin seed, along with water, is beneficial in treating nausea.
• Having fiber rich food proves to be helpful when a person is suffering from nausea. Some of the foods rich in fiber are banana, rice, apple sauce and brown bread.
• It is advisable to have a healthy diet. Include fruits and vegetables in your diet and exclude oily, spicy as well as fried foods.
• Have peppermint or chamomile tea. This would be helpful in treating the nauseating feeling.
• Put ½ tsp baking soda in a glass of lukewarm water and consume it. However, avoid it during pregnancy.
• Sip a glass of water that has a fresh lime squeezed in it. You can also add a pinch of salt to it.
  

Acupressure for nausea

Acupressure wrist bands for relieving nausea from motion sickness or morning sickness are available at many natural food stores and pharmacies.To make your own, tape a mustard seed on the inside of each wrist, about 5cm (tin) above the wrist crease and between the two tendons. When an attack of nausea hits, press firmly on your left wrist for one minute, then repeat on your right wrist

HERBAL REMEDIES

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
This pungent root has a reputation for controlling nausea of all types. Studies have shown ginger to be especially effective in curbing motion sickness, morning sickness, post-operative nausea and nausea induced by chemotherapy. You can take ginger in whatever form appeals to you the most: fresh, crystallised, dried or powdered. (Do realise, however, that the crystallised form contains sugar.) Typical dosage: 2 to 3 cups of tea per day (simmer 1 teaspoon of fresh, grated root or 1/2 teaspoon of powdered root in 1/4 litre of water for 10 minutes); or 2 dropperfuls of tincture in water one to three times per day; or four to eight 500-milligram capsules per day. Caution: people who have gallbladder disease or a bleeding disorder and those who take blood-thinning medications should consult a doctor before taking medicinal doses of ginger. The amounts used to season foods are OK.

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
Stomach-settling and cramp-easing, peppermint has a well-earned reputation for quelling nausea. It is also a good choice if your nausea comes with a headache or cold, since peppermint is a traditional remedy for both those ailments. Sometimes just sucking on a lozenge that uses peppermint or menthol as a main ingredient can tame nausea. Typical dosage: sips of tea as needed (steep 2 to 3 teaspoons of dried leaf in 1/4 litre of hot water for 10 minutes); or 10 to 20 drops of tincture in water three or four times per day. Caution: avoid peppermint if you have oesophageal reflux or heartburn.

Catmint (Nepeta cataria)
Another herb that can help unwind intestinal cramping, catmint has a somewhat musky taste. It combines well with peppermint and camomile and is also a very mild sedative. If your nausea is provoked by nervousness, catmint might be a good choice for settling it. Typical dosage: 1 to 3 cups of tea per day (steep up to 1 teaspoon of dried herb in 1/4 litre of hot water for 10 minutes).

Lemon Balm (Melissa angustifolia)
This third mint-family member helps expel intestinal wind. It also relieves spasms and works against viruses. Perhaps most important when you're queasy, lemon balm tastes good. Typical dosage: 1 to 3 cups of tea per day (steep 1/2 to 4 teaspoons of dried herb or 1 to 3 tablespoons of the fresh herb in 1/4 litre of hot water). Caution: do not use if you are pregnant.

Camomile (Matricaria recutita)
The German Commission E, that country's version of the Medicines Control Agency, endorses the use of camomile for relieving intestinal spasms. Camomile also reduces nausea and helps expel intestinal wind. It's widely used as a sleep aid that's mild enough for children, so, if nerves play a role in your bout of nausea, camomile is an excellent choice. Typical dosage: 3 to 4 cups of tea per day (steep 2 to 3 teaspoons of dried flowers in1/4 litre of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes); or 10 to 40 drops of tincture in water three times per day.

Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
One study has shown that lavender helps decrease motion sickness in animals. Pigs transported in a lorry vomited less when they stood on a bed of lavender straw (the people stuck in traffic behind the lorry full of pigs probably had less nausea as well). While lavender is safe to take internally, its mere scent helps reduce nausea. You can put a few drops of lavender essential oil in a diffuser, blend 10 drops into 2 tablespoons of massage oil or add 10 drops to a warm bath.