If you have nausea, you may want to choose a bland diet of easy-to-digest foods and beverages like broths and low fat dairy. Avoiding spicy, fatty, and sweet meals may also help.
Nausea is when you feel you are going to be sick to your stomach. You may experience lightheadedness, upper stomach pressure, and gag reflexes.
Many things may cause nausea, including:
anxiety and stress
motion sickness
food poisoning
stomach flu and other gut infections
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
acid reflux and heartburn
pregnancy
migraine
chemotherapy and other cancer treatments
some medications
health conditionslike chronic fatigue syndrome, gallbladder disease, or ulcers in your stomach
Nausea may be occasional and temporary or persistent and long lasting. Depending on the cause, lifestyle strategies such as eating habits may offer some relief. Sometimes, additional support from a healthcare professional may be helpful.
What to eat to relieve nausea
If you are feeling nauseous, focusing on eating pureed and bland foods may be helpful.
Examples of bland meals may include:
low fat dairy products like yogurt and cottage cheese
boiled eggs
broths
caffeine-free teas
100% fruit juices (no added sugar)
bland vegetables like beets, spinach, and carrots
lean meats like boiled or baked fish and skinless chicken
canned or fresh fruits (if tolerated)
tofu
cream of wheat
crackers
white rice
plain noodles
boiled, baked, or unseasoned mashed potatoes
pudding
salt and cinnamon (if tolerated)
Bland diets are a temporary solution, though. If your nausea does not improve after a couple of days, you may want to consult a healthcare professional.
The American Cancer Society also suggests eating foods you crave or that sound like a good idea to you. Your body will give you hints about what can soothe nausea.
The Arthritis Foundation recommends eating small but frequent portions if you have nausea.
Some research suggests that ginger products may be helpful for some cases of nausea. But study findings about the benefits of ginger for nausea are inconclusive, and relief may vary individually.
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If your nausea is severe and persistent, you may want to explore the underlying causes with a healthcare professional, particularly if you notice other symptoms such as recurrent vomiting, diarrhea, or dizziness.
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Medications for nausea
Depending on what causes your nausea, a healthcare team may recommend one or more treatments.
Only a healthcare professional may recommend the proper treatment for your symptoms and their cause. Taking medications without knowing what causes persistent nausea is not advised.
When you are nauseous, a bland diet of unseasoned cooked foods may help relieve your symptoms. Pureed food, noncaffeinated drinks, and low fat options are recommended for nausea. You may also want to avoid fatty, spicy, and sweet foods.
If your nausea persists or worsens, a healthcare professional may help you determine the cause and proper treatment.