Nobody likes feeling nauseous, right? The urge to throw up with heartburn is the worst. Instead of having to endure suffering through the storm, try to deal with it yourself with traditional medicine. By using the following methods you will feel refreshed and fit in no time.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Changing Your Activity
Step 1. Take a break
Stay home and lie down as soon as you start feeling nauseous. Lying down, avoiding exercise or sudden movements, and sleeping a little longer will slow and stop your nausea, and reduce the chance of vomiting. If needed, do not have to go to work or school for a while.
Step 2. Get some fresh air
Staying in one sick room may be easy, but the air will become stuffy and make you feel even worse. Keep your bedroom windows open to let in some fresh air, and when possible, take a few minutes outside for a walk.
Step 3. Avoid strong odors
A bubble bath in a tub may sound like fun, but adding too much scent will likely make your stomach feel even more queasy. In general, avoid anything (perfume or something else) with a very strong smell. Smell is connected to the sense of taste, so strong smells can make you feel just as nauseous as something with a bad taste. Go beyond two islands in one paddle by keeping your windows open to let fresh air in, while keeping out bad odours.
Step 4. Take time to take a break from your electronic devices
The bright lights, sounds, and movement that appear on your television, laptop, tablet, and cell phone can overstimulate and make your nausea worse. Instead, lie in bed with the lights dimmed and read a book or try to relax in a similar way. Taking a break from electronics will relieve nausea and also prevent headaches that these devices usually cause.
Step 5. Adjust the temperature
There's nothing worse than feeling unwell and being too hot or cold. Set a comfortable temperature so you can rest easily; add or remove layers of clothing and blankets, or take a quick shower. You can also change the temperature of your drink to help relieve the nausea.
Step 6. Try over-the-counter medications
If traditional medicine does not make you feel better at all, replace it with medicines from the nearest pharmacy. Look for medications specifically to combat nausea and the urge to vomit, rather than taking general medication to treat a variety of symptoms. Make sure to always check the correct dosage, and take the pills as directed.
Step 7. No need to hold back the vomit
If your stomach still feels heartburn and the urge to throw up is getting stronger, there's no need to try to hold it in. Your body is trying to get rid of what is causing your illness, so let it go. Vomiting is certainly not a pleasant activity, but it does an important job to help you recover. After all, you'll likely feel better afterwards.
Method 2 of 3: Eat Nausea Reducing Foods
Step 1. Consume ginger
For years, ginger has helped sufferers with its power to fight nausea. Go into the kitchen and get some fresh or sweetened ginger. If you can afford it, eat ginger raw. If not, you can try ginger in candied form or grate a little into a glass and then steep it in hot water to make a kind of tea.
Step 2. Eat some crackers
If all else fails, plain crackers are likely to be successful in relieving nausea. Their light, easy-to-digest taste makes them the perfect nausea reliever. If you can afford crackers, try upgrading them to pretzels which have a slightly higher nutritional value.
Step 3. Try watermelon
While it's not the first 'sick food' people think of, watermelon is actually great for helping with nausea. Its high water content and mild taste help relieve your heartburn and also add fluids to your system. If you also have a fever, try eating the fruit chilled for a cooling, soothing effect.
Step 4. Eat white rice
White rice without any side dishes is not a delicious dish, but it helps fight nausea. The easy-to-digest carbohydrates will give you a burst of energy, while the simple taste won't irritate your stomach any further.
Step 5. Eat a banana
Eating bananas that are not very ripe (still green, without the dark spots) is good for several reasons. Its soft texture and mild taste make it easy to digest, plus bananas are full of potassium which helps your immune system heal your body. For one smack of two mosquitoes, mix a mashed banana with a ball of rice.
Step 6. Eat some yogurt
Most dairy products are not recommended when you are experiencing nausea. But yogurt with active cultures helps supply your stomach with the good bacteria it needs to get rid of the bad bacteria. For that, look for plain flavored yogurt that contains probiotics, and your stomach will be back to its original state in no time.
Step 7. Try plain toast
No butter, no jam, nothing. Regular toast (not burnt) is similar in quality to crackers. The bread is easier to digest and the taste is light so it's more likely that your stomach won't react against it. Try eating a piece first and see how you feel, before adding another piece.
Step 8. Avoid foods that irritate the stomach
Only eating the foods listed above is best, but if you must eat something else, use your best judgment. Avoid eating oily, fried, spicy or very sweet foods. These can all make your heartburn worse, and more likely to trigger vomiting.
Method 3 of 3: Fighting Nausea with Various Fluids
Step 1. Drink plenty of water
Water works to flush toxins out of your system and keep your body hydrated so it can fight off the things that make it sick. While it is important to drink water regularly, it is especially important when you are sick. Make sure you always carry a glass of water with you, and that you drink it at least once an hour.
Step 2. Try drinking a sports drink
If you're nauseous and vomiting, you're likely losing a lot of body fluids and having trouble keeping the new ones coming in. Sports drinks are supplemented with electrolytes, which your body needs to recover quickly. Choose your favorite flavor and drink it once you're done vomiting to help renew your body's electrolyte and fluid stores.
Step 3. Drink cranberry juice
While other juices contain a lot of sugar and flavors that are difficult for a heartburn stomach to digest, cranberry juice offers nutrition without the injection of excess sugar. Drink cranberry juice when you are nauseous, especially when you can't eat other foods.
Step 4. Mix lemon juice with honey
This combination of sweet-sour taste helps settle your stomach quickly, without having to drink as many other fluids as needed. Mix lemon juice with a teaspoon of warm honey. Sip the mixture slowly for a few minutes. You can drink it several times a day, if your nausea has not subsided.
Step 5. Drink cinnamon tea
Cinnamon has been used for decades as a traditional remedy for nausea and vomiting. Mix teaspoon of cinnamon with a cup of hot water and let it sit for a while until it absorbs. Drink the tea slowly several times a day, until your stomach is no longer heartburn.
Step 6. Try clove tea
With a fall flavor similar to cinnamon, cloves can also help relieve heartburn. Make a cup of clove tea by mixing a cup of hot water with a teaspoon of ground cloves. Let it sit for a few minutes before sifting it to remove any large cloves that may remain.
Step 7. Make a cup of cumin tea
Although commonly associated with cooking, cumin can actually be used to make tea against nausea. Try mixing a cup of hot water with a teaspoon of cumin seeds. Let the tea sit for 10-15 minutes before removing the cumin seeds, then drink slowly. Add a little honey for sweetness, if desired.
Step 8. Drink peppermint tea
Peppermint is on par with ginger as the best traditional ingredient to fight nausea. Use a teaspoon of crushed dried peppermint leaves or use a few fresh leaves with a cup of hot water, to make the perfect tea. This tea can be drunk cold or hot, as much as you want in a day.
Step 9. Try drinking ginger soda
If ginger alone isn't enough for you, try drinking a can of ginger soda. But check the soda list first to make sure it's made from real ginger and not artificial flavours. Sipping a can of ginger soda will help settle your stomach and keep you from throwing up.
Step 10. Take a sip of cola syrup (not available in Indonesia but you can make your own, recipe can be found online)
Slightly different from the usual fizzy cola drinks, cola syrup is in the form of a thick liquid that is used to treat nausea. With the same classic taste as your favorite cola, sipping on this liquid can be a pleasure when you're sick. Pour a tablespoon or two over ice cubes or shaved ice, and sip the liquid slowly over a period of a few minutes.
Step 11. Drink all the fluids slowly
Whatever you choose to drink to stay hydrated, avoid gulping it down all at once or quickly. Your stomach is already irritated, so enter the liquid in small, slow sips.
Tips
- Don't brush your teeth right after eating, because toothpaste may make your stomach queasy.
- Gargle with a mixture of 1/4 cup vinegar and a cup of water after vomiting. Doing this will remove the taste and smell of vomit from your mouth, as well as flush out harmful stomach acids that can cause damage to your throat and teeth.
Warning
- If nausea persists and you can't figure out why, call your doctor.
- If you are pregnant, or have a medical condition that might trigger your nausea, then ignore the steps above and follow your doctor's advice.
- If nausea is accompanied by lightheadedness, blurred vision, etc. then sit down immediately and ask someone to call the doctor. If these are normal symptoms of a medical condition that you already know about, then take the steps you normally would to treat it.
