6 Proven Essential Oils for Nausea that Help You Get Through Tough Days

What is nausea?

Nausea is the sensation we get when we feel the urge to vomit, although it doesn’t necessarily lead to being sick. It can be described as an uneasy sensation in the stomach, and is often accompanied by a sudden increase of saliva in the mouth, difficulty swallowing, and sometimes even a sudden rapid heartbeat and/or an increase in temperature.

In this article we will explore how using essential oils for nausea can really help you deal with this hugely unpleasant condition.

What can cause nausea?

Nausea itself is not a disease, but rather a symptom of an underlying cause, and it can have many causes.

• Over-eating
• Pregnancy
• Extreme Pain
• Food Poisoning
• Motion-Sickness
• Certain Medications
• Emotional Reactions
• Stomach Ulcers
• Over-Indulgence of Food or Alcohol

Because of the risk of dehydration, seeking medical opinion if nausea and/or vomiting lasts for more than two days (or 24 hours for children under age 2 or 12 hours for infants) is essential.

Using essential oils for nausea - Which oils should you choose?

Peppermint oil

Peppermint oil comes from the leaves of the peppermint plant, and is well known for its effect on stomach upsets.

Using peppermint oil for nausea couldn’t be easier. Simply adding a couple of drops onto a tissue, a paper bag, or a pillowcase if you are in bed, and inhaling can be enough to ease nausea.

Alternatively, adding a couple of drops to a tablespoon of carrier oil and massaging on the chest can help.

If you have a peppermint plant in your garden, try chewing on a fresh leaf, or making a peppermint tea, by pouring boiling water onto a sprig of bruised mint leaves and leaving to steep for a few minutes before drinking.

To relieve nausea in toddlers, mixing peppermint oil with a carrier oil and dropping it into their belly button can be very effective; you could also try massaging the mixture into the soles of their feet (if they will let you!)

Turn to peppermint oil if you are searching for answers on how to get rid of nausea from migraines and anxiety, as it is especially useful in these cases.

As a common ingredient in many indigestion remedies, peppermint oil is particularly beneficial for treating a sour, nervous stomach.

Contraindications:

Ginger Oil

Often called the ‘Oil of Empowerment’ because of its ability to encourage feelings of courageousness and self-assurance, not only is ginger well known for relieving nausea, it also has some other incredible properties such as reducing inflammation and anxiety.

To aid nausea, add one or two drops of ginger oil to a tablespoon of carrier oil, and apply to the stomach area with a gentle massage, or diffuse two or three drops in the room (an oil burner or a dish of water on a radiator can work well).

Adding one drop of ginger oil to a glass of water or a cup of soothing, calming tea, and sipping slowly, can also alleviate vomiting. Or if you want fresh ginger, check out this excellent video:

Contraindications:

Lavender oil

Lavender oil is one of the safest and most versatile essential oils you can use, and is perfect for getting rid of nausea. It is also one of the very few oils which can be used undiluted.

Applying lavender oil directly onto the solar plexus, just under the sternum, can be wonderfully beneficial. (Do not use in the first three months of pregnancy as it can induce a miscarriage).

There are also numerous acupressure points which, when combined with lavender oil, can help reduce stomach nausea. These include:

• The ‘web’ between your forefinger and thumb
• The arch of the foot
• About three fingers-width from your wrist crease
• Just under your nose

Gently massaging a drop of lavender oil into any of these acupressure points can work wonders!

As with peppermint oil, lavender is particularly useful in cases of nausea from migraine and/or anxiety.

Lemon Oil

Not only is lemon oil useful in aiding nausea, but it has also been shown to have properties which can help constipation, indigestion and even the common cold!

Inhaling lemon essential oil has proven to be very efficient in dealing with nausea.

Again, as with most of the oils mentioned, it can be diffused around the home to the same effect.

Contraindications:

Anise oil

As well as being useful in the fight against nausea, anise oil is also a useful addition to your aromatherapy toolkit, with its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

If you are looking for information on how to get rid of stomach nausea from migraine and anxiety, anise is especially useful when inhaled, using a couple of drops on a tissue, pillowcase or into a paper bag.

The oil can also be diffused around the house.

If your nausea is caused, or accompanied, by painful stomach cramps, try diluting 5 drops of anise into a tablespoon of carrier oil, and massage onto the stomach.

Contraindications:

Other natural treatments

As well as using aromatherapy for nausea, there are several other natural ingredients you can turn to:

• Snacking on apples throughout the day is useful, due to the high fibre content. Try eating apple sauce if you are having trouble digesting foods.
• Taking small sips of water will help combat the dehydration, especially if your nausea is accompanied by vomiting.
• Nuts are easily digested, and full of protein – helping to keep your strength up during a bout of sickness.
• Sports drinks will help to rebalance the electrolytes in the body, and should go some way towards easing the feeling.
• Potassium is often low during a bout of sickness, so eating a banana (which is high in potassium) will keep your levels up.
• Try taking a bath in Epsom Salts, especially if your nausea is due to morning sickness. The magnesium, (which is often lacking in early pregnancy), in Epsom Salts is absorbed through the skin, and can go some way to restoring the levels. Plus it is highly relaxing and that always helps.

As you can see, there are many natural methods of tackling nausea. It is such a common, yet sometimes debilitating, complaint that we need to be armed with one or two go-to remedies for when it strikes. The above list will give you several weapons in your armoury for when nausea does get you down, so if one method doesn’t suit you another one surely will.

* This article features tips and ideas that are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please always talk to your doctor before using them. *