5 effective treatments for nausea

There are times when nausea is worse than pain, regardless it's caused by motion sickness, pregnancy, cancer treatment or anesthesia. Treating it isn't always easy, though we've listed some useful strategies here.

These approaches seem to work for everything from chemotherapy-related vomiting to motion sickness. A review of 11 clinical trials on acupuncture, acupressure and electrical stimulation (in which a tiny electrical current is transmitted between the acupuncture needles) found that acupressure reduced the incidence of vomiting by 18 percent, and needle and electrical acupuncture reduced it by 26 percent. The acupressure also reduced the severity of the nausea.

If your nausea is related to pregnancy, consider taking 10 to 25 milligrams of this vitamin three times a day. A review of 28 studies on treatments for morning sickness found it improved nausea (although not vomiting) with few side effects.

Ginger extracts seem to work well for pregnancy-related and post-operative nausea, though not as well for motion sickness. An analysis of five clinical trials comparing the effects of one gram or more of ginger with those of placebos found ginger reduced the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting by 31 percent.

Dimenhydrinate and cyclizine (Marezine) work equally well for reducing nausea and vomiting from motion sickness. A study comparing the two, however, found that people taking dimenhydrinate were drowsier and more likely to have other gastrointestinal symptoms than those taking cyclizine. The key is to take the drugs well before you board the ship or embark on a winding car ride.

A review of more than 700 clinical studies found that while nausea and vomiting affect eight out of 10 people after surgery, just one of three would benefit from anti-nausea drugs. Most have side effects such as headache.

These are the most common treatment methods to reduce the effects of a queasy stomach. If you still can't find success ask your doctor for alternatives.