Nausea is one of those terms that requires no further definition. In fact, you might not even know the exact clinical definition for nausea, but you sure do know the feeling – that stomach-twisting, gut-wrenching, world-spinning wave that threatens to send everything in your stomach back up and out for all to see.
What causes nausea? As you will learn in this informative article, the causes of nausea are many and can vary from one person to the next.
Is vomiting the only solution for calming an attack of nausea? Thankfully, the six essential oils you will meet in this article can potentially help you avoid having nausea turn into vomiting. Read on now to learn more about what causes nausea and the essential oils that may help.
6 Best Essential Oils For Nausea & Dizziness
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Essential Oil |
Best Brand |
Prices |
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Naturally Made Essentials |
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Plant Therapy |
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Naturally Made Essentials |
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Naturally Made Essentials |
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doTERRA |
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Healing Solutions |
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Geranium Oil |
Plant Therapy |
*The companies chosen above are based upon my personal opinion based upon me giving them a try and testing their quality.
What could be the cause of nausea?
According to WebMD, a variety of different issues could trigger the onset of stomach uneasiness, or nausea.
What is most important to know is that nausea is not a disease in its own right. It is a symptom of something else that is going on in your body. If you have ever been in a vehicle, whether a car or a bus, a boat or a plane, and suddenly you lost your bearings and felt queasy, this is called motion sickness. Motion sickness is one type of nausea that is thought to be caused when your senses (eyes, ears, skin, et al) send conflicting messages to your brain. Morning sickness is another common type of nausea that can actually occur anytime during pregnancy. Here, researchers suspect that changing hormone and blood sugar levels are the most likely culprits. Medication, food poisoning, intense emotional or physical pain, injury, ulcers, some diseases and even simple allergies have all been linked to bouts of nausea.
Can nausea be a sign of cancer?
One common question many people have about nausea is whether it has been linked to cancer. This can be a particularly nerve-wracking question to ponder but researchers say the hypothesis has some merit. According to the American Cancer Society, nausea can be prompted by a number of aspects associated with cancer. For example, some medications given to combat cancer during radiation or chemotherapy can cause nausea. Electrolyte imbalance or dehydration caused by medicines or other cancer symptoms can also cause nausea. Cancer can cause increased vulnerability to illness and infection, and sometimes each can also cause nausea. The type of cancer can also impact how much nausea you might feel – for example, gastrointestinal, bowel or colon cancer and brain cancer may have a higher incidence of nausea than some other types of cancer.
Essential Oils for Nausea and Dizziness
Now meet six of the best essential oils that may help ease nausea and associated dizziness and vomiting and learn how to use them in the most effective way to ease your symptoms!
How to Use Essential Oils for Nausea
As Medical News Today explains, essential oils are plant-based. They are natural substances extracted from plant matter in a highly concentrated form. Essential oils can be used in a variety of ways to help ease your nausea. They can be ingested orally in a tincture or capsule form. They can also be rubbed on the skin, inhaled or diffused (aromatherapy) or added to bath water. The best method may differ depending on your symptoms and your personal tolerance. Always use the minimum amount of essential oils in any form until you learn how your body responds. Diluting one or two drops of your chosen oil into a carrier oil (such as olive oil, jojoba oil or coconut oil) or into a bit of water or fruit juice can be a good idea until you know your personal tolerance for a particular essential oil. For example, when taking essential oils for nausea internally, you can drink the essential oil in a bit of juice or water or take a capsule with juice or water. This can guard against further stomach upset. If you want to use essential oils for nausea topically, you can dilute them into a few drops of a carrier oil before applying them to the skin. This can help reduce the risk of any skin irritation. SAFETY NOTE: If you are pregnant or nursing or you are trying to become pregnant, or you are already on medication to manage a chronic health condition, it is always wise to talk with your physician before using essential oils!
6 Best Essential Oils for Nausea
Now read about our top six picks for nausea-relieving essential oils!
Relax anxiety and physical nausea with lavender essential oil
Researchers from Phytotherapy Research Journal highlight lavender’s natural relaxant properties as a key to its ability to ease nausea, dizziness and the feeling like you are going to vomit. This can be particularly important when your nausea stems from mental or emotional anxiety, depression or overwhelming feelings rather than from pure physical causes such as food poisoning. However, intense physical pain or physical-based symptoms can also bring on anxiety and depression and make the nausea symptoms worse. Lavender essential oil can function as a one-two punch to address the causes of your nausea on both an emotional/mental and physical level. One of the best ways to use lavender essential oil for nausea is to add a few drops into a diffuser and rest nearby while breathing in the scent. If you don’t have a diffuser, adding a few drops to a pot of steaming water or warm bathwater can work.
Give ginger essential oil a try for morning sickness and upset stomach-related nausea
Ginger has long been a mainstay for treating gastrointestinal upset, nausea and vomiting homeopathically, according to the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. The National Center for Homeopathy reports that ginger is also considered safe for use while you are pregnant for easing morning sickness. Ginger essential oil can be taken internally as a tincture. You can also make a soothing ginger tea by adding a few drops of ginger essential oil to steaming water. Rubbing ginger essential oil on your pressure points or even right onto your tummy while breathing in and out deeply can also help ease nausea quickly.
Relieve nausea from gastric distress ASAP with peppermint essential oil
The Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (National Institutes of Health) shares that use of peppermint essential oil to treat both anxiety and physical nausea have delivered positive results. Peppermint itself has documented anti-spasmodic effects on the colon and lining of the gastrointestinal system. By easing spasming muscles and tissues in the G.I. tract, peppermint oil can help relieve the physical cause for nausea and the feeling that you need to vomit.
For nausea induced by other G.I. issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), food poisoning or stomach flu, peppermint oil can also ease these symptoms effectively. Peppermint essential oil can be particularly lovely as a tea when infused into steaming water.
Ease morning sickness pronto with lemon essential oil
Like ginger essential oil, lemon essential oil is considered safe for use while you are pregnant, trying to conceive or still nursing. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported on a recent research study linking inhalation (diffusion) of lemon essential oil with cessation of pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. Even better, research shows that simply breathing in the scent of lemon essential oil each day can keep pregnancy-related nausea at bay for multiple days in a row.
Turn to chamomile essential oil to make stomach distress-related nausea stop
The symptoms of an upset stomach are unmistakable – bloating, gas, cramping, pain and nausea can make a simple stomach ache feel much worse than its name sounds! Not only is chamomile tea one of the most popular herbal teas in the world, but one study from the Journal of Phytotherapy suggests chamomile’s active ingredients may even be able to combat cancer onset by preventing cancer cells from developing further. Medical News Today also showcases the efficacy of chamomile to ease gastrointestinal stress, internal inflammation, premenstrual pain and blood sugar imbalance – all possible causes for nausea symptoms. Chamomile essential oil can also be soothing to an over-anxious mind and is often recommended as a pre-bedtime tea. Adding a few drops of pure Chamomile essential oil to a cup of hot water is a great way to take in this powerful essential oil.
Use fennel essential oil to send heartburn and digestive distress packing
Fennel is a popular savory herb that is often used in cooking. However, fennel has many more uses besides simply to flavor your food. According to WebMD, dried fennel seeds, which are likened to anise (licorice) in flavor, are sometimes served as an after-dinner aperitif in Mediterranean cultures to settle the stomach.
Fennel essential oil is a popular homeopathic remedy to ease heartburn, upset stomach, gas, bloating and other forms of gastric distress.Fennel essential oil can be particular effective when diluted into a carrier oil and used topically. You can rub a bit into your pressure points or directly onto your stomach. Alternately, add a few drops into a diffuser and inhale the aroma to find relief from nausea.
Essential Oil Blends & Recipes You Can Make
These essential oil blends and recipes can help ease nausea naturally. You can add them to a diffuser and inhale the aroma.
Alternately, rub them into your temples or onto your wrists, or add a few drops to warm bathwater.
Lavender Mint Recipe
Combine five drops peppermint essential oil with 10 drops lavender essential oil. Diffuse with 30 drops of your favorite carrier oil. Peppermint Lemon RecipeAdd eight drops peppermint essential oil with 8 drops lemon essential oil. Diffuse with 30 drops of your favorite carrier oil. Fennel Hot Water RecipeAdd four drops of fennel essential oil to 30 drops of your favorite carrier oil. Add several drops to six ounces of hot water. Soak a compress in this mixture and place it over your temple or tummy until it cools. Ginger Chamomile RecipeAdd four drops ginger essential oil and four drops chamomile oil to 30 drops carrier oil.
8 Natural Home Remedies for Nausea That Really Work
Sometimes just having something to do – a way to take action to combat nausea – can give you some relief from focusing on how nauseated you feel. This can calm your mind as well as your body to allow the nausea to ease. So in addition to using your favorite essential oils from this list here, you may want to try one or more of these eight natural home remedies for nausea as well. Use a cold compressIf your body is fighting off infection or inflammation, this can cause your body temperature to elevate. This, in turn, may cause you to feel more nauseated. By placing a cool cloth or a cold pack wrapped in a soft towel on your forehead or the back of your neck, you can help lower your body temperature and ease your distress. Palpate the nausea pressure pointYou likely noticed the mention of pressure points in a few of the essential oil remedies listed here. The specific pressure point for nausea is about two inches above your wrist in between the two tendons on your arm. You may want to watch this short video from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to learn how to use this pressure point to relieve nausea. Breathe in and out slowly and deeplySlow, deep breathing sends a message to your limbic brain (where your fight or flight response comes from) that all is well. Simply breathing in and out slowly and deeply can help your body calm down and allow the nausea to pass. Sip tea to stay hydratedUsing essential oils in tea form can deliver relief and healing on multiple levels. Sipping warm liquid can be soothing to the body, especially if your stomach is upset. If your nausea stems from illness or medication side effects, you may risk becoming dehydrated, especially if you can’t drink due to nausea or you have been vomiting. Tea is a great method for reintroducing liquid in small doses in a soothing yet potent format. Sit upright and relax your midsectionWhen you feel stomach pain, cramping or nausea, it is only natural to want to hunch over or lay down. But this protective response can actually make your discomfort worse.Instead, do your best to sit up straight and to keep your stomach and midsection comfortably relaxed. This will help cramping to ease and nausea to pass. Place a warm compress or heating pad on your stomach If you are struggling to ease stomach cramps, bloating or premenstrual pain, a warm compress or heating pad can help ease the muscle spasming and promote deep breathing to let the nausea symptoms ease away. Alternately, a warm bath may have a similar soothing effect on cramping muscles. Focus your eyes on a specific point or objectThis can be a particularly helpful tool to ease motion sickness-related nausea. Sometimes motion sickness can be triggered when there is too much unpredictable movement (which is where seasickness comes from). Focusing your eyes on a particular fixed point, whether a painting on your wall or the distant horizon, can help you get your bearings and ease nausea. Distract yourselfYet another potentially helpful remedy to ease nausea is to distract yourself so you will stop focusing in so strongly on how awful you feel. Sometimes this tactic can give you just enough distance from your nausea to allow it to pass naturally.
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Final Thoughts About Essential Oils for Nausea
Sometimes it can be hard to think or strategize when you are trying to stave off another wave of nausea. If you have chronic bouts of nausea, this can also start to psyche you out mentally and make you feel even more hopeless about ever getting rid of the nausea you feel. You don’t have to tackle this whole list of nausea-relieving essential oils all at once. Just pick one and try it and see how it works (if you happen to have one of these six essential oils already then that is the natural first choice). You may find over time that you prefer one delivery method (aromatherapy, topical, oral, warm bath, et al) over the others. Trust your gut here – literally.
You will know you have found “the one” when your nausea subsides and you start to feel better.
