Nausea and vomiting are embarrassing moments that we all inevitably experience, and relieving intestinal cramps is exactly what essential oils are good at. Let’s explore essential oils for nausea.
When you are preparing for a long trip, remember to take a bottle of ginger essential oil with you in advance.
What is nausea?
Nausea is an unpleasant, inescapable feeling that sometimes feels like it will never end.
Nausea can be defined as a feeling of discomfort with a tendency to vomit.
Once you have this feeling of nausea in your body, I’m sure you immediately want to know the best way to get rid of it fast.
Once your body has that feeling of nausea, I’m sure you immediately want to know the best way to get rid of it fast.
Nausea can sometimes be protective.
For example, when you eat food contaminated with bacteria such as E. coli and feel nauseous and vomit.
Other times, nausea is caused by pregnancy and is often referred to as “morning sickness,” even though it can occur at any time during the day or even throughout the day and night.
Nausea is also a common symptom of motion sickness, and unfortunately, many people get motion sickness on a regular basis.
Thankfully, there are many natural ways to relieve nausea, and one of the best is essential oils.
Which essential oils are helpful for nausea?
In fact, there are several essential oils that are considered to be natural “remedies” for nausea.
Top 6 essential oils for nausea
Ginger Essential Oil
Ginger essential oil is one of the top natural remedies for nausea, indigestion, diarrhea, stomach pain, and even vomiting
Post-surgical nausea and vomiting are common side effects of general anesthesia.
When sniffed, the ginger essential oil can be effective in relieving post-surgical nausea and the need for nausea-relieving medications.
In addition, the ginger essential oil has an impressive analgesic activity for a limited period of time, which is non-surgical related situations means that ginger essential oil can help relieve pain.
Peppermint Essential Oil
Several studies have also shown that peppermint essential oil helps prevent nausea and vomiting after surgery.
Peppermint is known to have antiemetic and antitussive effects on the stomach mucosa and colon.
A study published in 2013 investigated the effectiveness of peppermint essential oil in preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Researchers found that patients vomited significantly less intensely and more often during the first 24 hours of treatment compared to controls, and no adverse side effects were reported.
Treatment costs were also reduced through the use of peppermint essential oil.
Peppermint is also one of the best essential oils for treating nausea and diarrhea.
Studies have shown that peppermint essential oil can help improve some of the symptoms of diarrhea caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders today.
Lavender Essential Oil
If you are looking for an essential oil to relieve nausea and anxiety, lavender is a great choice.
Sometimes stress and anxiety can lead to nausea, and lavender essential oil is known for its calming effects that can help relieve anxiety and nausea.
It is also known for its antidepressant effects, as depression is another mental state that can lead to nausea.
Studies have shown that lavender essential oil has a calming effect on both the mind and body.
In addition to the positive psychological effects, aromatherapy with lavender essential oil is considered therapeutic due to the physiological effects of inhaling the volatile compound.
When a lavender essential oil is inhaled, it affects the limbic system directly, especially the amygdala and hippocampus of the brain.
When lavender essential oil is applied topically, its two active ingredients, linalool, and linalyl acetate are quickly absorbed into the skin, thus calming the central nervous system.
Because of its sedative and antispasmodic properties, some people choose lavender as one of the essential oils to relieve stomach problems.
Lemon Essential Oil
Lemon essential oil is one of the most commonly used essential oils to treat pregnancy sickness, a common nausea symptom in pregnant women.
Scenting just a drop or two of lemon essential oil can help relieve nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy.
Chamomile Essential Oil
What essential oils do I use when my stomach hurts?
There are several essential oils available for stomach pains or upset stomachs, and chamomile is definitely one of them.
In fact, chamomile has been used since ancient times to treat indigestion, and to this day it is used to treat upset stomachs, flatulence, diarrhea, anxiety and insomnia.
Chamomile essential oil is incredibly soothing to the gut and mind, making it ideal for treating nausea.
Fennel Essential Oil
When you feel nauseous, your stomach is definitely upset. So what essential oil do you use when your stomach hurts?
Fennel oil is another one of my favorite essential oils for upset stomachs.
Fennel essential oil is commonly used for heartburn, intestinal gas, bloating and loss of appetite, all of which are digestive symptoms that accompany nausea.
Fennel essential oil and the plant fennel used internally and externally do help to relieve digestive disorders.
How do Essential oils for nausea work?
Essential oils can be used in several different ways to relieve nausea, including incense, internal use, or topical application.
Aromatherapy
Incense is an alternative medicine practice that utilizes aromatic essential oils from a variety of healing plants.
When the scent of the essential oils is inhaled, the molecules enter the nasal cavity and stimulate a response in the limbic system of the brain, leading to a physical or psychological effect.
Incensing can be done in several different ways.
- Inhaling the essential oils directly from the bottle with your nose close to the mouth
- Diffuse one or more blends of essential oils into the air
- Apply directly to the skin, using body heat to diffuse and sniff
- Essential oil massage
- Aromatic Bath
Internal / Oral
Read the label carefully to ensure that the essential oil is suitable for internal use.
There are many essential oils that can be ingested through the mouth.
However, it is critical to ensure that the essential oils you are using are 100% pure, physical therapy grade, and of USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) organic certified quality.
Many of the oils on the market today are diluted or blended with unsafe synthetic oils.
Usually, a small amount of essential oil is taken internally, 1 or 2 drops at a time, up to 2 or 3 times a day.
If you feel irritation in your mouth or throat, ingest the essential oils in drops in liquid or food, such as unsweetened raw applesauce, before swallowing (refer to link).
It is best to take essential oils internally with food rather than ingesting them on an empty stomach.
Other ways to take it orally include capsules, adding it to a favorite drink, making tea, cooking with essential oils, etc.
In all of these scenarios, only 1 or 2 drops should be used.
Topical application
You can relieve nausea by applying essential oils to your stomach, the back of your neck or the soles of your feet.
Only a drop or two of essential oil is needed, and the oil will penetrate quickly when it touches the skin.
Because essential oils are so powerful, it is best to use them diluted with a carrier oil (such as sweet almond, olive, jojoba, avocado or coconut oil).
You can also put a few drops of pure essential oil on a compress, such as lavender oil or peppermint essential oil, and apply to your forehead or the back of your neck to relieve nausea
Considerations for using essential oils for nausea
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your doctor before using any essential oils.
If you want to use essential oils to treat nausea caused by chemotherapy, you should also consult with your healthcare provider first.
If you have any ongoing health conditions or are taking medication, be sure to check with your doctor to see if you can use essential oils.
Many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, can interact with essential oils.
Never use essential oils that make you allergic.
Before using any essential oils internally, it is vital to ensure that they are safe and 100% pure, physiotherapy grade and certified organic before using them internally for safety and effectiveness.
Sometimes, overuse or misuse of essential oils can cause nausea, so it is important to use them correctly.
If nausea and vomiting are accompanied by chest pain, blurred vision, severe abdominal pain or cramping, confusion, high fever and stiff neck, vomit or fecal odor, or rectal bleeding, call 911 (call 120 in China) or seek emergency care.
If you experience nausea and vomiting for more than a month, or if you become aware of any unexplained weight loss as well as nausea and vomiting, you should also seek medical attention for examination.
Conclusion
Nausea is a very common and unwelcome health symptom that can be caused by a variety of reasons.
What are the best essential oils for nausea relief? These include ginger, peppermint, lavender, lemon, chamomile, and sweet fennel essential oils.
Lemon is definitely one of the best essential oils for relieving nausea in pregnancy (also known as “morning sickness”).
To use peppermint essential oil and other best essential oils for nausea relief, you can incense, apply topically or take orally.