Patients who experience nausea with body aches can treat these uncomfortable symptoms through the use of medication, herbs, or rest. The type of treatment needed depends on the severity of the symptoms and the reason that the patient is experiencing them. In most cases, patients who experience nausea with body aches are infected with a virus that will need to run its course before the symptoms dissipate on their own. Patients should always see a doctor if the symptoms last for more than a few days or if they are particularly severe.
Nausea and body aches are symptoms that usually indicate a viral infection of some sort, such as influenza, the chicken pox, or a stomach virus. A bacterial infection can also cause these symptoms and may need to be treated with antibiotics unless the infection is mild and confined to the digestive system. Antibiotics will not relieve the symptoms of nausea accompanied by body aches directly, but they will kill off the bacteria causing these symptoms. A doctor will need to determine whether an infection is bacterial or viral and thus whether antibiotics are an appropriate treatment.
No matter what the cause of nausea with body aches, one of the simplest treatments for these symptoms is bed rest. While it is fighting off an infection, the body needs to be able to devote a large amount of energy to the immune system. Rest is even more important if the nausea is severe enough that it is keeping a patient from eating or if it is accompanied by vomiting because the patient may not be getting enough calories.
When using medicine to treat nausea with body aches, two different medications are needed: one to treat the nausea and one to treat the pain. Antihistamines and anticholinergic-antiemetics are common over-the-counter medications that are used to help relieve nausea. There are a few other classes of drugs that can also be used to combat nausea, though prescriptions are needed for many of them. Patients who wish to treat their nausea with herbs can use ginger, vitamin B6, grape seed, or peppermint, many of which can be made into a tea which may be easier for a nauseated patient to keep down than a pill or supplement. Taking slow, even breaths and resting with the knees bent can also help relieve nausea.
Body aches need to be treated separately from nausea. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs are the most commonly used, especially ibuprofen and aspirin, though acetaminophen can also be used to relieve pain. These drugs are usually very effective at relieving aches and pains and should be taken regularly to keep the pain from coming back, especially if it is accompanied by a fever. Pain can also be treated with the use of herbs, such as capsaicin or turmeric, which may be eaten or rubbed onto the affected area.