Chewing gum could help ease nausea after operations

Chewing on a stick of gum could help reduce nausea after surgery, according to new research.

More than 1000 female patients in hospitals across Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong will this week be given peppermint gum after waking from operations as part of a large-scale experiment by the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

It is believed chewing on gum for 10 minutes could be more effective than anti-nausea medication.

“It’s a simple, ubiquitous treatment that doesn’t require a drip in the hand,” study leader Doctor Jai Darvall told the Herald Sun.

The action of chewing, rather than the gum’s taste, is understood to be the key to warding off nausea.

An earlier study which focused on a group of 94 female patients found that three out of four overcame post-surgery nausea after chewing on gum.

Nausea in the hours and days after surgery mainly affects women, especially those who have experienced motion sickness in the past.