Keep Your Parent Well Hydrated to Combat Nausea

To keep nausea in check, make sure your parent starts each day drinking a tall glass of water or watered-down juice and gets six to eight glasses (eight ounces each) a day. The reason: when the body has enough water in the tissues, its metabolism works more smoothly to process, eliminate, or balance the chemicals from treatment that are causing the nausea. If the taste of water is unpleasant or triggers more nausea, add lemon or any other flavor your parent likes, substitute ginger ale (many cancer patients prefer it "flat," after the carbonation has dissipated), or offer ice chips instead.