Nausea is an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach that makes you feel as though you want to vomit. It may be a precursor to vomiting, but it can also be a symptom of certain medical conditions.
There may be times when you vomit and other times where you only have the sensation but do not actually empty your stomach. Nausea can be caused by a number of things, but can often be prevented.
Causes of Nausea
Some people are highly sensitive to motions, certain foods, or medications, and these can cause nausea. The most common causes of nausea are below.
♦ Heartburn: Acid reflux, heartburn, or GERD all involve acid flowing backward into the esophageal tube. The burning sensation not only causes pain, but it also causes feelings of nausea after eating too.
♦ Medications: Certain medications, including chemotherapy and cancer medications, can cause nausea. Depending on your sensitivity to medications, over-the-counter drugs may cause this sensation too. Always read labels carefully, and follow your doctor’s advice as to possible side effects. Being prepared can help you minimize medication-related nausea.
♦ Motion sickness: Bumpy car rides or boat rides cause motion sickness, and this is the result of your brain not syncing up with your senses. This will make you feel dizzy and nauseous, and you may even vomit.
♦ Infections: Bacterial and viral infections cause nausea when they reach your stomach. The most common type of nausea-related illness is food poisoning, and this is caused by bacteria.
♦ Pain: Mild and moderate levels of pain can be tolerated, but severe and intense pain can cause you to feel nauseous. This is commonly experienced in cases of pancreatitis, gallbladder stones, and kidney stones.
♦ Ulcers: These sores that develop in your stomach or along the lining of your small intestine can contribute to nausea. When you eat, the ulcer can become irritated, which delivers a burning sensation and sudden nausea.
♦ Diet: Overeating and certain foods like spicy foods or those high in fat can cause nausea. Eating foods that you are allergic to can also cause nausea in addition to other problematic symptoms.
♦ Pregnancy: Nausea or morning sickness is also common during the early months of pregnancy. This results from the changes in hormone levels and typically goes away by the second trimester.
Medical Conditions Associated With Nausea
There are also several common medical conditions known to be associated with nausea.
♦ BPPV: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is the most common type of vertigo, causing a sudden sensation of swaying and dizziness, which can cause nausea. Episodes can be brief or last a long time, and quick changes in direction or positions can trigger episodes. It is best to avoid tilting your head or changing position too quickly.
♦ Ear infections: Your ear can become infected as a result of a bacteria or virus reaching your middle ear. These can be acute or chronic and involve inflammation and pain. Because your ears are involved in balance, you may feel bouts of dizziness and nausea as a result of the infection.
♦ Heart attack: Chest pain, difficulty breathing, and sweating are common heart attack symptoms. Nausea is one too. When nausea presents alongside these other symptoms, you could be having a heart attack and need to seek immediate medical attention.
♦ Intestinal blockage: When your intestines are blocked, and you are prevented from having a bowel movement, you can feel pain, swelling, and cramping. You can also feel nausea as a result of undigested food remaining in the stomach since it is unable to move through the digestive tract.
♦ Liver problems: One of the first symptoms of liver damage or disease is nausea. You will also experience fatigue, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. Your liver helps to detoxify your body. When it is not working efficiently, toxins can accumulate, causing a nauseous sensation.
♦ Meningitis: Along with the sharp headache and stiff neck, you will also experience nausea with meningitis. Meningitis causes sensitivity to light and sound, and when these are present your headache will get worse, and you will experience headache nausea until the stimuli are removed.
♦ Migraine: Many individuals who suffer from migraines also develop stomach problems. The severe headaches cause nausea and upset stomach. There is a direct link between the gut and the brain via the gut-brain axis, so what impacts one organ inevitably affects the other too.
How to Get Rid of Nausea
The treatment will depend on the cause. If sitting in a specific position in a car causes motion sickness, then changing seats can easily remedy the problem.
There is also nausea medicine for motion sickness known as Dramamine. Certain medications like stomach acid-reducers can also reduce nausea associated with GERD and acid reflux. Pain medications can relieve nausea associated with severe headaches. Hydration is also one of the most natural ways to avoid and treat nausea.
Natural Treatment for Nausea
Poor digestion and digestive trouble frequently cause nausea. This can be uncomfortable but is treatable. There are several natural options to reduce nausea and promote better digestion to reduce its occurrence.
Digestive enzymes can help reduce nausea by ensuring that foods are properly broken down. Undigested fats and proteins are most commonly known to cause nausea, along with other unpleasant symptoms such as abdominal pain. Lipase can help with fat digestion, and peptidase is taken to support protein digestion.
A leaky gut is a common reason individuals feel nausea. A leaky gut allows undigested foods and particles to pass through to the blood. Nausea is a common side effect of toxins roaming through the body. L-glutamine is an amino acid that prevents leaky gut and can reduce nausea associated with this condition.
Aloe vera leaf gel is another natural treatment for nausea. Aloe vera can soothe and heal an irritated digestive tract that causes nausea. This healing plant compound can also provide a protective lining in your stomach that prevents upset stomach and nausea.
Not all digestive issues that cause nausea are related to the gut. Liver disease is a common cause of nausea, but this can also be treated naturally. Siliphos is a milk thistle supplement that is designed to protect the liver. The liver is exposed to toxins daily as it clears them from your bloodstream. This increases the risk of oxidative damage, which can cause liver disease. Siliphos can protect the liver and reduce the risk of disease and its associated nausea.
Preventing Nausea
Anti-nausea medication is one way to prevent nausea, especially if you are prone to the sensation in certain circumstances. You can also change your eating habits, as smaller and more frequent meals can reduce nausea.
It helps to avoid intense physical activity after eating, as this can upset your stomach and cause nausea. There are also several handy tricks you can try that may prevent nausea triggers and prevent its onset:
♦ Avoid sea voyages
♦ Avoid flickering lights
♦ Avoid heat and humidity
♦ Avoid strong odors
When to See Your Doctor
If your nausea is accompanied by heart attack symptoms such as difficulty breathing and chest pain, then seek medical help immediately. Nausea can be a symptom of heart attacks, so it should not be ignored if other signs are present.
If the nausea is combined with a severe headache and a stiff neck, you need to get help. If you believe the nausea is the result of ingesting something poisonous, get to the hospital right away. Nausea can also be a problem if you are unable to hold liquids down for over 12 hours, as severe dehydration can occur.
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