What Exactly Causes Nausea?

Nausea is the very feeling of wanting to throw up. It is the prior experience that comes before emptying the food contents in the stomach through vomiting. There are a number of causes, and this can be prevented. Nausea in all cases may not be a result of an illness; it could be as a result of inhaling something, seeing a thing you think is gross and makes you want to vomit, pregnant, and so on.

Nausea comes with so much uneasiness in the stomach and automatically leads to vomiting. In other words, it is the urge to vomit. In addition, when you eventually vomit, the feeling of peace and calm return to your bowels, and you get to feel a lot more comfortable than before.

According to research, the severity of nausea can range from severe to mild, and sometimes, symptoms of nausea or nausea itself can stay over a long period of time. The major cause of nausea can be associated with gastrointestinal problems. In addition, nausea can also be caused by illnesses from other organs in the body outside the gastrointestinal tract, and this cause of nausea could make the nausea feeling stay for a long period of time. This, however, makes the diagnosis of the cause of this prolonged nausea difficult.

The symptoms of nausea are totally painless, except there are other underlying health issues. Also, the feeling of nausea can be indescribable but comes with so much bowel and chest discomfort.

Causes

Nausea can be triggered by different causes. Some people are sensitive to certain medications, foods, and smells, which can make them feel nauseated and vomit in the end. What are the popular causes of nausea?

Heartburn

The effect of heartburn can cause the content of your stomach to forcefully come back up with a burning sensation. This health issue can make you have constant and prolonged nausea feeling.

Infection

Infections from bacteria and viruses can trigger nausea. This could be a bacterium gotten from foods and fruits that affect the gastrointestinal system, such that you begin to feel like throwing up. Sometimes the symptoms of nausea caused by bacteria can be painful sometimes because it brings uneasiness and pain to the stomach.  Bacteria from foods can cause food poisoning, of which nausea is a pointer to this illness.

Medications

Some medications, especially cancer treatments, trigger nausea in some people. These nausea-causing medications cause stomach upset and discomfort.

Motion

Spinning around with full force as well as fast-motion from a roller coaster or a bumpy ride from a vehicle can trigger nausea with vomit the following suit immediately. These fast and force-filled movements can make the messages from the brain not sync up with the senses, which would, in turn, lead to dizziness and nausea.

Diet

Overeating causes nausea and vomiting. Changing diets also trigger nausea. Other diet causes of nausea include excess spices in foods and high fatty contents in foods. These can upset the stomach and trigger discomfort.

Pain

Pain from underlying illnesses like pancreatitis and kidney stone can cause nausea and vomiting in some people.

Ulcer

Sores and wounds in the stomach can trigger nausea. When the stomach and its lining are irritated as a result of sores, everything that gets into it upsets it and causes great uneasiness and pain for the victim.

Nausea can also be a symptom of chronic illnesses like;

• Ear infection
• Heart attack
• Meningitis
• Migraine
• Liver failure
• Intestinal blockage
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

Other causes of nausea include;

• Early pregnancy stage
• Exposure to chemical and their smell
• Fear and other forms of emotional stress
• Gall bladder illness
• Constipation and indigestion
• Some odors

Risk Factors

• If you are pregnant, especially when you are in your first trimester, then your chances of having numerous nausea episodes would be very high.
• If you are undergoing cancer treatment (chemotherapy), then you can get irritated as a result of the chemical contents in the drugs.

Duration

• The duration of nausea depends on the cause of nausea. However, nausea that comes as a result of stomach flu tends to improve after 24 hours.
• Nausea caused by food poisoning can take up to two days to heal up.
• However, if the nausea symptom and feelings persist after one week, even if you are pregnant, speak to your doctor about it for proper monitoring.

Symptoms

• Weakness
• Urge to throw up
• Sweating
• Saliva builds up in the mouth.

Does Vomiting Have Any Side Effects?

As harmless as vomiting is, it can be the onset of an illness. Though this is possible in most cases. Not all nausea cases are indicators of illnesses. Some could be as a result of inhaling a particular substance, perceiving an odor, and seeing a gross sight.

Another concern about nausea is, it can render you dehydrated because you would lose body fluid (water) through vomiting. This affects children more than adults, especially when diarrhea enters the picture. The possible ways of detecting dehydration in children when caring for them during this vomiting-diarrhea period are;

• Dry lips
• Dry mouth
• Rapid pulse or breathing
• Sunken eyes
• Less urination

For pregnant women, vomiting at the early stage is not harmful; it is a sign that a baby has started growing in the womb. However, when the vomiting becomes too much, speak to your doctor about it because medical practitioners have discovered that it leads to a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition whereby there are fluid imbalances in the mother, which can pose a danger for the unborn child.

Though rarely, constant vomiting may in some cases tear the lining of the esophagus, which can turn out to be a medical emergency.

Call the Doctor When…

• You think you are pregnant. Just go for confirmation.
• The feeling of nausea lasts for more than one week.
• Home remedy is not working for the treatment and management of nausea.
• Dehydration and diarrhea set in
• Vomiting lasts for more than 48 hours.
• Children between ages 4 and 6 keep vomiting for more than 24 hours.

Prepare and seek urgent medical attention if you notice any of the following;

• Bloodstains in the vomit
• Stiff neck and severe headache
• Confusion and inactiveness
• Diarrhea
• Chronic abdominal cramps
• Rapid pulse and breathing

Prevention

• Eat moderately. Do not overeat
• Avoid spicy and fatty foods, plus other foods you are sensitive to
• Eat slowly
• Avoid foods that are hard to digest
• Drink water between meals. Don’t wait until you have to eat before you drink water.
• Eat when you feel less nauseated.
• Avoid odors that nauseate you.
• Stick with the temperature of food that works best for you
• Rinse your mouth before and after eating

To prevent vomiting after feeling nauseated;

• Drink sweetened liquids in small quantity
• Sprinkle water on your face and body
• Sit and try to calm down.
• Do not force it out

The following foods can help reduce nausea due to their easy-to-digest nature;

• Apple sauce
• Toast
• Rice
• Bananas

Treatment and Management

• Avoid crunching the stomach and sit up when you begin to feel nauseated.
• Help yourself to a place where there is fresh air. It could also be in front of a fan.
• Apply cold compress at the back of your neck. This can help reduce nausea by 80%
• Apply pressure on your inner wrists. This is also known as acupuncture. It helps ease the feeling.
• Take deep breaths or meditate.
• Stay hydrated
• Avoid carbonated drinks
• Eat bland foods and in small quantities too. These bland foods could be; plain noodles, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, saltines, and so on.
• Opt-in for over-the-counter medications
• Take vitamin supplements like vitamin B

Home Remedies

Chamomile Tea

It functions as an anti-nausea as well as a sedative. It helps ease nausea, stress, and anxiety.

Lemon

Lemon helps with digestion. It breaks the gas in the stomach when you feel bloated and nauseated.

Ginger

Eat small pieces of ginger as it is the most popular, most common, and most effective remedy for nausea.

Peppermint

Peppermint oil can be ingested to cure chemotherapy-caused nausea.

In conclusion, nausea can sometimes be harmless and painless. The severity of nausea depends on the causes. The causes include underlying health issues, inhalation of certain smells, pregnancy, motion sickness, and gross sight. Nausea can also be a symptom of the onset of an illness. When the illness is associated with vital organs in the body, painful nausea and vomiting set in. As easy as it is to treat nausea and its symptoms at home, medical practitioners still advise that complaints should be made when it persists for a long time and when blood stains are seen in the vomit.