Nausea is a universal term that describes a sick stomach. Sometimes you feel like vomiting and sometimes not. From time to time almost everybody suffers from nausea. This is why it is one of the most frequent problems occurring in medicine. Nausea is not an illness, but a symptom of many different diseases. It can result from problems in any of the three parts of the body, such as:
* Abdominal and pelvic organs
A lot of abdominal disorders may lead to nausea. Common abdominal causes of nausea include: inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) or pancreas (pancreatitis); a blocked or stretched intestine or stomach; gastroesophageal reflux (GERD); irritation of the stomach, intestinal lining, appendix or pelvic organs; inflammation of the kidney; and gallbladder problems. The most widespread abdominal disease causing nausea is viral infections (gastroenteritis). What’s more, nausea can result from constipation and normal menstruation.
* Brain and spinal fluid
Nausea typically occurs with migraine headaches, head injury, brain tumors, stroke, bleeding into or around the brain, and meningitis (inflammation or infection of the membranes covering the brain). It may also be a symptom of glaucoma, caused by pressure on the nerves at the back of the eye. Sometimes it appears as a brain reaction triggered by pain, considerable emotional suffering, or exposure to unpleasant sights or odors.
* Balance centers in the inner ear
Nausea mayalso be connected with vertigo, a dizzy sensation of spinning, moving or falling when you stand still. Widespread disorders leading to vertigo include such diseases as: motion sickness (triggered by repeated movements in different directions inside a car, boat, train, plane or amusement ride), viral infections of the inner ear (labyrinthitis), sensitivity to the change of position (benign positional vertigo), and certain brain or nerve tumors.
Nausea can also occur as a widespread side effect of some body chemical changes:
* Reproductive hormones — Around 50 per cent of women suffer from morning sickness in the course of the first several months of pregnancy, and nausea is a frequent side effect of taking birth control pills.
* Medicines — A lot of medications (such as prescription, over-the-counter and herbal drugs) very often result in nausea as a side effect, particularly when more than one medicine is taken at the same time. Chemotherapy medicines and antidepressant drug are among the medications that cause nausea quite frequently.
* Low blood sugar — Nausea is typical for low blood sugar.
* Alcohol use — Both alcohol intoxication and alcohol withdrawal, for example a hangover, can lead to nausea.
* Anesthesia — Some people have nausea whilst awakening from surgery and recovering after anesthesia.
* Food allergies and food poisoning — Nausea and abdominal cramps can be caused when you experience food poisoning, or when small amounts of bacteria in contaminated food produce irritating toxins.
Symptoms of Nausea
For some people it is rather complicated to describe nausea. Obviously, it is a very uncomfortable condition, however not painful, feeling that is felt in the back of the throat, the chest or the upper abdomen. The feeling is connected with aversion to food or a strong will to vomit. As the organism prepares to vomit, the following sequence may take place:
* The muscular ring between the esophagus and stomach (esophageal sphincter) relaxes.
* The abdominal muscles and diaphragm contract.
* The windpipe (larynx) closes.
* The lower portion of the stomach contracts.
In the course of vomiting, the stomach contents are expelled through the esophagus and mouth.
As a consequence of these body actions, when having nausea you experience retching. Retching is repetitive rhythmic contractions of respiratory and abdominal muscles occurring uncontrollably. You may or may not vomit. Nausea is sometimes accompanied by profuse sweating.
Diagnosis
Due to the fact that nausea appears because of wide variety of reasons, your healthcare professional will search for clues to the cause of nausea in your medical history, including your use of medicines. It is particularly helpful for you to inform about other symptoms that you might be experiencing or activities (like eating, for example) that activate your nausea. If you are a sexually active woman of childbearing age, inform your physician whether there is a chance that you could be pregnant, the date of your last menstrual period and any type of contraception you use.
Your healthcare provider will examine you very carefully. The examination may include the following procedures: blood pressure testing, an abdominal exam, neurological examination or other tests, depending on symptoms you experience and other medical history. Blood tests may be also performed. For any woman who could be pregnant, a pregnancy test should be carried out. If you have lately experienced a head injury, you a brain imaging test, such as a computed tomography scan can appear to be necessary.
Expected Duration
Discovering the cause of nausea will determine how long it persists or how frequently it takes placer. When the cause may be traced to spoiled food, motion sickness or a viral illness, nausea is normally short lived and should not cause any serious concern. In the majority of cases, the nauseous feeling persists no more than minutes to a few hours and typically goes away on its own within 24 hours.
Prevention
There are some causes of nausea, however, that are not easily prevented. Whilst the cause of your nausea is being determined, you are able to minimize episodes of nausea by following some basic guidelines:
* Eat small meals every few hours so that your stomach will not feel full.
* Try to avoid bothersome odors, including perfume, smoke or certain cooking smells.
* If you have experienced nausea for weeks to months, think of keeping a food diary in order to help recognize foods causing nausea.
* Avoid eating anything that smells or seems to be spoiled or has not been refrigerated appropriately.
* If you are inclined to motion sickness, avoid reading anything in a moving vehicle. Moreover, try to sit in the part of the vehicle with the least movement (near the wings of an airplane or in the center of a boat). Ask your healthcare provider about taking anti-nausea medications before traveling.
* Avoid drinking alcohol.
If you take medications nausea medicines, including over-the-counter drugs, avoid drinking alcohol, which may make you feel more ill. Always read the label before taking anti-nausea medicines, due to the fact that some motion sickness drugs can lead to considerable drowsiness.
Treatment of Nausea
Treatment is not always necessary when you experience nausea. However, it can sometimes be helpful. There are a few things that you can do yourself to help. They include:
* Drink only beverages that settle the stomach, such as ginger ale or chamomile tea.
* Avoid caffeinated colas, drinking coffee and tea.
* Drink clear liquids in order to avoid dehydration (if nausea is connected with vomiting).
* Eat small meals frequently in order to allow the stomach to digest foods steadily.
* Eat foods that are bland and easy for your stomach to digest, such as crackers, unbuttered bread, rice, chicken soup and bananas.
* Avoid spicy foods and fried foods.
Some over-the-counter medicines can help to alleviate nausea. They include:
* Chewable or liquid antacids; bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol); or a solution of glucose, fructose and phosphoric acid (Emetrol). These medications help by coating the stomach lining and neutralizing stomach acid.
* Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or meclizine hydrochloride (Bonine, Dramamine II). These medicines are helpful for treating or preventing motion sickness and are believed to block receptors in the brain that activate vomiting.
If you are constantly feeling nauseated, there are several prescription drugs available to help alleviate nausea. The majority of anti-nausea medications bring about such side effects as drowsiness, for example. Pregnant women or those who think they might be pregnant, need to be assessed by a healthcare professional before taking any medication, including over-the-counter drugs.
When To Contact A Specialist
You ought to contact your healthcare professional if nausea persists for over three days. You should call your physician sooner if your nausea is connected with the following:
* Recent injury of head
* Relentless headache
* Strong abdominal pain
* Vomiting blood
* Extreme exhaustion
* High fever (over 101° Fahrenheit)
* Blurred vision or eye pain
* Confusion or stiff neck
