Nausea is the sensation of the urge to vomit. it can be a precursor of vomiting the contents of the stomach. It is often accompanied by vomiting and both are not diseases but symptoms of underlying conditions like infections, pregnancy, motion sickness, migraine, food poisoning, side effects of medications, etc.
It is often experienced by every individual some time or the other during traveling, reading a book, or eating. This is a common symptom, but if you are experiencing nausea more frequently for a prolonged duration, it can cause discomfort in the chest, abdomen, or throat.
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Difference Between Nausea and Vomiting
Most people often get confused between nausea and vomiting and think both are the same but nausea is feeling uneasy in the stomach and having an urge to vomit while vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the stomach contents through the mouth or sometimes nose.
What Causes Nausea?
It can result from a number of causes. some people are very sensitive to traveling, certain foods or some mediations. All these things can cause nausea.
Other common causes are:
- Motion sickness
- Morning sickness in pregnancy
- Indigestion
- Alcohol overdose
- Gallbladder disease
- Certain medications
- Particular smell or odor
- Food poisoning
- Lack of sleep
It can also be caused due to underlying diseases like gastritis, brain tumor, obstruction bowel, peptic ulcers, etc.
Read More: Stomach Gas Causes
Symptoms
It is difficult for any person to describe the feeling of nausea .it is uncomfortable but not painful.
Other common symptoms are:
- Weakness
- Sweating
- Felling an urge to vomit
- Building up more saliva in your mouth
Read More: Bloating Symptoms
Diagnosis
It can be caused due to a number of reasons, your doctor will ask for symptoms, medical history to rule out the cause of nausea .it may be due to your dietary habits and lifestyle habits.
Your doctor will perform physical examinations to know the cause of nausea. your doctor may recommend blood tests, abdominal examination, and other tests to check your recent symptoms.
Read More: Heartburn Diagnosis
Treatment
It doesn’t require any special treatment you need to change eating habits to prevent this.
- Eat smaller portions
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine
- drink plenty of fluids
- Avoid oily and spicy food
- Take ginger tea to help relieve nausea
Some over the counter medicines can also help to treat this:
- Anti-emetic drugs to prevent vomiting
- Anti-cholinergic and antihistamine s for people with motion sickness
- Antacids to neutralize the stomach acid
- Glucose or fructose solutions
Read More: Fever Treatment
Complications
If your nausea is leading to vomiting it causes dehydration. children are at higher risk of dehydration especially when vomiting happens with diarrohea as they are unable to tell their parents about it.
How to Prevent Nausea
There are some tips and home remedies to prevent nausea
- Drink enough water to prevent dehydration
- Don’t eat hot or cold food
- Rest after eating
- Remove oily, spicy, and heavy foods from your diet
- Limit your alcohol consumption
- Eat slowly and in smaller portions
- Avoid intense physical exercise after meals
- Avoid carbonated beverages
- Take ginger, peppermint, and cinnamon tea