Nausea

What is Nausea?

 Nausea is the term or description used to describe the sensation that people feel when they think they might be sick. This sensation can range from a very mild sensation to an extremely severe turning of the stomach. Nausea is not often associated with pain and most of the time, the sensation passes on it’s own. It is seldom to have vomited or even gagged without having experienced the sensation of nausea.  Feeling nauseous does not always lead to throwing up. Nausea is usually accompanied with skin turning pale, clammy skin, churning of the stomach and excess saliva production.

 Nausea is not often experienced as a symptom on it’s own, it is usually a symptom of an underlying problem or condition such as diarrhoea, pain, fever, headache or feeling faint. Nausea is one of many symptoms that can be used to diagnose someone with an underlying condition or give a differential diagnosis.

What causes Nausea?

Nausea can be caused by many different factors, and to find out why you are feeling nauseous other symptoms must be looked at that are affecting you. Gastroenteritis is very common and can cause nausea, diarrhoea, stomach pain and cramping and vomiting.

Other causes of nausea can are linked to but not exclusive to migraines (headaches and vision problems), head injuries and dizziness. Dizziness with nausea can be linked to vertigo or inner ear issues, which would require further investigation by specialists.

Some common acute causes of nausea are excessive alcohol or drug consumption, side effects of some medicines, morning sickness associated with pregnancy

How Can I Treat Nausea?

Nausea, in most instances does not require treatment and is self-limiting, meaning you do not need to take any medication or do anything to get rid of the feeling, it usually goes away on its own or if you do vomit, it tends to pass as well. If the sensation seems to persist for longer periods of times then there are anti-nausea medicines that can be purchased or prescribed from Cloud Pharmacy UK.

Treatment for nausea depends on the reason linked to the feeling of nausea, meaning if the nausea is caused by a migraine, then it would make sense to treat the migraine to get rid of the sensation of nausea, or if the nausea is associated with side-effects of medication then the medication may need to be stopped or changed; it is better to treat the root cause rather than the nausea itself.

In terms of things that can be done at home, drinking clear or ice cold drinks can help; some carbonated drinks such as Sprite or Canada Dry can settle the stomach; eat light and bland foods (saltines, crackers or plain bread); avoid fried or greasy foods; eat slowly, with smaller portion size; avoid activity after eating and identify foods that you find harder to digest and try to avoid them or eat them less frequently. It is also good to note that peppermint and ginger containing tea/foods can help settle the stomach and wear comfortable loose clothing as tighter clothing can make you feel very unwell.