nausea

Synonyms

Nausea, nausea

English: nausea, sickness

definition

nausea (Nausea) is a mood disorder that generally appears as a queasy feeling in the Epigastric region referred to as.
The nausea is often a harbinger of Vomit, in the case of some diseases too Vomiting blood. But it can also occur without the person concerned vomiting. The so-called vomiting center is responsible for whether the stomach is emptied or not brain. It is activated directly by stimuli from the stomach.

Often times, the nausea occurs at the same time as other complaints such as a headache, dizziness, fever or Sweats on. Depending on the cause of the nausea, it can also be stomach pain or Gastrointestinal cramps come. The nausea usually goes away on its own. However, if it lasts longer than three days, the general condition is poor, it is accompanied by vomiting or even blood is vomited, a doctor should definitely be consulted to clarify the cause of the nausea.

Causes of nausea

For a nausea (Nausea) the causes can be very different. On the one hand, nausea can arise as a self-protective measure of the body when poisons (e.g. food poisoning), substances that damage the mucous membrane or pathogens penetrate the gastrointestinal tract. The nausea is intended to prevent further pollutants from being absorbed. This self-protection is also the cause of nausea after excessive alcohol consumption or overeating. Another cause of nausea is activation of the vomiting center in the brain. This can be caused, for example, by irritation of the balance organ in the inner ear (travel sickness), by certain hormones (pregnancy sickness) or by metabolic disorders (e.g. hyperfunction of the parathyroid gland).

Read more on the topic: Low Blood Pressure And Nausea - You Can Do That!

Very often, nausea also occurs as an accompanying symptom of an illness. These include, for example, acute abdominal diseases, food intolerance, infectious diseases, migraines, sunstroke, heart attacks, concussions, eating disorders and anxiety disorders. In addition, nausea can be caused by stomach irritants and drugs that activate the vomiting center as a side effect.
In many cases, nausea occurs as a result of general anesthesia (see Vomiting after anesthesia). Nausea is also common after radiation and chemotherapy. Accompanying symptoms of the bad feeling are often loss of appetite, headache, dizziness, fever and sweating. The combination of fever, cough, and nausea sometimes occurs with respiratory illnesses, flu, or swine flu. Headache with nausea can indicate meningitis.

If the cause of the nausea lies more in the gastrointestinal area, stomach cramps or abdominal pain are often associated with the nausea. Those affected also sometimes plague heartburn, belching, vomiting or bloating. Eye pain is also associated with nausea - this suggests a glaucoma attack. Chest pain, possibly stomach pain and nausea, can be typical of a heart attack.

Read more about this under Burning in the stomach.

If the queasy feeling occurs with back pain, u. a. think of abdominal artery or pancreatic disorders. If the malaise and jaundice occur at the same time, a biliary tract obstruction or liver disease may be present. Upper abdominal pain with nausea can include: E.g. an inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis) or an ulcer (Ulcer) Clues. Inflammatory processes in the abdomen, such as inflammation of the duodenum, can also lead to nausea.

Mostly severe nausea and a queasy feeling in the stomach heralds vomiting. The vomiting center is in the elongated spinal cord, the Medulla Oblongata. It is connected to the stomach and the balance organ in the inner ear via several nerves. With the dull feeling in the stomach and the urge to vomit, cold sweats and a feeling of dizziness often break out.
These symptoms occur because blood pressure drops. Those affected have a noticeably pale face, are tired and complain of headaches. If you then vomit, the abdominal and diaphragm muscles contract. Then the chyme is conveyed to the outside. Vomiting often occurs solely to protect the body: foods that are not digestible for the body are transported to the outside

Please also read our article on this Nausea

diagnosis

who with nausea (Nausea) goes to a doctor is first questioned in detail as part of the diagnosis. Are there any known diseases that can cause nausea? Are there any accompanying symptoms such as weight loss, fever, stomach pain, diarrhea or dizziness?
Have you ingested large amounts of medication, alcohol or drugs? Questions like these can give the doctor an initial clue as to what is causing the nausea.

The questioning is followed by a physical examination in which the abdomen is palpated to determine possible pressure pain or defensive tension. In addition, the intestinal and Breath sounds bugged. Sometimes an examination of the rectum (rectal exam) carried out. The basic diagnosis of nausea also includes a blood and urine test electrocardiogram (EKG) and a Ultrasound examination of the abdomen.
Depending on the suspected cause, the doctor can then carry out further examinations to confirm or rule them out. A Gastroscopy (Gastroscopy), X-ray examination of the chest and abdomen, Computed Tomography of the head or an examination of the fundus (Fundoscopy) be. Patients at particular risk of nausea include women, especially during the Menstruation, Obesity, Bloated stomach, children, adolescents from 11-14 years of age, patients with gastric emptying disorders, previous experiences with previous nausea and vomiting, smokers, travel sickness (Kinetosis) and nausea after previous operations or known intolerance to an anesthetic.

therapy

Since nausea can have many causes, it is difficult to give a general treatment strategy. However, there are some things that are generally true. If the nausea persists, for example after eating too much or consuming alcohol, food / alcohol should first be avoided until the symptoms have disappeared. However, if the nausea occurs because too little has been eaten, the person affected should eat something light. You should ensure that you drink enough, preferably still water and gentle herbal teas such as chamomile or peppermint tea.
Sometimes it can help to place a hot water bottle or a warm cherry stone pillow on your stomach or to massage your stomach gently. Optical stimuli such as television or computer games should be avoided in the presence of nausea.

Homeopathic remedies are also often used. “Nux vomica” is particularly popular for this. Medicines with the active ingredient pantoprazole are mainly used in medical institutions.
First and foremost, the cause of the nausea is combated. In the event of the effects of stress and migraines, one tries to alleviate the cause by calming down. Incorrect diet can also be adjusted as a cause of upset stomach.
In the treatment of nausea in general, patient cooperation and intensive engagement by the doctor is required in order to research the exact cause and to be able to help the patient more specifically.

Read more on the topic: Therapy of nausea

Nausea medication

There are several medications that are used to treat nausea. For example, scopolamine is recommended for travel sickness. This medication is to be put on the skin as a plaster (Scopoderm®). However, due to the form of application (plaster), it has a delayed effect and should ideally be applied before the nausea has set in, for example before starting a flight or boat trip. Then it works relatively reliably over several days. However, it is relatively expensive and requires a prescription.
For example, dimenhydrinate, better known as Vomex®, is available without a prescription. It works relatively quickly against nausea, not just travel-related nausea. It is available from pharmacies as a tablet, chewing gum and suppository.
Metoclopramide (MCP) is also an anti-emetic, i.e. a remedy for nausea. It is available in drop and tablet form, but only with a prescription.

Both metoclopramide and dimenhydrinate can generally be taken during pregnancy, but the attending gynecologist should always be consulted beforehand.

Read more on the topic: Anti-vomiting medication

Home remedies for nausea

Ginger is known as a home remedy for nausea and vomiting. To do this, part of a tuber should be peeled and cut into strips. Put the strips in a cup, pour hot but not boiling water over them and let them steep for a few minutes. Then drink in sips. Ginger is said to be able to trigger premature labor in pregnant women, so this variant should not be used during pregnancy.
In addition to the aforementioned renouncement of alcohol and nicotine, rest and fresh air usually provide some relief. In addition, only small, light meals should be consumed. Adequate fluid intake is always important and helpful.

Read more about this under: Home remedies for a flat stomach and Home remedies for vomiting

Travel sickness nausea

Signals or different or even contradicting information, especially the Balance system and the visual apparatus (the See concerning), lead to a conflict of sensory perception. The different sensory perceptions affect the posture in the room. The combination of this wide variety of information from different sensory organs seems impossible and therefore feelings of fear arise.
The body reports movement through the balance organ in the inner ear eyes however, report the opposite. However, eyesight is not an absolute condition for travel sickness (Kinetasio), because it is known that blind people can also get motion sick. The organ of equilibrium in the ear reports rocking on a ship at sea, while below deck the affected person has the impression that everything is calm.
A commonly prescribed medication for motion sickness is butylscopolamine.

Nausea with migraines

Migraine attacks are noticeable through strong, pounding and throbbing pain, which usually develop slowly 4–72 Stop hours (patient guideline a headache and migraine, University of Witten, 2005). The severe headache in migraine attacks is usually limited to one side of the head, and the pain is seldom found in the entire head area.
Symptoms accompanying migraines are often photophobia, nausea and Vomit. Overactivity, fatigue and Cravings often precede a migraine attack. Migraine attacks can be caused by certain circumstances such as lack of sleep, environmental influences, hormone fluctuations, stress, certain foods, noise, weather influences, fluctuations in the caffeine level - especially with regular caffeine consumption - hypoglycaemia (fluctuations in the blood sugar level) caused by skipped meals, etc.

Nausea in pregnancy

At the beginning of pregnancy, almost all women experience morning sickness, which is often accompanied by vomiting. The nausea mainly occurs within the first three months. The cause is, it is believed, a hormonal change within the first months of pregnancy. The nausea probably arises as a combination of hormone fluctuations, an irregular blood sugar level, dehydration, as well as stress, fatigue and other factors that are associated with the increased physical strain of pregnancy.
One bright spot for affected women is that the nausea is only temporary and regresses during pregnancy.

As with non-pregnant women, the following guidelines apply: You should always ensure that you drink enough fluids. It is better to eat several small meals than a few large ones. During the period with nausea, light food is recommended. Sufficient rest should be ensured. In acute cases, warm herbal teas such as chamomile or mint tea and fresh air often help. If all these measures do not lead to sufficient control of the nausea, the attending gynecologist should be consulted. This can decide whether the use of anti-emetics, i.e. medication against nausea, is possible and useful.
If the blood sugar level is the cause, it can help to eat something early in the morning. An all-round healthy diet during pregnancy can only have a positive effect on nausea. This also includes a sufficient supply of water and avoiding caffeine.

Read more on the topic: Nausea during pregnancy and vertigo during pregnancy

Headache and nausea

A typical clinical picture that describes headaches with nausea is migraine The migraine has no direct influence on the stomach, but the nausea is triggered by changes in the responsible centers of the brain.
Besides the migraines you can also Tension headache or Meningeal irritation such as Meningitis Cause nausea. The nausea can become so severe that vomiting occurs.
The a headache can also through the nausea conditionally as is the case with gastrointestinal infections. The headache occurs as a result of fluid loss due to excessive vomiting or diarrhea.
In case of nausea, medication such as Vomex, be helpful. In the case of nausea with headache, one should especially with an unknown background or sudden occurrence Doctor consulted to clarify the cause and have it treated.

Nausea after eating

If nausea occurs after eating, it is suspected that the food ingested is responsible for the nausea. This can have several causes. Probably almost everyone knows the feeling after eating too much. But eating too fatty or spicy food can also lead to nausea.
In the case of severe nausea shortly after eating, food poisoning can be the cause in rare cases, for example from spoiled food or mushrooms you have picked yourself.

Another cause of regular post-meal nausea may be the presence of a stomach ulcer. Abdominal pain in the area of ​​the upper abdomen usually occurs here as an accompanying symptom. Then a doctor should be consulted for further diagnostics, for example in the form of a gastroscopy.
In the vast majority of cases, however, there is an infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Bacteria, viruses or other pathogens that the person concerned can ingest through infected food or contact with other sick people can lead to gastrointestinal infections. These are often accompanied by fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Most of these diseases heal on their own, sometimes antibiotics speed up the healing process. The irritated gastrointestinal tract causes the body to want to get rid of the food it has just consumed as a protective reflex.
Food intolerance is also possible. A common example is lactose intolerance. Larger underlying diseases are less common. The nausea occurs as a result of reflux disease, a passage disruption in the stomach, a narrowing of the stomach outlet or digestive disorders related to bile and pancreas. These are urgently in need of therapy and usually do not heal by themselves.

Read more on the subject below Abdominal pain after eating

Nausea in the evening

Nausea in the evening does not indicate a specific illness. It is often a coincidence that the nausea occurs in the evening. During pregnancy, nausea is typical in the morning, but it can also occur in the evening. If nausea occurs repeatedly in the evening, this may be related to the food consumed during the day. Possibly too little was eaten. Alcoholic beverages can also cause nausea in the evening.

Read more about this under: Stomach pain in the evening

Nausea after drinking alcohol

It is not uncommon for nausea to occur after consuming alcohol. Either after consuming a small amount in someone who rarely consumes alcohol, or after consuming too much alcohol. Nausea is more common with alcohol consumption if the alcohol is drunk on an empty stomach. It is therefore advisable to eat enough before consuming alcohol and to keep the amount of consumption within limits. If nausea does occur, rest, sleep and sufficient drinking of non-alcoholic beverages such as still water or tea help.

Read more about this under: Nausea after drinking alcohol - what helps? and Vomiting from alcohol

Nausea and vomiting

Often nausea and vomiting go hand in hand, usually nausea is the harbinger of this. The combination often occurs as part of an upset stomach or a gastrointestinal infection. Often times, diarrhea also occurs. Even during pregnancy, nausea and vomiting often occur together. In rather rare cases, nausea and vomiting can also indicate the presence of a dangerous illness. For example, in the event of food poisoning, a doctor should be consulted promptly.
In the event of nausea and vomiting, food abstinence, warm teas, rest and fresh air help. If this is not sufficient, then, depending on the cause, drugs that work against nausea can also be used. If nausea and vomiting occur as part of medical treatment, for example chemotherapy, drug therapy is usually used to relieve the symptoms.

Read more about this under: Causes of vomiting and Vomiting and diarrhea

Nausea and diarrhea

The combination of nausea and diarrhea often occurs as part of a gastrointestinal infection. This often leads to vomiting. The symptoms usually set in relatively suddenly and usually last 1-3 days. There may be several people in the area who have already had similar complaints because the pathogens causing gastrointestinal infections are often contagious. At first there should be no food intake. It is important to ensure that you drink enough water, if you lose fluids due to vomiting and diarrhea, at least 3 liters a day, provided there is no heart or kidney disease. The liquid is best absorbed in the form of still water or warm herbal teas.
There should also be physical rest. Alcohol and nicotine should be avoided.

When the symptoms subside, a slow diet should be built up with food that is gentle on the stomach. If it is not possible to make up the fluid deficit by drinking, for example in children or the elderly, a doctor should be consulted. It may then be necessary to give fluids through the vein in the form of infusions.

Read more about this under: Gastrointestinal Virus - Causes and Treatment

Nausea after antibiotics

Many antibiotics cause nausea as a side effect. Even if a typical side effect can be assumed as the cause, the symptoms can be very painful. With some antibiotics, as well as other tablets, it helps to use a so-called swallowing aid. This is drawn over the tablet. This reduces the bitter taste of some antibiotics and makes swallowing easier.
If the nausea occurs anyway, you should first try to get this under control with home remedies. For example with warm teas that are gentle on the stomach or with ginger tea. Fresh air and rest as well as the application of heat, for example in the form of a hot water bottle, often help. If all of this is not enough, an anti-emetic, i.e. a remedy for nausea, can also be taken while the antibiotics are being taken. Dimenhydrinate (Vomex®), for example, can be used as an over-the-counter product. It is sold in tablet, chewing gum, and suppository forms.

Read more about this topic below: Side effects of antibiotics and Abdominal pain from antibiotics

Psychogenic nausea

Mental illnesses can also be associated with nausea - so at depressions and eating disorder. Psychogenic nausea is understood to be a mood disorder that occurs under emotional stress, e.g. B. in exam situations, occurs and often with Vomit connected is. Family members of those affected often report that they are also often in stressful situations nausea and Vomit tend. It is typical of this type of nausea and vomiting that it occurs immediately after a meal. According to the Swiss Medical Forum (“Nausea and Vomiting”, 2001), women are more often affected than men by such nausea and vomiting. A personality trait that can often be found in those affected is avoiding conflict and avoiding disharmony.