Nausea

What Is Nausea? What Are Its Symptoms and What Should You Watch For?

Nausea is a discomfort felt in the upper part of the stomach that often occurs secondary to causes such as digestive disorders, food or drug poisoning, excessive alcohol or nicotine consumption, migraine, gastritis or ulcers, food intolerance, stress or anxiety, pregnancy, car sickness (motion sickness) or medication use (chemotherapy, etc.).
Symptoms associated with nausea include dizziness, vomiting, fainting, dry mouth, diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain and decreased urination.

Nausea is also a common side effect of many medical treatments, but you don’t have to put up with it. There are things you can do to manage your nausea, including medication and alternative medicine; medicines prescribed by your doctor can also relieve your nausea.

What Helps With Nausea?

So what should we pay attention to when we feel nauseous?

• You can eat dry foods when you wake up and every few hours during the day. This is because nausea is usually felt more intensely when the stomach is empty. Crackers, toast and roasted chickpeas are examples of dry foods.
• Drinking fluids on an empty stomach can, on the contrary, contribute to the feeling of nausea. Take care to sip drinks slowly during meals or to drink them 30 to 60 minutes after eating solid food.
• If the smell of food bothers you, avoid foods with unpleasant or strong odors. As a solution, you can eat in a room other than the kitchen.
• Avoid fatty, fried or spicy foods. Because these foods take longer to digest, they can cause bloating and nausea.
• Eat small, frequent meals to avoid overfilling your stomach as well as leaving it empty for long periods.
• During busy days, when you won’t have a chance to eat, choose protein sources for your meals to prolong the feeling of fullness.
• Fresh ginger sometimes helps reduce nausea. However, if you are taking anticoagulant (blood-thinning) medication, you should not consume fresh ginger.

Alternative Treatments for Nausea

There are also some complementary or alternative medicine treatments you can try for nausea. Most alternative medicine treatments have no side effects. They can help you feel more comfortable and in control. Although most of these options are safe, talk to your healthcare provider before starting any treatment. Some treatments that may help with nausea include:

Although most of these options are safe, talk to your healthcare provider before starting any treatment.

• Relaxation techniques such as meditation and breathing exercises
• Hypnosis
• Biofeedback monitoring devices that help you gain control over physical responses
• Acupuncture or acupressure
• Systematic desensitization, which uses imagination to help you manage events that trigger anxiety, such as nausea

Prescription Medicines for Nausea

If other measures don’t work, your doctor may prescribe a medicine to help with your nausea. Different types of medicines work for different types of nausea. If you have questions about specific medicines, ask your doctor. Some types of anti-nausea medicines include:

• Serotonin (5-HT3) antagonists, which block the effects of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that can cause nausea
• NK-1 receptor antagonists, which block the vomiting reflex
• Dopamine antagonists, which work to block substances in your brain that trigger nausea and vomiting
• Benzodiazepines, anti-anxiety medicines that can help you feel calmer and more relaxed

We strongly recommend that you consult healthcare professionals to address any symptom that affects your health; for your health, it is important to avoid taking medicines that your doctor would not allow you to use.