13 causes of nausea and vomiting you should know about

13 causes of nausea and vomiting you should know about

Nausea is the feeling of sickness in the stomach characterized by an urge to vomit and it may be accompanied by other symptoms such as flushing, excessive salivation, sweating and rapid heartbeat. Vomiting on the other hand is the ejecting of the contents of the stomach via the mouth in response to contractions of the abdominal muscles. Nausea and vomiting help protect the body by preventing the absorption of toxins in the food canal.

Nausea and vomiting are often considered minor and acceptable complications. Acute symptoms generally occur as a side effect of medication, or infection, or inflammation. Most infections go away by themselves and need minimal intervention. Stopping / changing the medication can resolve the issue of medication causing nausea. But chronic nausea and vomiting can often be debilitating and occur in response to a variety of conditions – gastrointestinal problems, central nervous system or neurologic problems, metabolic abnormalities, and endocrinologic cause. 

Cause # 1: Stress, fear and anxiety

Symptoms: Stress, fear, and anxiety can cause the body to function abnormally resulting in a number of stomach and intestinal distresses including nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and even Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Stress and fear cause extra adrenaline to be released in the body causing an imbalance in your digestive system.

What you can do about it: Nausea due to a fearful situation is temporary and you don't have much to do about it as it goes away once the situation is resolved. Try to relax. Stress and anxiety, on the other hand, are more chronic and you need to address the underlying causes of the same to get rid of the symptoms. It is better to get professional help for your stress and anxiety. Your doctor may prescribe some antibiotics to ease nausea and vomiting. 

Cause # 2: Overeating and eating disorders

Why: Overeating causes nausea because your digestive system fails to process the food properly. It is very common in people who have a weak digestive system or those who have had surgery that reduces the functional capacity of the digestive system. 

What you can do about it: Starchy but not greasy food normalizes the rhythm of gastric contractions and helps lower nausea. If overeating is the cause, try aromatherapy with essential oils of lemon, mandarin, (any citrus scent for that matter), lavender, or mint. Try chewing on peppermint to relieve nausea.

Cause # 3: Food poisoning

Symptoms: Food poisoning occurs when the food you eat is infected by bacteria. Examples of such are Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, Listeria, etc. Common symptoms of food poisoning are fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, uneasiness, nausea and vomiting.

What you can do about it: Since food poisoning causes severe dehydration, it is very important that you keep yourself well hydrated with fluids and electrolytes. Avoid fatty foods, dairy products, caffeine, and alcohol. Consult a doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor may give you antibiotics to control food poisoning. Get plenty of rest.

Cause # 4: Hangover

Symptoms: If you have consumed too much alcohol you may get a hangover and experience a headache along with nausea.

What you can do about it: Simple. Drink within limits. But if you do feel nausea, try washing your stomach by adding to 1 tablespoon of soda per litre of water at room temperature. Drink 1 to 2 litres of that water and induce vomiting.

Cause # 5: Food allergy or food intolerance

Why: Nausea and vomiting can directly be triggered by food, especially in people suffering from food allergy or food intolerances. Sometimes, food is not the primary cause but a change in diet or dietetic manipulations may cause nausea and vomiting.

What you can do about it: This can normally be corrected by proper management of diet and excluding the foods that cause allergy.

Cause # 6: Pregnancy

Why: The most common endocrinologic cause of nausea is pregnancy. Also known as morning sickness, it is very common in early pregnancy. Nausea and, sometimes, vomiting usually begin before most women are 9 weeks pregnant and clear up between 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. It can occur at any time of the day or night and some women feel nauseated all day long. Although the cause of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy is not known, there is strong evidence that estrogens have something to do with it. Many studies have shown that severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy is linked to the hormonal changes in pregnancy. Lack of vitamin B6 can also cause nausea in pregnant women.

What you can do about it:

Avoid foods and smells that trigger your nausea.Eat small portions frequently throughout the day so that your stomach is never empty.Consume fluids such especially cold beverages in between the meals.

Cause # 7: Medication

Why: Pain medicines, such as opioids like codeine, hydrocodone, morphine, or oxycodone, can cause nausea or vomiting. OTC medicines such as iron or potassium products, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, and even aspirin can cause nausea by irritating your stomach or slowing down intestinal movement and causing bloating.

What you can do about it: Know that nausea caused by medications is not allergic reaction. Normally, nausea goes off within a week or so. But you can prevent nausea by taking your medicine with a meal or small amount of food. You can also take your medicine with 1 to 2 tablespoons of antacid to help coat your stomach.

Cause # 9: Migraine 

Why: Any condition that increases pressure inside the skull thus affecting the cerebro-spinal fluid can result in nausea and vomiting.  Migraine is a painful headache preceded by intense throbbing or a pulsing sensation in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. A migraine headache causes the artery located at the base of the skull (temporal artery) to enlarge thereby releasing chemicals responsible for inflammation. Again, during the headache the autonomous nervous system too responds with feelings of nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

What you can do about it: Get fresh air by going out or opening the window and take deep breaths. Loosen your clothes. This might help with nausea. Stay hydrated but don't drink too much water at once. Ask your doctor for anti-nausea medicines. (Read: )

Cause # 10: Viral gastroenteritis

Symptoms: Commonly known as stomach flu, viral gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection marked by watery diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, nausea or vomiting, and sometimes fever. Recovery is usually without complications except in cases of infants, older adults and people with compromised immune systems where the condition can prove deadly.

What you can do about it: Take care not to get dehydrated. Drink lots of fluids to replace fluids and electrolytes lost through vomiting and diarrhoea.  Avoid eating fatty and sugary foods because they could make your symptoms worse. (Read: )

Cause # 11: Inflammation of gall bladder (gall stones) and pancreas  

Symptoms: Nausea and vomiting can occur as a result of inflammation of these organs. There is also pain in the upper abdomen in case of pancreatitis and pain in the upper right abdomen in case of gall stones that is severe and constant and it may last for days. People with diabetes are at particular risk for serious complications. Incidentally, one of the main symptoms of appendicitis is also nausea and vomiting.

What you can do about it: There is not much you can do about it. Seek medical attention.

Cause # 12: Gastroparesis

Why: This is a condition in which the stomach muscles don't function properly because of the related nerve damage and so it prevents the stomach from emptying properly. Disorders such as dyspepsia, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may also cause nausea and vomiting, but these are rarely the primary symptoms.

What you can do about it: There is no cure for gastroparesis but anti-emetic medications such as prochlorperazine, diphenhydramine and lorazepam may help relieve nausea symptoms.

Cause # 13: Chemotherapy and cancer

Symptoms: Most often used to treat cancer, chemotherapy has the side effect of nausea and in many cases, vomiting. However, it depends on the drugs used and whether radiation is also used for treatment. Risk factors are being of female gender, age (50 years or more), alcoholism, high level of anxiety, and whether one is prone to vomiting when sick.

Certain cancers such as liver cancer and malignant brain tumors in themselves can cause nausea and vomiting although these symptoms are not evident in the early stages of cancer. Losing weight without trying, loss of appetite abdominal swelling are other symptoms that are associated with liver cancer. Nausea or vomiting that is most severe in the morning, gradual loss of movement or sensation in an arm or leg, unsteadiness or imbalance, confusion and disorientation, and memory loss are some of the symptoms of brain tumor. (Read: )

What you can do about it: Nausea and vomiting can be controlled with preventive medication. Your doctor will prescribe medication for nausea and vomiting.

This list is by no means exhaustive, as there are many other causes of nausea and vomiting, for example, vertigo, motion sickness, appendicitis and other conditions. The most sinister of them is when even the physicians cannot determine the cause of your nausea and vomiting. For example, few years ago in USA, a 30-year old woman in the USA had repeated nausea and non-projectile (not forceful, more like a spit) vomiting and a diffuse abdominal pain for 3 weeks. Her physical examination showed bilateral end-gaze nystagmus (fast, uncontrollable movements of the eyes). Other than that, there were no abnormalities. This goes to show that sometimes, even physicians find it hard to determine the cause of nausea and vomiting. It is, therefore, important not to ignore nausea and to consult a physician in case of severe or intermittent nausea and vomiting.