

It's easy to spot the symptoms of nausea: you experience that queasy sensation, or feel as if you might be sick. Sometimes it can often lead to you physically being sick or vomiting. It's certainly not a pleasant experience, but we've all been through it at some point.
Nausea and vomiting can be caused by a multitude of triggers that are explained below. You might think that vomiting is caused by what's happening in your stomach, but you'll be surprised to learn that it's actually your brain that controls whether you will actually be sick or not! What triggers vomiting will depend on where the brain is getting its information:
- the inner ear (eg: motion sickness, dizziness)
- another part of the brain (eg: head injury, migraine)
- digestive system (eg: stomach bug, stomach not processing food as it should, and even overindulging!)
- bloodstream (eg. too much alcohol)

In the table below, you'll find the most common causes of nausea and vomiting and the best way to treat them.
| Cause of nausea |
Treatment |
| Travel/motion |
This is particularly common in children and is caused by the difference between what your body's senses tell you is happening and what the eyes can actually see. The signals from the inner ear (where balance is controlled) tell your brain your body is moving but your eyes tell your brain you are still.
There are several types of drug you can buy over the counter for travel sickness. You should take a remedy before you start on your journey, as few remedies will work effectively once you already start to feel sick.
There are a few things you can do to help reduce the symptoms:
- try to avoid large meals before and during your journey
- fix your eye on the horizon if you are travelling by boat
- don’t read
- make sure you have plenty of fresh air
|
| Migraine |
Migraine headaches are often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
There are products available over the counter that contain analgesics to deal with the pain of migraine. These products may also help to ease the nausea feeling however it is advisable to obtain a prescription from your GP if you suffer regularly from nausea when you have a migraine.
|
| Pregnancy |
Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is often referred to as 'morning sickness' however it can occur at anytime during the day! It is usually experienced within the first 3 months of a pregnancy and is caused by the dramatic increase in hormone levels in early pregnancy combined with low blood sugar levels and tiredness.
Where possible, it's best to try and prevent nausea, such as only eating a little at a time. If you suffer particularly badly with 'morning sickness' and are considering using a medicine you should always seek the advice of your GP first.
|
| Stomach upset/infection |
If you have picked up a stomach bug, or been struck down by food poisoning or just simply overindulged, you should avoid any solid food and drink plenty of water to rehydrate while your vomiting lasts. Try and rest as much as possible, because the more you move, the worse your nausea will become.
Vomiting as a result of a stomach bug or food poisoning is usually short lived. If your vomiting persists for more than 24 hours you should see your doctor.
Often you can experience diarrhoea as well. Again remedies are available without a prescription for the treatment of diarrhoea. If your child has sickness and diarrhoea it is also advisable to take a rehydrating solution, as children can become dehydrated very quickly.
|
| Dysmotility (Queasy, heavy bloated stomach) |
Dysmotility occurs when your stomach's normal digestive action slows down or becomes unco-ordinated it finds it hard to digest food properly. If semi-digested food contents sit there for too long, then your stomach will try to get rid of them by starting to work 'in reverse'. This can lead to nauseous feelings and/or queasy heavy bloated stomach symptoms.
The best way to treat nausea linked to dysmotility is with a motility agent available over the counter from your pharmacist.
|
| Hangover |
This type of nausea simply results from the fact that too much alcohol, and the metabolic products of alcohol i.e. aldehydes, is in your system, and is usually accompanied by a headache. The simplest way to prevent hangover symptoms is to try and moderate the amount of alcohol you drink.
A quick way to feel better is to drink plenty of water and allow your body to rehydrate. In addition remedies are widely available to help with hangover symptoms.
|

| Cause of nausea |
Treatment |
- Concussion
- Brain infection (eg: meningitis)
- Intestinal blockage
- Appendicitis
- Chemically induced - a reaction to a chemical or drug in your bloodstream (eg: chemotherapy drugs)
|
Nausea and vomiting related to any of these conditions should be treated by your doctor or at an A&E department immediately. |
You should seek medical advice if:
- your symptoms persist for more than 24 hours (especially if you are pregnant)
- you become dehydrated - this is especially important in the case of children who become dehydrated very easily
- you also have severe abdominal pain as well as your nausea and/or vomiting
- your vomit contains blood or material that looks like small lumps of soil or coffee granules
- if your vomiting started as a result of a bang to the head
- if you suspect there is a more serious underlying condition causing the nausea (eg concussion, meningitis, appendicitis etc)