Nausea is a physiologically and psychologically complex condition accompanied by a feeling of discomfort, stomach cramps, tendency to vomit, disgust, sweating, possibly dizziness and difficulty breathing.
The reasons for these phenomena can be: food overload, inadequate mixing of food and drink, food or alcohol poisoning, diseases of the digestive tract, diseases of the liver and gall bladder, pancreatitis, uremia, diseases of the vestibular apparatus (seasickness), poisoning by other means, hypoxia of the brain, headaches, brain hemorrhages, psychogenic causes, pregnancy.
Nausea can also be caused by psychological reasons when it represents an escape from the situation. Nausea and vomiting are side effects of numerous drugs, but they can be a big problem with: cytostatics, anesthetics, opioid analgesics...
Among the causes of nausea, there are the following six things:
Stress
Stress causes a series of physical changes in our body. Including our intestines, which are very sensitive to negative emotions - explained Randy Wexler, an internist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Our intestines are surrounded by nerves that work to expand and contract them. When we are under stress, our brain sends signals to those nerves that create additional nerve contraction. For that to happen, even a little nervousness is enough.
It is enough to take a short break during which you need to take a few deep breaths and the nausea can decrease. Another tip is to drink a cup of ginger tea because its spicy root has properties that are thought to be good for nausea, advises Kristine Arthur, an internist at California's Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center.
Feeling hungry
When you go a few hours without eating anything, your blood sugar can sometimes be too low, especially if the last thing you ate was carbohydrates like pastries or cookies. This can cause dizziness and nausea, explained Dr. Kristine Arthur.
You can prevent or fix this by eating or drinking something rich in carbohydrates, such as fruit juice, a piece of bread, or a piece of fresh or dried fruit. In that case, candy will also come in handy, if you don't have anything healthier. By adding sugar to your body, you will bring your blood sugar back to normal and you will feel better. An additional tip is to avoid foods rich in fat and protein because they will not raise blood sugar levels and can slow down the absorption of carbohydrates.
Lack of water
An upset stomach can mean that your body needs water. The cells in our body need water to make proteins for the stomach to function properly. When the cells feel that they are not getting enough water, they stop doing their job and then the feeling of nausea appears. Dr. Kristine Arthur says that in some people even mild dehydration is enough for stomach problems.
Plain water will be the solution to this problem. But if you have signs of serious dehydration such as dizziness, fatigue or confusion, it would be a good idea to seek medical advice.
Medicines and food supplements
Sometimes medicines like paracetamol or ibuprofen on an empty stomach can cause nausea. Without previously eaten food that would act as a buffer in the stomach, the components of some tablets can be irritating to the stomach lining, and the same is true when taking vitamins C, E and iron.
It will be enough to calm the nausea if you eat only a piece of bread or a few crackers. In the future, an hour or two before taking medicine and vitamins, eat something to coat your stomach. It's much harder to settle your stomach after you've taken the pills.
Severe headaches can lead to nausea
Severe headaches, such as migraines, can cause dizziness and blurred vision, as well as feelings of nausea.
If you sense a migraine coming on, taking over-the-counter medications can help, Dr. Arthur says. Just don't forget to eat something and drink water because dehydration can only make headaches and nausea worse.
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