Why does nausea occur?
The vomiting center receives signals from various sources: from the stomach and intestines during irritation or stretching, from the vestibular apparatus during motion sickness, from the blood during toxins, medications and hormonal changes, as well as from the cerebral cortex during stress, unpleasant odors and sights. Therefore, to find the cause, it is important to consider when and under what circumstances symptoms appear.
- Acute: food poisoning, intestinal infection, alcohol, motion sickness
- Gastric: gastritis, ulcer, gastroparesis, functional dyspepsia
- Gallbladder and pancreas: colic, cholecystitis, pancreatitis
- Surgical: appendicitis, intestinal obstruction
- Hormonal: pregnancy, diabetic ketoacidosis, thyroid disease
- Neurological: migraine, concussion, increased intracranial pressure
- Medicines: antibiotics, painkillers, chemotherapy, iron supplements
Tips on the nature of vomiting
The doctor is interested in the time of vomiting, its connection with food, its contents and accompanying symptoms. These details allow you to quickly narrow your search.
- Morning sickness - pregnancy, alcohol the night before, kidney disease
- Vomiting 1–4 hours after eating food eaten a long time ago—impaired gastric emptying
- Vomiting with bile - reflux from the duodenum, repeated vomiting on an empty stomach
- Vomiting without relief due to headache - neurological causes
- Vomiting with loose stools and fever - intestinal infection
When you can cope at home
If vomiting occurred 1-2 times after an obvious error in nutrition, the person feels satisfactory, there is no severe pain, blood or fever, and can be observed at home. The main task is to prevent dehydration: drink in small sips, but often, it is better to drink special solutions for rehydration. Food is introduced gradually when vomiting has stopped.
- Drink 1-2 sips every 5-10 minutes
- Use rehydration solutions from a pharmacy
- Don't eat for several hours, then eat crackers, rice, banana
- Avoid fatty foods, coffee, alcohol, soda
- Do not take antiemetics in children without a doctor's prescription
Diagnostics
The examination depends on the duration and accompanying complaints. In case of acute vomiting with abdominal pain, the doctor examines the abdomen, prescribes tests and ultrasound, and, if necessary, consults a surgeon. For chronic nausea - gastroscopy, tests for H. pylori, blood biochemistry, ultrasound; If no organic cause is found, the possibility of functional impairment, drug side effects, and neurological causes is assessed.
- Complete blood count, electrolytes, glucose, creatinine
- Liver tests, amylase, lipase
- Pregnancy test for women
- Ultrasound of the abdominal organs
- Gastroscopy
- ECG in older people and for chest pain
Treatment
Treatment is aimed at the cause and at replenishing lost fluid. If dehydrated, intravenous fluids may be required. Antiemetic drugs are selected by the doctor taking into account age, pregnancy and cause: if intestinal obstruction or appendicitis is suspected, taking them without examination can hide a dangerous situation. For nausea in pregnant women, split meals, ginger and special medications approved during pregnancy help.
- Rehydration is the basis of treatment
- Antiemetics - as prescribed by a doctor
- Treatment of gastritis, ulcers, gallbladder diseases
- Correction of drug therapy
- Treatment of migraine and vestibular disorders