Understanding Nausea and Vomiting

A person holding their head

We’ve all experienced the phenomenon that people refer to as “throwing up”—first you feel light-headed, which is followed by bile rising up your throat, and then finally, you empty out whatever was inside your tummy . Throwing up, or puking, can be quite a distressing thing to go through.

Your doctor may refer to these experiences as nausea and vomiting. When you have nausea, you feel an uncomfortable sensation in your tummy that makes you want to throw up, but it doesn’t happen every time. Vomiting, on the other hand, is the actual act of throwing up involuntarily.

While feeling nauseous or throwing up aren’t disorders, sometimes experiencing them means you may have an underlying health problem. Most illnesses that cause vomiting aren’t serious, but you should still check with a healthcare provider just to be sure. Do this especially if:

· You see blood in the vomit.

· You’ve been vomiting for more than a day.

· You have severe abdominal pain.

· You feel dehydrated.

People More Likely to Experience Nausea

Although most people will experience nausea every once in a while, certain individuals are likely to suffer from it more often. This will be true for you if you are:

· Currently pregnant.

· Currently undergoing cancer treatment like chemo or radiotherapy.

Why Do People Throw Up?

Age may factor into what triggers vomiting for different people, but people commonly end up throwing up if they have certain illnesses like food poisoning, motion sickness, a viral infection, or GERD.

If you’re an adult, having a high fever, experiencing motion sickness while on the road, or developing food poisoning are things that can make you throw up. On the other hand, children may throw up because of similar reasons, and also if they’ve overeaten or have blockage in their intestines.

A risky consequence of nausea is becoming severely dehydrated. Adults may have an easier time detecting symptoms of dehydration like chapped lips, or a dry mouth and tongue, but children aren’t so good at it. If you have a child who is suffering from nausea, be sure to give them plenty of electrolytes.

A child drinking a glass of water

What Can You Do to Treat Nausea and Vomiting?

If you’re suffering from nausea and vomiting, try:

· Getting enough fluids like water and juice to keep yourself from becoming dehydrated.

· Steer clear of spicy food that may be high in salt, spices, and fat.

· Stick to eating smaller and simpler meals.

· Avoid strong smells and scents which may trigger your nausea or further worsen it.

What If None of That Works?

If no home remedy works for you and your nausea persists, try reaching out to us at FastDoctorNow. We offer virtual medical consultation for a variety of health concerns. More of our services include in-home lab testing, online imaging, and online prescription services. We’ll help you get to the bottom of why you’re suffering from nausea and effectively help treat it. Contact us now!

 

 

 

 

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