Nausea and Vomiting

Summary

What are nausea and vomiting?

Nausea is when you feel sick to your stomach, as if you are going to throw up. Vomiting is when you throw up.

What causes nausea and vomiting?

Nausea and vomiting can be symptoms of many different conditions, including:

• Morning sickness during pregnancy
• Gastroenteritis (infection of your intestines) and other infections
• Migraines
• Motion sickness
• Food poisoning
• Medicines, including those for cancer chemotherapy
• GERD (reflux) and ulcers
• Intestinal obstruction

When do I need to see a health care provider for nausea and vomiting?

Nausea and vomiting are common. They are usually not serious. However, you should contact your health care provider immediately if you have:

• A reason to think that your vomiting is from poisoning
• Vomited for longer than 24 hours
• Blood in the vomit
• Severe abdominal pain
• Severe headache and stiff neck
• Signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth, infrequent urination or dark urine

How is the cause of nausea and vomiting diagnosed?

Your health care provider will take your medical history, ask about your symptoms and do a physical exam. The provider will look for signs of dehydration. You may have some tests, including blood and urine tests. Women may also have a pregnancy test.

What are the treatments for nausea and vomiting?

Treatments for nausea and vomiting depend on the cause. You may get treatment for the underlying problem. There are some medicines that can treatment nausea and vomiting. For severe cases of vomiting, you may need extra fluids through an IV (intravenous).

There are things that you can do to feel better:

• Get enough fluids, to avoid dehydration. If you are having trouble keeping liquids down, drink small amounts of clear liquids often.
• Eat bland foods; stay away from spicy, fatty, or salty foods
• Eat smaller meals more often
• Avoid strong smells, since they can sometimes trigger nausea and vomiting
• If you are pregnant and have morning sickness, eat crackers before you get out of bed in the morning

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Treatments and Therapies

• Antiemetic Medicines: OTC Relief for Nausea and Vomiting American Academy of Family Physicians
• Ginger National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Patient Handouts

• Bland diet Medical Encyclopedia
• Clear liquid diet Medical Encyclopedia
• Nausea and vomiting – adults Medical Encyclopedia
• When you have nausea and vomiting Medical Encyclopedia

Living With

• BRAT Diet: Recovering from an Upset Stomach American Academy of Family Physicians

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Nausea National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Vomiting National Institutes of Health

Specifics

• Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Vomiting Blood Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Genetics

• Cyclic vomiting syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine

Related Issues

• Dehydration Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Indigestion Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Children

• Dehydration (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Drinks to Prevent Dehydration When Your Child is Vomiting American Academy of Pediatrics
• Infant Vomiting American Academy of Pediatrics
• Nausea and Vomiting in Infants and Children American Academy of Family Physicians
• Vomiting (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Vomiting and Diarrhea American Academy of Family Physicians
• What’s Puke? (For Kids) Nemours Foundation

Women

• Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

• Nausea and Vomiting Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Diagnosis and Tests

• Nausea and Vomiting American Academy of Family Physicians
• Upper GI Endoscopy National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Journal Articles

• Nausea and Vomiting

Encyclopedia

• Vomiting blood Medical Encyclopedia