A-Z of Ailments: Nausea

When life is hard to stomach

What is it?
Most of us have experienced bouts of stomach-churning nausea at some point, and when it comes over you, it can feel there’s no escaping it. Nausea describes a symptom, the feeling of sickness, rather than an actual illness. It isn’t necessarily accompanied by vomiting – you just feel as though you’re about to. Whatever the cause, be it something you’ve eaten or an underlying condition, the sensation is triggered by the vomiting centre in the brain, which sends out nerve impulses that gives rise to the sensation of feeling sick.

What causes it?
There are numerous causes of nausea, but here Dr Graham Archard, spokesman for the Royal College of GPs, has come up with the most common ones:
•    Diet ‘Eating too rich a food, or too much of it, is the main reason for nausea,’ says Dr Archard. This goes for drinks, too.
•    Viral infections ‘Viral tummy upsets are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.’
•    Ear infections ‘Frequently people wake up feeling giddy and nauseated. What’s going on is that they probably have a viral infection of the balance mechanism of the inner ear.’
•    Motion sickness ‘What’s happening here is there’s a lack of co-ordination between vision and the inner body balance system. This can happen on anything from fairground rides to aeroplanes and boats, if your body feels like it’s moving out of time with the transport you’re travelling on.’
•    Morning sickness ‘There are obviously a lot of hormones surging around, but a popular theory is that a low blood sugar level causes nausea.’

Is it ever serious?
‘Everyone gets nausea from time to time,’ says Dr Archard. ‘If it becomes particularly severe, and you start vomiting and can’t keep water down over a period of six hours, then you should speak to a doctor. Children under two are more at risk of getting dehydrated. The six hour rule applies to them as well, but if parents are worried they should always contact their GP.’ So when are the times you should really seek urgent help?
‘If nausea is accompanied by vomiting blood, or passing blood in your urine, you must seek medical attention quickly,’ says Archard. You should also book in to see your doctor if your nausea lasts for more than a few days. ‘On very rare occasions, nausea can be a sign of a more serious disease, such as stomach or liver cancer,’ says Archard. ‘And nausea accompanied by an on-going difficulty in swallowing could indicate a tumour in the throat or gullet.’

What can you do?
‘I don’t believe in pill-popping for the sake of it,’ says Dr Archard. ‘Allowing nature to take its course is the best healer. With most infections, it’s a matter of sitting it out and feeling better after a few days. The important thing is to keep your fluid levels up, and to sip water.’
You can also try natural remedies and simple tricks to help. ‘If you suffer from motion sickness, find somewhere solid where you can lie down and shut your eyes,’ says Archard. ‘Another trick is to look out of the window at the horizon – this makes you feel more balanced and less sick. Many mothers-to-be have found that eating something before they even get out of bed in the morning, such as a biscuit, helps to raise their blood sugar level and alleviate nausea. Eating little and often is good. If it is also something, like a banana or oat biscuits, that contains both carbohydrates, for energy, and slow-burning fibre, to keep your blood sugar level steady, then all the better.’ Acupuncture has been found to be successful in treating patients suffering from nausea, particularly after operations, and you can take a similar approach yourself by using acupressure wrist bands. These exert constant, gentle pressure on an acupressure point on the inner wrist, which is believed to relieve nausea. Ginger, peppermint and chamomile can all help settle your stomach and ease nausea, says Archard. If you’re going on a car or boat journey, try taking a teaspoon of ginger, or drink ginger tea, 20 minutes before you set off to protect against motion sickness. Homeopathic remedies containing a mix of anti-nausea herbs, such as nux vomica, can also help to combat travel sickness. Finally, try putting a few drops of essential oil onto a tissue and inhaling – eucalyptus and pine are both great for clearing your head.

Words: Emma Hibbs