FAQs About Nausea

April 14th, 2021 | Motion Sickness, Nausea

Nausea is the feeling of being sick to your stomach often accompanied by vomiting.

It often has many causes and can come and go, depending on the reason you have it. Here are some frequently asked questions about nausea, and ways to prevent it or lessen its effects when you can’t avoid it.

That queasy feeling in your stomach may have many causes. It may come and go, or come and stay awhile. Depending on the reason for it, it may only be a slight annoyance or something you have to endure for a time.

Common conditions that may cause nausea and vomiting include:

• Food allergies
• Food poisoning
• The “stomach flu”
• Gastroesophageal reflux or GERD)
• Medicines or chemotherapy/radiation treatment
• Migraine headaches
• Morning sickness during pregnancy
• Seasickness or motion sickness
• Severe pain from kidney stones

Is Nausea Exclusive for Pregnancy?

No, nausea can have many causes. It doesn’t only apply to pregnancy. It is common with chemo treatments, motion sickness, and the flu.

How Long Does Nausea Last?

Depending on the cause (pregnancy, chemo, or illness) it may last a few days or a few weeks. Nausea associated with illness usually lasts a few days. In pregnancy, it may last a few weeks (during the first trimester).

What Foods Help With Nausea?

Dry crackers, toast, biscuits, and tea with ginger or honey seem to help settle your stomach when you have nausea. Other things that also help are sucking on sour candies, lollipops, and peppermints.

Eating small meals (snacks) throughout the day seems to be easier on your stomach than trying to eat three regular meals.

How to Prevent Nausea?

Sometimes nausea cannot be avoided, as with morning sickness or the flu. But for times when you will be traveling or doing an activity that causes you to feel queasy, taking a few steps ahead of time may help prevent nausea such as eating a meal 30 minutes before taking a trip (letting your food settle) or avoiding foods that upset your stomach.

What Foods Commonly Trigger Nausea?

• Spicy food
• Fried foods
• Eggs
• Tuna
• Shellfish

What Other Things Help With Nausea (non-food)?

• Meditating
• Yoga
• Napping
• Taking a warm bath
• Reading or watching TV
• In the case of motion sickness, finding the horizon line can help

Anything that takes your mind off your upset stomach is a good thing. Curling up on the couch in your comfy clothes and binge-watching movies or shows on Netflix or Hulu may be just what you need to overcome a case of the quesies.

Follow these tips to lessen or prevent the effects of nausea during pregnancy, chemo treatments, when traveling, or when you’re sick with the flu. Take comfort in the thought that although it is unpleasant, it won’t last forever and you’ll be back to feeling right as rain soon.