Nausea
Nausea is often a short-lived symptom of a wide range of conditions. At the London Liver Group, we diagnose the underlying cause of long-term nausea and offer an expert treatment plan personalised to you.
What is nausea?
Nausea is an unpleasant sensation where you feel the urge to vomit, though you may not necessarily do so.
Nausea is often a natural process where your body is trying to get rid of something foreign or harmful, such as a virus. Feeling nauseous is a common and usually short-term symptom that can go away on its own.
Nausea can be a symptom of common illnesses like food poisoning or acid reflux, or more serious conditions like appendicitis.
Causes
Nausea can be caused by many different things, including food poisoning, flu, and acid reflux.
Other causes of nausea include:
• Migraine
• Pregnancy
• Anxiety
• Medications, such as antibiotics
• Travel sickness
• Drinking too much alcohol
Feeling sick is usually a temporary symptom that should resolve within hours or days. Other symptoms that happen along with nausea can give you an indication of the cause.
Symptoms
Nausea is a symptom of many conditions. Having other symptoms at the same time as feeling nauseous will give you an idea of the cause of your sickness.
For example, if you have nausea along with a headache, you might have a migraine. Vomiting or throwing up is a common symptom that can happen during nausea. If you are unable to eat or drink for more than a day while feeling nauseous, speak to a doctor.
Some symptoms are a sign of a more serious illness, including:
• Chest pain
• A sudden and severe headache
• Severe pain in your stomach
If you get these symptoms while feeling nauseous, contact 999 immediately.
Diagnosis
To diagnose the cause of nausea, your doctor will ask you about other symptoms and examine you. If your nausea is not going away, your doctor may run some blood tests, take a urine sample and do a pregnancy test if appropriate.
For chronic nausea, your doctor may order some scans to investigate the cause such as an endoscopy. Our team at the London Liver Group can run a full set of diagnostic tests and scans to find the underlying cause of your nausea.
We offer a capsule endoscopy service, an improved method of endoscopy where you swallow a small pill that contains a camera to view your digestive tract. This is different to the traditional method of passing a thin tube through your mouth or back passage.
After diagnosis, your doctor may give you a prescription for treatment to ease the symptoms or treat the cause. You may also be able to buy these treatments over the counter at a pharmacy.
Treatments
Nausea treatment includes prescription medication to help stop you from feeling sick, these are called anti-emetics. Treating the cause of nausea will help relieve symptoms, for example, if you have a migraine, take anti-migraine medication or pain relief.
If you vomit persistently, you can end up dehydrated, so drink small sips of water or take oral rehydration sachets. Other measures that can help ease nausea include getting some fresh air, avoiding greasy food and wearing loose clothing.