Nausea and Vomiting
Feeling sick to the stomach and throwing up
Quick Facts
- Type: Digestive (gastrointestinal) symptom
- Common causes: Stomach bugs, food, motion, migraine, pregnancy
- Self-care: Fluids, rest, bland foods, small sips
- Seek urgent care: Blood in vomit, severe pain, dehydration
Overview
Nausea is the unpleasant, queasy feeling that you might vomit, while vomiting is the forceful bringing up of the contents of the stomach through the mouth. The two often go together but can occur separately. Both are protective reflexes the body uses to expel something harmful, and they can be triggered by signals from the stomach, the inner ear, the brain, or the bloodstream.
Nausea and vomiting are extremely common and usually short-lived, often caused by a stomach bug, something you ate, motion sickness, or pregnancy. Most episodes settle within a day or two with rest and fluids. The main risk from vomiting is dehydration, especially in young children and older adults. Occasionally, nausea and vomiting signal a more serious problem, so certain warning signs should prompt medical care.
Common Causes
Nausea and vomiting have a wide range of causes. Common ones include:
- Stomach infections: viral or bacterial gastroenteritis, often with diarrhea.
- Food-related: food poisoning, overeating, or certain foods.
- Motion sickness and inner-ear problems such as vertigo.
- Pregnancy: especially in early pregnancy (morning sickness).
- Migraine and headaches: which often cause nausea.
- Medications and treatments: some drugs, and treatments such as chemotherapy.
- Other conditions: digestive problems such as gallstones or peptic ulcers, and serious causes like infections or blockages.
Associated Symptoms
Nausea and vomiting may come with other symptoms that suggest the cause:
- Diarrhea and stomach cramps with a stomach bug
- Abdominal pain or bloating
- Fever with infection
- Headache or dizziness
- Loss of appetite
- Signs of dehydration such as thirst, dark urine, and weakness
Vomiting blood, severe or constant abdominal pain, a severe headache, or signs of dehydration are warning signs that need prompt medical care.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
A clinician evaluates nausea and vomiting based on how long they have lasted and what comes with them. Evaluation may include:
- History: timing, possible triggers, recent meals, medications, and pregnancy status.
- Physical exam: checking the abdomen and looking for signs of dehydration.
- Blood and urine tests: for infection, dehydration, and other conditions; a pregnancy test when relevant.
- Imaging: ultrasound or other scans if a digestive or abdominal cause is suspected.
- Further tests: when symptoms are persistent, severe, or unexplained.
Treatment & Management
Most short-lived nausea and vomiting improve with self-care, with the main goal being to stay hydrated:
- Fluids: frequent small sips of water or oral rehydration solution to replace lost fluids.
- Rest and easing back into food: starting with bland, easy-to-digest foods once vomiting settles.
- Avoiding triggers: strong smells, fatty or spicy foods, and rapid movements.
- Anti-nausea medicines: when appropriate, including options suited to pregnancy or motion sickness.
- Treating the cause: managing infections, migraines, or digestive conditions.
- Medical fluids: intravenous fluids for significant dehydration that cannot be managed at home.
Self-Care & Prevention
Some nausea and vomiting can be prevented with simple precautions:
- Handle, cook, and store food safely, and wash your hands well to avoid food poisoning and stomach bugs.
- Eat smaller, lighter meals and avoid very fatty, greasy, or strong-smelling foods if you are prone to queasiness.
- For motion sickness, sit where movement is felt least, focus on the horizon, and consider preventive remedies for trips.
- Stay hydrated, especially during illness, hot weather, and exercise.
- In early pregnancy, eating small frequent snacks and plain foods can ease morning sickness.
- Take medications that upset your stomach with food if advised.
If a medication or treatment reliably causes nausea, ask your doctor about anti-nausea options or alternatives.
When to See a Doctor
See a doctor if vomiting lasts more than a day or two, keeps returning, or you cannot keep fluids down. Seek urgent or emergency care if nausea and vomiting come with:
- Vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds
- Severe or constant abdominal pain, or a rigid abdomen
- Signs of dehydration: little urine, dizziness, confusion, or sunken eyes
- A severe headache, stiff neck, or vomiting after a head injury
- In infants and young children: repeated vomiting with few wet diapers or unusual drowsiness
Vomiting blood, severe abdominal pain, or a vomiting child who is becoming dehydrated needs prompt medical care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes nausea and vomiting?
Common causes include stomach bugs, food poisoning, motion sickness, pregnancy, migraines, and certain medications. Less often, they signal a more serious problem such as a blockage or infection, which is why warning signs matter.
How can I stop vomiting at home?
Take frequent small sips of water or an oral rehydration solution, rest, and avoid strong smells and fatty foods. Once vomiting eases, start with bland foods. The most important goal is staying hydrated.
How do I prevent dehydration when vomiting?
Sip small amounts of fluid often rather than drinking a lot at once, and use oral rehydration solutions to replace salts. Watch for signs of dehydration like dark urine, dizziness, and reduced urination, and seek care if they appear.
When should I see a doctor for nausea and vomiting?
See a doctor if vomiting lasts more than a day or two, you cannot keep fluids down, or there is blood in the vomit, severe abdominal pain, a severe headache, or signs of dehydration. Vomiting in infants needs closer attention.
When is vomiting in a child an emergency?
Seek prompt care if a child has repeated vomiting with few wet diapers, no tears, sunken eyes, unusual drowsiness, or a stiff neck and fever. Young children can become dehydrated quickly, so these signs should not be ignored.
References
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Nausea and Vomiting.
- Mayo Clinic. Nausea and vomiting — Causes.
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Nausea and vomiting.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Norovirus and Gastroenteritis.