Blog Post

Your digestive system is the primary way you get nutrients you need to live, and it helps your body perform basic functions like cell repair, growth, and getting and storing energy.

When you start dealing with conditions affecting this system, nausea is a common symptom, although it can come from issues not even directly related to the digestive process. 

As a symptom, nausea often goes away on its own, but if you’re dealing with persistent issues, you need to know what to do next. In Houston and Spring, Texas, you can find help for persistent nausea or other medical issues at Houston Medical ER.

Here, we explain how to manage nausea by examining basic facts about it, what often causes it, and how to cope if it doesn’t go away.

Facts about nausea

More of a symptom than a condition in and of itself, nausea is commonly described as uneasiness in the stomach, queasiness, or a feeling of being sick to your stomach. It’s often associated with vomiting or the urge to vomit if the nausea gets worse or keeps coming back. 

It can also be associated with other symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or problems with swallowing, depending on the conditions causing the nausea.

Common causes of nausea

Treatment for nausea that doesn’t go away depends on what is making you feel this queasiness. A wide range of conditions can cause nausea, including:

Gastrointestinal problems

Nausea can be a symptom of problems in your digestive tract, such as:

• Heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Intestinal blockages
• Food poisoning from bacteria or viruses
• Food allergies
• Spicy or high fat foods

Medications and treatments

Some drugs can make you feel nauseous, like those used in chemotherapy, some antibiotics, aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), blood pressure medications, and calcium channel blockers.

Nondigestive illnesses

Some unrelated conditions can cause queasiness in the stomach, such as pancreatitis, gallbladder stones, kidney stones, ear infections, motion sickness, heart attack, migraine, meningitis, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Treatment options

There are several ways to manage nausea:

• Home remedies such as ginger, peppermint tea, small sips of water, and small meals
• Treating the underlying condition
• Preventive measures such as washing your hands and your foods thoroughly 
• Avoiding food preparation when you’re ill
• Switching medications if they’re the cause of your nausea

Avoiding the things that make you feel nauseous, and getting medical attention when the nausea doesn’t go away are key ways to address persistent nausea, and if you’re experiencing this symptom, contact us at Houston Medical ER to get checked out today.