Nausea and Vomiting

Nausea is the strong feeling that you want to expel something from your gastric system. It starts in the pit of your stomach—a woozy feeling that soon goes to your head. You then have a strong urge to vomit whatever is in your stomach. Vomiting is an involuntary action—a contraction of muscles in your abdomen that you can’t control. Nausea and vomiting are sometimes accompanied by headache, fever, heartburn, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Potential Causes of Nausea and Vomiting

There are a number of possible reasons why you may feel nauseous. Here are some of the most common causes:

• Food poisoning
• Pregnancy (“morning sickness” in the first trimester)
• A stomach “bug” or the flu
• Hangover from drinking alcohol
• Vertigo or motion sickness
• Consuming too much food at once (stomach too full)
• Gastrointestinal problems, including gastroenteritis, gastroparesis, or ingestion of something toxic

Relief from Nausea

Nausea often goes away on its own. The strong urge to vomit may come back again and again in a short period of time, but in many cases it will go away after expelling whatever is in the stomach that is causing the feeling of nausea. In other cases, you may have to seek treatment by a gastroenterologist to see if there is a more serious underlying condition. Your GI doctor may take X-rays or perform an endoscopy test to see if there is an issue in your digestive system that needs treatment.

If your nausea and vomiting becomes more frequent or is accompanied by other symptoms, see a gastroenterologist for an urgent appointment immediately. Call Daniel J. Alpert, M.D., PLLC in our Murray Hill office in New York, NY at (212) 599-7910 to schedule an appointment!