Dizziness, nausea and nausea - they can be caused not only by gastro-intestinal ailments, such as indigestion or poisoning. Nausea can also indicate central nervous system disorders and even has a heart attack. Nausea can also be a side effect of certain medications. Find out what's causing you nausea.
What is nausea?
Nauseais an unpleasant feeling of wanting to throw up and is often accompanied by symptoms such as pale skin that is covered with sweat, a rapid heartbeat, and drooling.
Nauseais the result of afferent stimulation (associated with increased parasympathetic tone, transmitted to the spinal vomiting center).Nauseavery often (but not always) before vomiting.
Nausea - Causes
Nauseacan also be a symptom of overeating. This is when the feeling of heaviness and lethargy appear most often. More serious symptoms may also occur, such as heartburn,nausea , belching, and gas.
Diseases of the digestive system and nausea
- food poisoning - abdominal pain (usually very severe), flatulence and diarrhea, as well as headache,nauseaand vomiting;
- gastrointestinal infection -nausea , the predominant symptom is acute diarrhea;
- " sharp abdomen", e.g. due to appendicitis, cholecystitis or pancreatitis) - severe abdominal pain that makes the patient lie down with shrunken legs, abdominal muscles tense when touched, gas and stool retention;
- gastric and duodenal ulcers -nauseaappears on an empty stomach and disappears after eating. In this case,nauseais also provoked by spicy spices, pickles and cigarettes;
- obstruction of the small and / or large intestine - abdominal pain;
What else causes nausea?
Diseases of the cardiovascular system
- coronary heart disease - in addition tonausea(and often vomiting) there is chest pain, a feeling of shortness of breath,dizziness and nausea ;
- heart attack -nauseacan signal a heart attack. However, then the dominant symptom is abdominal pain located high (in the epigastrium). The cause ofnauseaisirritation of the diaphragm during a heart attack (the lower part of the heart rests on the diaphragm - the muscle that separates the chest from the abdominal cavity);
- stroke - exceptnauseaaccompanying dizziness and headaches with a spinning sensation, paresis or hemiparesis, hemiplegia, speech and visual field disorders;
CNS diseases and nausea
- head injury without fracture of the skull;
- intracranial haemorrhage - sudden onset headache, disturbed consciousness, often meningeal symptoms;
- CNS infections - gradually increasing headache, often meningeal symptoms, disturbed consciousness;
- labyrinthitis -dizziness , nystagmus, worsening of symptoms during movements, sometimes tinnitus;
- migraine - headaches, sometimes with a preceding or accompanying aura, photophobia;
- motion sickness;
- psychogenic disorders - vomiting occurs in stressful situations or after eating food that may cause disgust;
Endocrine and metabolic diseases and nausea
- uremia - is a group of symptoms that appear in the course of acute or chronic renal failure. These arenausea , vomiting, weakness, convulsions, and coma during the transition period;
- diabetic ketoacidosis - polyuria, excessive thirst, often symptoms of severe dehydration;
- diseases of the thyroid and parathyroid glands ;
- Addison's disease (primary adrenal insufficiency) - weakness and fatigue, anorexia, abdominal pain,nausea , vomiting, diarrhea, excessive s alt appetite;
Pregnancy also causes nausea, dizziness and nausea
Nauseais a common condition during pregnancy. The so-called morning sicknessnauseausually starts early in pregnancy, lasts or recurs several days a week, and resolves spontaneously after 12-14. week of pregnancy. The cause ofnauseain pregnancy is most likely the hormonal changes in the mother's body.
Can drugs make you sick?
Nauseamay arise during cancer treatment and be a complication after radiotherapy, chemotherapy or opioid treatment.Nauseamay also occur after administration of NSAIDs, psychotropic drugs, iron-containing preparations and antibiotics.
Nausea after surgery
Nauseaand postoperative vomiting (PONV) are a common complication of the postoperative period. It is estimated that they occur in about 25 percent. operated within 24 hours of surgery. The frequency of occurrencePONV is greater in children than in adults. In addition, they appear more often after procedures that lasted more than an hour, as well as after general anesthesia.
About the authorMonika Majewska A journalist specializing in he alth issues, especially in the areas of medicine, he alth protection and he althy eating. Author of news, guides, interviews with experts and reports. Participant of the largest Polish National Medical Conference "Polish woman in Europe", organized by the "Journalists for He alth" Association, as well as specialist workshops and seminars for journalists organized by the Association.More articles by this author