Extreme nausea: causes and warning signs

Nausea may occur with gastroenteritis, food poisoning, gastritis, acid reflux, gallstones, hepatitis A, heat exhaustion, or low blood sugar. Vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin, sweating, shakiness, thirst, or dizziness provide useful clues. The symptom by itself does not establish a diagnosis, and severe nausea without vomiting can still lead to dehydration if fluids become difficult to take.

Take frequent small sips of water or an oral rehydration drink and pause if drinking triggers vomiting. Try bland foods in small amounts when able, avoid alcohol and strong smells, and rest somewhere cool. Check your temperature and note urine output, pain, recent meals, new medicines, and possible heat exposure. Do not take anti-sickness medicine left over from someone else.

Seek urgent care for blood or coffee-ground vomit, severe or localised abdominal pain, a swollen abdomen, confusion, fainting, stiff neck, chest pain, or yellow skin. Prompt assessment is needed when you cannot keep fluids down, pass very little urine, feel increasingly weak, or have signs of heat exhaustion or low blood sugar. Children, older adults, and people with chronic illness can become unwell quickly.

Ask whether your symptoms fit an infection, reflux, gastritis, gallstones, heat illness, hepatitis A, or low blood sugar. Share when nausea began, what you can drink, vomiting or stool changes, abdominal pain location, fever, diabetes medicines, and recent travel or food exposure.