When should you see a doctor about nausea?

Nausea is an unsettled feeling in the stomach that may occur with or without vomiting. It can follow an infection, motion, migraine, reflux, a medicine, dehydration, or a change in blood glucose. Nausea itself does not identify one cause. A clinician considers its timing, triggers, associated symptoms, medicines, pregnancy possibility, and health conditions.

Take small, frequent sips of water or an oral rehydration drink. Choose plain foods when able, avoid heavy or greasy meals, and rest away from strong smells. Record when nausea starts, what you ate or took beforehand, and whether you vomit or pass urine normally. Do not stop prescribed medicines without advice.

Seek urgent medical help if you cannot keep fluids down, have severe or worsening abdominal pain, vomit blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, develop confusion, fainting, severe headache, chest pain, or signs of dehydration such as very little urine. Arrange a medical appointment for persistent, recurrent, unexplained, or pregnancy-related nausea.

Ask what causes are being considered, whether any medicine could be contributing, how to replace fluids, and which changes should prompt urgent review. Mention diabetes, recent travel, migraine symptoms, abdominal pain, and possible pregnancy.