Why Do I Feel Nauseous? 12 Common Causes and How to Get Relief

Nausea often happens due to triggers like certain foods, medications, or health conditions such as pregnancy and migraines. While remedies like drinking chamomile tea can offer relief, ongoing or severe symptoms warrant talking to a healthcare professional.

1. Dietary Changes

Eating too quickly or consuming a large meal can cause nausea. Foods that are spicy, fatty, greasy, or acidic, such as tomatoes or oranges, can also trigger nausea.

Drinks can also lead to nausea. This includes carbonated beverages, alcoholic drinks, and caffeinated drinks like coffee or energy drinks.

2. Migraine

A migraine is a type of headache that can be disabling. It often causes throbbing head pain, nausea, and sensitivity to sound and light. Nausea can occur even before the head pain begins.

3. Hangover

Drinking alcohol can lead to hangover symptoms the following day, such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headache, dry mouth, and increased thirst. The amount of alcohol needed to cause these symptoms varies among people, and there is no definitive cure for hangovers.

4. Infections

Some illnesses can cause nausea, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, including:

5. Intense Physical Activity

Following intense workouts, some individuals experience nausea or vomiting, known as exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome (EIGS). Symptoms can range from mild to severe, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and gas.

6. Supplement or Medication Side Effect

Nausea is a common side effect of medications or supplements. It can occur when medications are taken on an empty stomach or as a side effect of the drug or supplement.

Some common medications that may cause nausea include:

7. Pregnancy

Nausea is a common sign of pregnancy. About 70% of pregnant people experience nausea. In the first trimester (weeks one to 12), nausea, with or without vomiting, is due to rapid hormonal changes. It usually improves by the 20th week. In rare cases, extreme nausea and vomiting may occur, known as hyperemesis gravidarum.

8. Hyperglycemia

Keeping a consistent blood sugar (glucose) level is important, especially for people with diabetes. When blood sugar climbs higher than 180 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), it may cause signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia (high levels of blood glucose). These include feeling weak, tired, or thirsty, blurred vision, urinating more frequently, dry mouth, and nausea and vomiting.

9. Inner Ear Conditions

The ear contains organs that affect a person’s balance and hearing. Conditions that affect the ear, such as Ménière’s disease, vestibular neuritis, and middle ear infections (otitis media), can lead to nausea and, potentially, vomiting.

10. Gastrointestinal Problems

Diseases and conditions affecting the gastrointestinal system can cause nausea for many reasons. However, nausea doesn’t always mean there’s a problem with the stomach—it could stem from problems in any part of the gut.

Conditions that may lead to nausea include:

11. Psychological Disorders

Some psychological conditions or states might lead to nausea, including the familiar feeling of nausea when feeling anxious or upset. Nausea in this case can result from changing levels of chemicals in the brain that control body functions and mood.

Some of the psychological conditions which may lead to nausea include:

12. Heart Attack

Nausea could be a warning sign of a heart attack or other problems with the cardiovascular system. A cardiac event is usually accompanied by other symptoms, most notably chest pain.

A heart attack (myocardial infarction) is a medical emergency and a reason to call 911 for an ambulance or to seek care at the emergency department right away.

These heart conditions may cause nausea:

• Cardiac disease
• Congestive heart failure
• Myocardial infarction

How to Get Rid of Nausea

Sometimes, what causes your nausea is clear, like after eating a big meal, but other times it’s not. When unclear, you may need to try different home remedies to find relief. 

Here are some ways to manage nausea at home:

• Avoid drinks with carbonation or caffeine, such as coffee or soda. 
• Stay away from fatty, greasy, spicy, and processed foods, and focus on plain, easily digestible meals.  
• Sip on ginger ale, chamomile tea, or other clear liquids. 
• Eat small meals throughout the day, chewing food well and eating slowly.
• Avoid lying down flat for several hours after eating.
• Take over-the-counter medications like antacids, bismuth (Pepto-Bismol), or drugs for motion sickness.

If these strategies don’t work, contact a healthcare provider for medication options.

One trick often used at hospitals and emergency departments to relieve nausea is smelling isopropyl alcohol. To do this, open an alcohol wipe and inhale the fumes. Holding the alcohol pad 1 to 2 centimeters below the nose and inhaling deeply seems to work best.

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

Nausea is troublesome and can be challenging to deal with. However, nausea isn’t usually an emergency and often goes away on its own with self-care or treating the cause, when known.

Call a healthcare provider or seek care right away if nausea becomes chronic (long-lasting) or is accompanied by other signs and symptoms, such as:

• Abdominal pain that’s severe
• Black or tarry stools
• Blood in the stool or vomit
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• High fever
• Signs of dehydration
• Vomiting that won’t stop