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What should I do if I feel sick?

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 28.11.2021
 
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What to do if it makes you sick, a question that many ask themselves, because as a symptom, nausea is not specific, it can testify to hundreds of diseases and many other causes not related to illnesses. Severity in the epigastric region is unpleasant not because of painful sensations, but rather by its consequences in the form of vomiting.

What to do if it makes you sick, a question that many ask themselves, because as a symptom, nausea is not specific, it can testify to hundreds of diseases and many other causes not related to illnesses. Severity in the epigastric region is unpleasant not because of painful sensations, but rather by its consequences in the form of vomiting.

What is nausea, vomiting and why do they occur?

Both the gag reflex and the nausea that precede it are a natural, protective mechanism that triggers the body when it needs to clear itself of various toxic substances and toxins. Toxins do not always enter the bloodstream from the inside as food decay products or products of pathological processes and organs, often a person does not know what to do if it makes him sick of an external cause - odor, bright color.

Nausea is a specific condition, often accompanied by excessive salivation, tremors, general weakness. Feelings of nausea can go away on their own, without vomiting, but more often they provoke a vomitive reflex - a muscle contraction that is beyond human control and the removal of everything contained in the stomach. The responsibility for these symptoms is borne by the trunk of the brain that connects to the nerve receptors of the gastrointestinal tract. Any negative effect on these receptors, their irritation or damage triggers the "nausea-vomiting" mechanism. Excessive increase in the volume of the stomach leads to stretching of its walls, respectively, receptors of the gastric mucosa try to respond to atypical changes, the same answer is possible in erosive, inflammatory processes - gastritis, gastroenteritis. Also, the brain region can independently "give a command" to nausea without the help of the gastrointestinal tract. Such cases are possible with various dysfunctions of the nervous system.

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Before deciding what to do, if you feel sick, you need to find out the possible causes, among which the following are most often encountered.

Nausea as a symptom of the disease of the digestive system accompanies almost all inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, and sensations of nausea can be caused by elementary food poisoning (food, water). In addition to nausea, vomiting, such phenomena are often accompanied by diarrhea, epigastric pain, increased or decreased body temperature. If a person is poisoned by food, alcohol, water containing bacteria, the gag reflex helps to quickly release the stomach from toxins and brings some relief. All chronic pathologies of the digestive tract (ulcer, gastroduodenitis), in addition to nausea, cause characteristic pains, a burning sensation (heartburn).

In addition, nausea may indicate liver disease or poor gallbladder performance. Therefore, the question of what to do if it makes you sick, you can answer this: if nausea occurs along with bitterness, the feces become discolored, the skin turns yellow, irritated and itchs, in the right upper quadrant there is a drawing or spasmodic pain, you should immediately consult a doctor. In addition to liver disease, nausea can become a harbinger of inflammation of the appendix, intestinal obstruction, perforation of the stomach as a result of the erosive process. Such diseases require urgent care, because their symptoms develop rapidly - nausea develops into vomiting, there are sharp pains in the epigastrium, often a person loses consciousness. There are also causes of nausea, explained by the pathological development of the digestive system - protrusion (diverticulosis) of the walls of the esophagus and intestine, abnormal narrowing of the esophagus provoke regular sensations of nausea after each meal.

What should I do if I feel sick due to dysfunction of the digestive system? 

If the nausea has come unexpectedly, suddenly, accompanied by bloating, diarrhea, weakness, changes in body temperature, food poisoning is possible. First aid consists in washing and purifying the stomach. The sooner this happens, the less likely is the mass destruction of other digestive organs by toxins. Washing is carried out with the help of purified water, from which several crystals of potassium permanganate can be added (to light pink color). After washing it is necessary to take sorbent - activated carbon (at least 5 tablets), Enterosgel. If nausea is not accompanied by vomiting for an hour, and all of the listed symptoms are present, you need to call an ambulance. Especially dangerous are poisonings with overdue canned products, mushrooms, toxins that are absorbed very quickly, so the body simply does not have time to start a vomitive reflex. 

If nausea is accompanied by indomitable diarrhea, there are signs of blood in the feces, body temperature rises rapidly and reaches 38 or more degrees, this can signal an acute intestinal infection. If the urine darkens, the feces become colorless, the sclera of the eyes, the palms turn yellow, most likely these are signs of any kind of hepatitis. Infection with intestinal bacteria, E. Coli, hepatitis does not presume self-treatment, it is necessary to call a doctor who prescribes treatment in the hospital. 

Regular sensations of nausea accompanied by belching, mild pain in the epigastrium, constipation or diarrhea may indicate a beginning ulcerative process, cholecystitis, possibly chronic hepatitis or pancreatitis. Independent actions are possible only with mild symptoms. You can take enzymatic drugs - enzyme, mezim, festal. Heartburn is extinguished by Rennie's tablets, Gastromax or ranitidine.

Also, a strict diet is needed, which excludes fried, fatty, spicy food and assumes fractional meals. If the symptoms are observed for a week and do not disappear, you should be examined by a gastroenterologist and proceed with a comprehensive treatment that eliminates the underlying cause of nausea.

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What should I do if I feel sick due to diseases of the nervous system?

A gag reflex can be triggered without any internal causes. These include increased blood pressure - hypertension, when there is a slight feeling of nausea, increasing in parallel with the increase in pressure. In such cases, you can take antispasmodics - no-shpu, spasmalgon. Hypertension usually know their ailment, they should regularly monitor their blood pressure and take antihypertensive drugs at all times, not allowing pressure surges.

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If nausea is accompanied by chronic headaches, a disorder of sensory functions - vision, hearing, weakness, severe fatigue, which last for a whole day, you need to urgently consult a neurologist. If these symptoms occur frequently and they are accompanied by periodic vomiting, which does not have a "food" cause, pathological processes are possible - a brain tumor. Self-medication will not only not help, but it will also take precious time, which is necessary for timely treatment. In this case, the medical term cito is appropriate, which means urgently: urgently to the doctor, urgently examined and urgently treated.

Also, nausea can be one of the symptoms of serious diseases - meningitis, tick borelliosis (Lyme disease), HIV infection. Meningitis is characterized by a severe headache, and nausea is already its consequence as a hedgehog, as well as a consequence of a very high temperature. If the patient in addition to the above signs are overly strained (stiff) the muscles of the neck and occiput, you should immediately call for emergency help. HIV infection does not manifest itself so clearly, however, if the feeling of a constant emetic reflex is present for a long time, the question - what to do if it makes you sick, is not withdrawn by domestic means and measures, you need to see a doctor and donate blood for HIV.

In addition to such life-threatening diseases, nausea can cause physiological disturbances of the vestibular nervous system - sea walks are often accompanied by typical nausea (seasickness). Swaying can become a constant companion of unprepared, uninhabited travelers. Of course, to interrupt travel in order to contact a neurologist, it does not make sense, it can be done a little later. And before and during trips should be stocked with pharmaceuticals that help to neutralize vertigo (the so-called dizziness and nausea of travelers) - Vertigo Hel, Betagistin, Betaserk.

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Migraine - an unchanging companion of which is nausea, causes about 15% of the world's population to suffer from medical assessments. In addition to feeling nausea, hemicrania is accompanied by a headache, irritating both sounds and light.

The main treatment is rest, absence of sensory stimuli and taking drugs that relieve spasms. In cases of mild seizures it is enough to take the usual paracetamol, a nausea attack removes metoclopramide. More serious attacks are supervised by special means based on ergotamine, they are usually prescribed by a doctor. Also effective drugs are the serotonin group - sumatriptan, Zomig. In addition to drug therapy, the patient needs to be cautious in the sense of compiling a diet, all products containing tyramine should be excluded from the menu (cheese, condiments, chocolate). Treatment should be a long and prescribed neurologist, an independent choice of drugs can exacerbate the symptoms. 

What to do if it makes you sick, what other causes can cause nausea?

Among the reasons that can cause nausea can be called diabetes, cardiac pathology. These diseases, as a rule, are diagnosed by another sign, and sensations of nausea are already inevitable companions of the course of the disease. All activities to reduce discomfort should appoint a doctor, since "amateur" with such diagnoses is sometimes deadly.

In addition, nausea is one of the symptoms of a natural, exciting process of pregnancy. These attacks are explained by physiological changes in the body of a pregnant woman and are not threatening, with the exception of nausea in pathological conditions (gestosis, eclampsia). Drug treatment for pregnant women is usually contraindicated, a sparing diet, physiotherapy procedures or herbal medicine in the form of a decoction of specially selected herbs is prescribed. It should be noted that during pregnancy, even herbal treatment can be harmful, so use them carefully. Relatively safe decoctions of mint and lemon balm, brew them to a weak concentration. It is also possible to take light sedatives - valerian in tablets, homeopathic remedies for the intended purpose.

What to do if it makes nausea - it is necessary to quickly determine the cause, at least at the level of independent guesses, to try to help the body cleanse of intoxication, and then restore the loss of fluid with non-carbonated mineral water or Regidron. If nausea and vomiting persists within a few hours, seek medical attention.

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