Nausea
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| ICD-10 | R11 |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 787.0 |
- For other uses, see Nausea (disambiguation).
Nausea (Greek Ναυτεία) is the sensation of unease and discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit.
[edit] Causes
Nausea is not an illness itself; it is rather a possible case of several conditions, many of which are not related to the stomach at all. In fact, more often than not nausea indicates a condition somewhere else in the body rather than in the stomach itself. An example of this is travel sickness, which is due to confusion between perceived movement and actual movement. Our sense of equilibrium lies in the ear and works together with eyesight. When these two don't "agree" to what extent the body is actually moving the symptom is presented as nausea even though the stomach itself has nothing to do with the situation. Nausea is also an adverse effect of many drugs.
In medicine, nausea is a particular problem during some chemotherapy regimens and following general anaesthesia. Nausea is also a common symptom of pregnancy. Even though nausea is generally seen as an indication that something is wrong, experiencing it during pregnancy is quite normal, and should not be considered an immediate cause for alarm.
[edit] Treatment
While short-term nausea and vomiting are generally harmless, they may sometimes indicate a more serious condition, such as Celiac Disease. When associated with prolonged vomiting, it may cause dangerous levels of dehydration and/or electrolyte imbalances.
Symptomatic treatment for nausea and vomiting may include short-term avoidance of solid food. This is usually easy as nausea is nearly always associated with loss of appetite. Dehydration may require rehydration with oral or intravenous electrolyte solutions. Oral rehydration (drinking water) is safer and simpler in most cases.
There are many antiemetics (drugs to suppress nausea and vomiting), although researchers continue to look for more effective treatments. Also available are a variety of noninvasive, mechanical devices used to suppress nausea due to motion sickness, but these products are seldom tested in a laboratory setting.
da:Kvalmede:Nausea es:Náusea fr:Nausée (médecine) io:Nauzeo it:Nausea he:בחילה lt:Pykinimas nl:Misselijkheid ja:吐き気 pl:Nudności pt:Náusea
