Nausea and vomiting
Nausea could be described as an ‘uneasiness’ in the stomach or a feeling of sickness with an inclination to vomit. Nausea may precede vomiting however it may also exist in absence of vomiting. Vomiting is the action of emptying the stomach forcefully, in general this is an involuntary action however can be voluntary in some cases.
Whilst unpleasant, vomiting is not harmful and can be utilised by the body to reject a substance which the body cannot tolerate or recognises as being a foreign invader, such as in the case of food poisoning. Nausea or vomiting after consuming certain food items can be a sign of food allergy. Nausea in the absence of vomiting can also be a sign of food intolerance.
Nausea or vomiting can also be a symptom in many other conditions such as motion sickness, pregnancy, infections, pain, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, migraines, concussion, ulcers, heart attack, brain tumours, appendicitis and gall bladder disease. In extreme cases, it can cause dehydration and particularly so if it accompanied by diarrhoea.
Please see NHS guidelines on when to contact your GP if you have vomiting.
