About this symptom
Nausea is the feeling that you are about to be sick. Vomiting is when the stomach's contents are forced up and out of the mouth. They are symptoms, not diseases, and often come together.
Most of the time the cause is a stomach bug, food poisoning, a migraine, travel sickness, early pregnancy or a medicine, and the sickness passes in a day or two. Less often it is a sign of a problem that needs treatment, such as appendicitis or a blocked bowel. The main risk of vomiting is dehydration, which is more serious in babies, young children and older people.
Possible causes
This is not a diagnosis. These are the causes doctors think about, with the ones that are most urgent to rule out first.
- Heart attackFeeling sick with chest pain, pressure or tightness, pain spreading to the arm, back, neck or jaw, or breathlessness. Call for an ambulance.Read about it
- AppendicitisPain that starts around the belly button and moves to the lower right of the tummy, with loss of appetite, feeling or being sick, and a fever.Read about it
- PoisoningVomiting after swallowing something harmful, such as a medicine, chemical or poisonous plant. Needs emergency care.Read about it
- Stomach bug or food poisoningVomiting, often with diarrhoea, that starts fairly suddenly. Others who ate the same food may be ill too.
- MigraineFeeling sick with a headache and dislike of light or sound.Read about it
- VertigoFeeling sick with dizziness, often a feeling that the room is spinning.Read about it
- Acid refluxFeeling sick with heartburn or bloating after eating.Read about it
- Pregnancy sicknessFeeling or being sick in pregnancy. If you cannot keep food or fluids down, see a doctor, because severe sickness can lead to dehydration.
- Medicines and treatmentsBegan after a new medicine or treatment, such as chemotherapy. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own: ask the doctor.
When to get help
See a doctor soon if you have:
- Vomiting that has lasted more than a day, happens 3 or more times in a day, or means you cannot keep fluids down
- Signs of dehydration: dry mouth, great thirst, dark urine, or passing no urine for 8 hours
- Feeling sick most days, still sick after a few days, or sickness that keeps coming back
- Sickness in pregnancy that stops you keeping food or fluids down, or makes you weak, dizzy or lose weight
Babies and young children should see a doctor early: parents can read Diarrhoea in children. If a bout is easing and you can keep sips of fluid down, it can wait.
What you can do at home
With any emergency sign, do not stay at home. Otherwise, try:
Do
- Rest, and take small sips of cold water or clear fluid often
- Try fresh air, ginger or peppermint tea, and small meals eaten slowly
- Eat plain food once you feel able
Do not
- Do not eat strong-smelling, fried or greasy food
- Do not lie down soon after eating, or wear clothes tight around the waist
- Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own: ask your doctor
If you are losing a lot of fluid, from a pharmacy, mixed with clean water as the packet says, helps to replace it. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine for sickness.
What the doctor will do
The doctor will ask when it began, how often you are sick, and whether it comes after food or on an empty stomach. They will ask about tummy pain, fever, diarrhoea, headache, new medicines, travel, whether others who ate the same food are ill, and possible pregnancy. They will check for dehydration.
Tests depend on the likely cause. They may include blood and urine tests, an or of the tummy, or an . Severe vomiting may need fluids through a drip.
Myths and facts
Things people often say about this. Open each one to see what is true.
Myth“When you are vomiting, it is best to stop eating and drinking completely until it passes.”What is true?
Fact
The main danger of vomiting is dehydration. Taking small sips of clear fluid often is advised, and plain food once you feel able. If you cannot keep fluids down for 12 hours, see a doctor.
Myth“Feeling sick and vomiting is always food poisoning or a stomach bug.”What is true?
Fact
That is the commonest cause, but not the only one. Migraine, ear and balance problems, pregnancy, medicines and acid reflux all cause it, and so can a heart attack or appendicitis. Go by the other signs, such as chest pain, severe tummy pain or blood in the vomit.
Questions to ask your doctor
Tick the ones you want answered and take them with you.
Common questions
How long does vomiting usually last?
Vomiting from a stomach bug usually stops within a day or two. See a doctor if it lasts more than a day, you cannot keep fluids down, or you pass little urine, and sooner for a baby or young child.
What should I drink when I am vomiting?
Take small sips of cold water or clear fluid, often. If you are also losing fluid from diarrhoea, oral rehydration solution mixed with clean water as the packet says helps to replace it. If you cannot keep anything down, see a doctor.
Can feeling sick be a sign of a heart attack?
Yes. If you suddenly feel sick and also have tight or heavy chest pain, pain spreading to the arms, back, neck or jaw, or shortness of breath, call for an ambulance. Do not drive yourself.
Is it safe to take a tablet to stop vomiting?
Ask a doctor or pharmacist first. The right medicine depends on the cause, and some are not suitable for everyone. A doctor can prescribe an anti-sickness medicine if you need one.
