There is nothing worse than not knowing why you’re feeling nauseous, especially if you’ve felt this way for some time. When you drag around that feeling of sickness in the pit of your stomach you lack energy and motivation. Plus, you don’t want to do any activities for fear of making the situation worse.
However, if that feeling of nausea isn’t going away or its increasing in intensity, then it time for you to get answers. Nausea can be linked to one or many conditions such as viral and bacterial infections, pregnancy or stress. You may also discover that you have an underlying condition that triggers your nausea like anxiety or an eating disorder. Whatever your situation, it’s time to get to the bottom of your nausea once and for all.
Why You’re Feeling Nauseous: Reason #1 Stress
Did you know that stress has a physical effect on the body? When we feel stressed our heart rate rises along with our blood pressure. This physical responds to can be difficult to manage and it can cause nausea.
Stomach cramps and nausea linked to stress is usually caused by too many hormones in your system like adrenaline and cortisol. To reduce this nausea you may need to learn to manage your stress and anxiety levels better. You can do this by understanding what triggers your anxiousness. Then you can look at solutions such as meditation and other relaxation activities to reduce this stress.
Why You’re Feeling Nauseous: Reason #2 Over eating
When you feel stressed, ill or upset it’s sometimes comforting to eat. Usually when you eat to comfort yourself you go for junk foods like ice cream, chocolate, confectionery and other foods that aren’t nutritious. And while eating comfort foods is not a problem if consumed in moderation, when you’re eating these foods frequently then this can cause nausea.
If you’re binge eating, where you eat excessive amounts and then purge, you may have an eating disorder. The nausea associated with eating disorders is usually linked to over eating. When you’re excessively full you stretch your stomach and it can cause discomfort.
Eating disorders where you’re binge eating may require professional help to resolve. If you think that you’re not eating how you should, then seek professional advice from your doctor. They may then refer you to a GI specialist to help you better understand your eating habits. By working with you to find why you’re over eating, the specialist can help you overcome your nausea.
Why You’re Feeling Nauseous: Reason #3 Food poisoning
Food poisoning is a term that covers a number of food safety concerns like bacterial, viral and parasite infections in food that you’ve eaten. As scary as it sounds, there are some 250 types of food poisoning documented. The most common strains are e.coli, salmonella, norovirus and listeria. These are often referred to as stomach flu.
Stomach flu and the nausea linked to food poisoning are often caused by poor hygiene in the kitchen. Unwashed hands, food and incorrectly prepared foods are the most common causes. Other causes of food poisoning are not refrigerating foods, undercooked meat, raw proteins and cross-contaminated foods.
Most cases of food poisoning are treatable at home and will be resolved within 3 to 5 days. However, it is crucial that you drink plenty of water, avoid caffeine and eat foods such as bananas, rice and toast. Flat lemonade and drinks that restore electrolytes like sports drinks can assist in faster recovery.
If you find that your nausea persists for longer than a few days, then visit a doctor. If you are dehydrated and not able to eat, then your medical practitioner may recommend specialist treatment.
Why You’re Feeling Nauseous: Reason #4 Poor nutrition
Calories fuel your body with essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Eating a balanced diet is crucial to maintaining optimal health. If you’re not eating well, then your calorie intake may not be sufficient to sustain your energy and good stomach bacteria. Therefore, you may feel nauseous.
Poor nutrition ca be linked to not eating enough, eating infrequently or eating a diet high in junk foods. To resolve this problem look at what your eating and when you’re eating. If you don’t like eating big meals, then try eating smaller meals more often.
If you don’t think you can improve your nutrition by yourself, then seek out professional advice. A nutritionist, dietician or other specialist can help you understand your eating patterns. They can also assist you to design an eating plan to suit your dietary needs and body type.
Why You’re Feeling Nauseous: Reason #5 Food allergies
When you eat foods that affect your immune system adversely this is referred to as a food allergy. An allergy of this kind occurs because your immune system views the food as a treat and it triggers a protective response. Signs that you are allergic to foods are an upset stomach, nausea, vomiting and even dizziness.
Ignoring these signs can cause you serious harm. Therefore, it’s essential to seek professional help. A doctor will help you control your symptoms and they may even refer you to a specialist for further treatment.
Often a specialist will try to find out which food is triggering your reaction. This diagnosis will then help you to avoid this type of food in the future. As a result, you’ll avoid a reoccurrence of your nausea and other symptoms.
If you start to feel sick after eating certain meals, then cut those foods out of your diet. Keep a food diary to work out how certain foods make you feel. You can then plan and pack meals around those ingredients that don’t make you feel ill.
Some of the most common foods associated with allergies are:
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Shellfish
- Wheat
- Soy
- Nuts
- Eggs
- Fish
Why You’re Feeling Nauseous: Reason #6 Dehydration
Your body needs water to survive. When you don’t replenish your water supplies then you can feel nauseous and dizzy. This condition is known as vertigo and it can be linked to inner ear infections, low blood pressure and other conditions.
Often though, vertigo can be cured by simply drinking more water with greater frequency. The human body is made up of over 50% of water, so it is essential for you to keep your fluid levels topped up. The easiest way to check to see if your adequately hydrated is to check the colour of your urine. If your urine is clear and not cloudy, then you’re hydrated well. However, if your urine is a dark yellow, you need to drink more water.
Why You’re Feeling Nauseous: Key Takeaways
Feeling nauseous isn’t pleasant. It can also leave your feeling unable to carry out your regular activities. But, there is usually a cause for your nausea. Sometimes it just takes time and patience to diagnose. Also, don’t be afraid to explore your options and seek out help if you need it.
By working through each reason and testing your response to different situations, you’ll eliminate possible nausea causes such as:
- Stress and anxiety;
- Over eating;
- Food poisoning;
- Poor nutrition;
- Food allergies; and
- Dehydration.
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