Nausea and vomiting in adults

Nausea is a queasiness in your stomach that often comes with the urge or need to vomit (throw up). 

Vomiting is your body's way of getting rid of stomach contents that are harmful or irritating, by forcibly emptying them back out of your mouth. Common causes of vomiting in adults include gastroenteritis (tummy bug), early pregnancy, motion sicknesses, certain drugs and medications, intense pain, emotional stress, various viruses and certain smells or odours.

As nausea and vomiting can be part of a COVID-19 infection, it is important to test for this. 

COVID-19 symptoms can include:

• a new or worsening cough in children or adults
• sore throat
• shortness of breath
• runny nose or cold symptoms
• fever
• loss of smell or change in taste
• shortness of breath
• upset stomach, possibly with diarrhoea (runny poo/hamuti) or vomiting (being sick).
  
  

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What can be done to prevent and relieve nausea? 

The following actions can help to prevent and/or relieve nausea: 

• Sit quietly when you feel sick
  • moving around can make you feel worse
  • rest after eating and keep your head elevated about above your feet
  • avoid activity straight after eating.
• Drink clear drinks 
  • drink water or diluted fruit juice
  • sip your drink slowly
    
  • you may find it helps to drink liquids between (instead of during) meals.
• Eat small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals
  • eat light, bland foods (such as water crackers or plain bread)
    
  • avoid fried, greasy, or sweet foods
  • don't mix hot and cold foods
  • if the smell of hot or warm foods makes you feel nauseous, eat foods that are cold or at room temperature
  • avoid brushing your teeth after eating.
• If you feel nauseous when you wake up in the morning, eat a high protein snack (lean meat or cheese) before going to bed and eat some crackers before getting out of bed (keep them by your bedside).
• Ginger – some people find ginger helps to relieve feelings of nausea, but this finding is not clinically proven.
• Acupuncture can be helpful in helping relieve and prevent nausea and vomiting.

What to do if you are vomiting

If you or someone you are caring for has a vomiting episode, the follow simple measures may help.

• drink clear liquids 
  • you need to replace fluids lost by vomiting to prevent dehydration
  • take small, regular sips and aim to drink 2 to 3 litres of fluid a day
  • water, clear soup, a rehydration drink like Gastrolyte or Pedialyte, or diluted fruit juice (1 part fruit juice to 5 parts water) are good options
  • avoid milk or milk products and fizzy drinks and full-strength fruit juice
  • if vomiting and diarrhoea last more than 24 hours, an oral rehydrating solution should be used to prevent and treat dehydration. These are available over-the-counter from your pharmacy.
• avoid solid food until vomiting has stopped
  • when vomiting has stopped, try easily digested foods such as bananas, crackers, rice, pasta and bread
  • avoid foods high in fibre, whole fruits (except bananas) or vegetables, spicy or fatty foods, alcohol and caffeinated drinks. 
• rest
• be careful with medications
  • if you are taking a medication that you think may be making your nausea or vomiting worse check with your doctor or pharmacist if you can temporarily stop the medication
  • if you miss a dose of medication, for example, the contraceptive pill, due to vomiting this can interfere with how it works. Seek advice from your doctor or pharmacist if this happens

If these things don't help, or you are worried about your nausea or vomiting, talk to your pharmacist or call your healthcare team. Anti-nausea medications are available over-the-counter at your pharmacy or on prescription from your doctor.

Medications for nausea and vomiting

• Vomiting associated with surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and morphine can often be treated with another type of drug therapy.
• There are also medications that can be used to control nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy, migraine, motion sickness, and vertigo.
• You should talk to your doctor or health care provider before using these treatments.

Common causes of nausea and vomiting in adults

Nausea and vomiting are symptoms of many different conditions. Some of the more common causes are described below. 

Gastroenteritis

If you have diarrhoea as well as vomiting, it is likely to be gastroenteritis (tummy bug). This is the most common cause of vomiting in adults and may be caused by:

• a virus picked up from someone who's ill, such as the norovirus
• food poisoning caused by bacteria found in contaminated food.

Your immune system will fight off the bug and you should start to feel better within 1 to 2 days. Read more about gastroenteritis.

Pregnancy

In the early stages of pregnancy, nausea and vomiting are common. Nausea occurs in approximately 50%-90% of all pregnancies; vomiting in 25%-55%. (1) This is commonly referred to as 'morning sickness' however it can occur at any time of the day.

For most women, morning sickness begins within the first few weeks of pregnancy and stops near the end of the first trimester, around weeks 16 to 20. However, for some women, it can continue throughout the pregnancy and this is known as hyperemesis gravdiarium.

Read more about morning sickness including what you can do to relieve symptoms.

Motion sickness

If you experience nausea and vomiting when travelling then this could be a sign of motion sickness. 

Mild symptoms of motion sickness may be relieved by techniques such as fixing your eyes on the horizon, getting fresh air and trying to distract yourself. If you experience more severe symptoms, you may wish to try medication to help prevent the symptoms, such as: