One of the worst feelings in the world is nausea. After all, how can anyone expect to function properly if they feel as if they want to vomit every other minute? Unlike fever or body pains, which still allow you to do your duties just as long as you grit your teeth and focus, nausea causes you to wonder when you'll have to throw up.

Defining Nausea And Its Causes

Nausea is the feeling of discomfort in your stomach that makes you want to vomit. There are many causes of nausea, and treatment is usually centered on identifying the cause first before eliminating it. Remember, nausea itself is not a sickness. Like fever, it's a symptom of another condition, something that may not even be related to the stomach. (For more information regarding nausea, read The guide to nausea)

For example, travel or motion sickness (More tidbits on Motion sickness), caused by a disagreement between what you perceive as movement and your system's sense movement, has no connection whatsoever with your stomach. It has been proposed that vomiting during motion sickness is due to the brain concluding that the discrepancy between senses is due to one of them hallucinating. The brain then concludes that this could be due to poison ingestion and thus, it forces the body to vomit to clear the toxin out.

Aside from travel sickness, other common causes of nausea include:

• pregnancy
• food poisoning
• intoxication, usually from alcohol
• infections
• carbon monoxide poisoning
• anxiety and stress
• reaction to medication

Identification and isolation of the cause is a big factor in getting rid of the nausea. If you're able to identify it right away, then there shouldn't be any need to go to a physician. Any nausea that cannot be explained or one that has gone on for a long time, however, definitely needs to be checked out.

Getting Rid of Nausea

If nausea isn't due to some serious underlying condition, simple treatments will get rid of it right away. Here are some things you can try in order to find relief and prevent it from getting worse.

Take over the counter anti-nausea medications. There are medicines available on the market that are made to fight off nausea, such as Dramamine and Bonine. Dramamine has dimenhydrinate that is used to fight nausea and vomiting. Bonine, on the other hand, uses meclizine, which has fewer side effects than dimenhydrinate. It should be noted that these drugs are chiefly for nausea caused by motion sickness. As such, a side effect is usually drowsiness, and they may be ineffective against nausea caused by other conditions.

Take ginger. Ginger is acknowledged as a natural remedy for those suffering from nausea. Just consume ginger by drinking ginger ale, ginger root capsules, ginger tea, or just add fresh minced ginger to your food or drink and let it work its magic.

Eat bland food to calm your stomach. Chances are if you're feeling nauseous, you've already thrown up your lunch . Fill your stomach up with bland food like crackers, gelatin, or toast, but be sure to take them in small portions, so as to slowly build up your stomach's tolerance. Stay away from fatty or acidic foods, and avoid any strong food odors. These may trigger another bout of vomiting. If you just vomited, stay away from solid foods for at least six hours.

The above tips are for healthy people who are suffering from nausea. For pregnant women, it is better that you consult the doctor first before doing anything, especially taking medications. Remember, there is more than your life at stake; there is also your baby's. If you aren't expecting, then these tips will work great for you.

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