Chapter 3: Symptoms and health concerns
More about nausea and vomiting
The healthcare provider will want to understand the causes of the person’s nausea and/or vomiting for some of the reasons listed below. Click
the arrows to see some of these.
It may be a sign of a medical illness or condition not yet discovered.
Treating the underlying problem is the best way to treat the nausea.
Medications and therapy will depend on the cause.
In addition, serious cases of nausea and vomiting can lead to new medical problems. Click the arrows below to see some of these.
Dehydration – Confusion – Sleepiness
Trouble thinking clearly
General weakness – Serious weight loss
Irritation or damage to the throat or digestive tract from vomiting
Keeping track
Be sure to note nausea or vomiting in the tracking journal. This will help to share information with the healthcare provider.
Click here to see the questions the healthcare provider may ask. You might use these questions to guide the tracking journal.
When it’s an emergency
Contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible if any one of these occurs:
- Vomiting has lasted for more than a few hours.
- There is pain in the abdomen or blood in the vomit. Blood may be bright red in appearance or dark brown or black, resembling the appearance of coffee grounds.
- There are any symptoms of dehydration, such as decreased urination, dizziness or light-headedness, dry mouth, or increased thirst.
- There is projectile vomiting: vomit shoots straight out and travels some distance.
- The material vomited smells like feces (stool or bowel movements).
- The person becomes increasingly sleepy and hard to wake up.
- The medications to manage the nausea and vomiting are not working.
