Don’t you hate feeling nauseous? Nausea is an all-encompassing feeling, but thankfully, it’s easy to treat.

Our AFC Urgent Care Bronx Webster Ave. team shares some helpful information on nausea and how to treat it below, so read on.

What Causes Nausea?

There are many causes of nausea, and they typically vary according to age. As far as what happens in the body to cause feelings of nausea, there are two centers in the brain that can trigger nausea symptoms.

The first center is the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ), which responds to chemical inputs from medication and hormones and is affected when you take a medication that causes nausea or eat an illness-inducing food. The second center is the postrema, which is affected when you begin to feel motion sick.

Common Causes of Nausea

• Motion sickness or seasickness
• Early stages of pregnancy
• Medication-induced vomiting
• Intense pain
• Emotional stress (such as fear)
• Gallbladder disease
• Food poisoning
• Infections
• Overeating
• A reaction to certain smells or odors
• Heart attack

How Can I Treat Nausea?

Nausea can be treated in many natural ways in addition to taking OTC antiemetic medications, like Dramamine or Pepto-Bismol.

Avoiding lying down, staying hydrated, eating or drinking ginger, and drinking peppermint tea are all effective ways to battle against nausea. We hope you don’t feel nauseous, though, and we’ve listed some ways to prevent that awful feeling below.

Ways to Prevent Nausea

• Stay hydrated. The body needs water to digest and absorb nutrients from foods and beverages efficiently. Being dehydrated makes digestion more difficult and less effective, which increases the likelihood of feeling nauseous.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, particularly after using the bathroom and before and after handling food. Bacteria and germs can often be the cause of an upset stomach that leads to nausea, and washing your hands frequently reduces the risk of harmful bacteria interacting with the food that enters your stomach.
• Opt for many small meals instead of a two or three big meals. Going for light meals instead of heavy meals will keep from overwhelming your body with large amounts of protein and acid to digest.
• Don’t lie down after eating. Experts suggest waiting at least two hours before lying down after a meal to help prevent reflux. This will help food pass to avoid nausea and indigestion.

Are you feeling nauseous and you aren’t sure what to do? Our AFC Urgent Care Bronx Webster Ave. team is here for you, so don’t hesitate to stop by today!