As miserable as nausea may make you feel, throwing up has a function. To figure out what's causing your nausea, it helps to understand why we ever have to vomit in the first place. Show The Purpose of PukeYour body has evolved to protect you. One protective mechanism protects you from toxic things you might ingest. When you eat something toxic, several triggers give you nausea (the urge to vomit.) Taste and smell are two of the most powerful. If it smells or tastes nasty, your body may reject it as dangerous. Seeing, smelling, or hearing someone else vomit can make you vomit, too. Your body is programmed this way because if everyone in your group ate the same thing and it made someone sick, you could be next. But what if nobody else got sick or if you're all alone? You could still have eaten something bad for you. If it triggers trouble in the brain—especially dizziness—then your gut will throw it out, fearing poison that could cause it trouble. While vomiting has numerous causes, they all boil down to three basic things:
Things irritating the gut are more common than things irritating the brain, so why does the brain get top billing? Well, it's the brain. If you suddenly have nausea, or you vomit without first feeling nauseated, something bad might be happening inside your cranium, and that's not good. What Is Emetophobia? The Fear of Vomiting Brain-Related Causes of NauseaYour brain works in a very narrow range of happiness. If it gets too much sugar, it doesn't work right. If it doesn't get enough sugar, it doesn't work right. It's too finicky to dine on fat and it needs a certain amount of oxygen. It can't be too warm or too cold and it can't be under too much pressure or too little. Basically, brains are high maintenance. Since lots of things can go wrong with the brain, vomiting is triggered by the brain way more often than it needs to be. A brain injury that causes swelling inside your skull almost always triggers vomiting, even though that probably can't help the brain in any way. It's an unintended result of the body thinking any problem with the brain is due to something you ate. However, knowing that brain malfunction can result in puking reminds us to consider brain problems whenever nausea shows up for no apparent reason. Some brain-affecting things trigger nausea more often than others, including:
Anatomy of the Brain Gut-Related Causes of NauseaSometimes, nausea and vomiting are triggered by things long before they affect the brain, which is usually better than waiting for a toxic substance to start playing with your higher functions. The mechanism that makes the digestive tract (the gut) want to vomit is complicated, but essentially, the point is to evacuate the stomach when something in there is dangerous to you. That's why bacteria, viruses and all sorts of toxins can trigger nausea and vomiting from the gut level. The most common causes of nausea related to the gut are:
Prenancy-Related NauseaMorning sickness is a common symptom of pregnancy, and it can actually occur at any time of the day. If you're nauseous and think you could be pregnant, a home pregnancy test and/or a trip to the doctor can tell you for sure. Identifying the CauseUltimately, the best way to identify the cause of your upset stomach is to rule out the easiest stuff first: Have you been drinking? Are you pregnant? Are you on a boat? If not, then look for some additional telltale symptoms.
A Word From VerywellSometimes, nausea is a sign of a dangerous condition and needs to be evaluated by a doctor. Other times it's just the body's protective instinct at work. You have several options for treating nausea, but in many cases, you just have to wait it out. Frequently Asked Questions
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