Nausea and Vomiting: Causes, Relief, and When to See a Doctor
Nausea is the queasy, unsettled feeling that you might throw up, and vomiting is when your stomach actually forces its contents back up. Both are common, usually short-lived, and most settle on their own with rest and fluids. This page explains what these feelings are, the conditions that cause them, the red flags that mean you should get help right away, simple ways to feel better, and how to know when it is time to see a doctor.
At a Glance
What Nausea and Vomiting Feel Like
Nausea is the queasy feeling in your stomach or throat that warns you might be sick. It can come in waves and is often joined by extra saliva in your mouth, a cold sweat, a faster heartbeat, lightheadedness, or a loss of appetite.
Vomiting is the forceful emptying of your stomach through your mouth. Your body controls it through a center in your brain that can be triggered by many things at once: signals from an upset gut, motion, strong smells, pain, certain medicines, or hormones.
Vomiting is easy to confuse with two related things. Regurgitation is when food or liquid flows back up without the forceful heaving of true vomiting. Retching is the gagging motion you make when your body tries to vomit but nothing comes up. Noticing which one applies, and what comes up, gives your doctor useful clues about the cause.
Common Causes of Nausea and Vomiting
Most nausea and vomiting comes from a short-term upset in your digestive tract, but it can also point to a longer-lasting problem. Here are the common causes, grouped by where they start.
Infections and something you ate
A stomach bug, known as gastroenteritis, is one of the most frequent triggers and usually clears in a few days. Food poisoning from contaminated food can come on fast and hit hard, often with diarrhea and cramps.
Acid, the stomach lining, and the esophagus
Acid reflux can leave you queasy, especially after meals or when lying down. Inflammation of the stomach lining, called gastritis, and a stomach ulcer both cause nausea along with burning pain. Many ulcers and cases of gastritis trace back to Helicobacter pylori infections. Problems higher up, such as esophagitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, a hiatal hernia, Barrett's esophagus, or the swallowing disorder achalasia, can also make you feel sick.
Slow or irritated bowels
When the stomach empties too slowly, a condition called gastroparesis, food sits and backs up, causing nausea and vomiting of old food. Severe constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, colon polyps, and the inflammatory bowel diseases Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis can all bring on queasiness.
Food that does not agree with you
Lactose intolerance, celiac disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and other malabsorption syndromes can cause nausea after eating certain foods.
The liver, gallbladder, and pancreas
Nausea that comes with belly pain on the right side, yellow skin, or dark urine may point to the gallbladder or liver. Causes include gallstones, bile duct stones, pancreatitis, the many forms of hepatitis including hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, as well as fatty liver disease, broader liver disease, cirrhosis, and the inherited disorders Wilson disease and hemochromatosis.
Nausea and vomiting also have causes outside the gut, including migraines, motion sickness, pregnancy, inner-ear problems, anxiety, and many medicines. This page focuses on the digestive causes, which is where a gastroenterologist can help most.
When to Seek Emergency or Urgent Care
Most nausea passes on its own, but some signs mean you should not wait. Get help right away if any of these are true.
Call 911 or go to the emergency room now if you have:
- Vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds
- Sudden, severe, or worsening belly pain, or a hard, swollen abdomen
- Chest pain, trouble breathing, or a stiff neck with a bad headache and fever
- Confusion, fainting, or trouble staying awake
- A head injury before the vomiting started
Seek urgent care the same day if you have:
- Signs of dehydration: very dark urine, little or no urination, a dry mouth, dizziness when standing, or no tears
- Vomiting that will not stop, or you cannot keep down any fluids for more than a few hours
- A high fever (over 102 F), or vomiting with diarrhea that lasts more than a day or two
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, or pain in the upper right belly
- Vomiting in someone who is very young, elderly, pregnant, or has diabetes
Dehydration is the biggest short-term risk with vomiting, especially in children and older adults. When in doubt, it is safer to be checked.
How to Get Relief and Self-Care That Works
For everyday nausea and vomiting, the goal is to settle your stomach and stay hydrated while your body recovers.
Replace fluids slowly
- Take small sips of clear liquids often instead of drinking a lot at once. Water, clear broth, watered-down juice, and oral rehydration drinks all work well.
- If sips stay down, slowly increase the amount. Suck on ice chips if even sipping is hard.
- Avoid alcohol, coffee, and very sugary or fizzy drinks while you recover.
Ease back into food
- Wait until vomiting eases, then try small amounts of bland food such as crackers, toast, rice, bananas, or applesauce.
- Skip fatty, fried, spicy, or strong-smelling foods for a day or two, since they can restart the queasiness.
- Eat slowly and stop when you feel full.
Simple comfort steps
- Rest and avoid sudden movement. Sit upright or prop yourself up rather than lying flat after eating.
- Step outside for fresh air if you can, and breathe slowly. Ginger tea or ginger candy settles many stomachs.
- A cool cloth on your forehead and quiet, low light can take the edge off.
Over-the-counter remedies can help in the right setting. Bismuth products may ease an upset stomach, and motion-sickness medicines help with travel. Ask a pharmacist or doctor before using anti-nausea medicine if you are pregnant, give it to a child, or take other medicines. If a new prescription seems to be the trigger, do not stop it on your own. Call the prescriber first.
How Nausea and Vomiting Are Diagnosed
Because so many things cause nausea, the diagnosis starts with your story. A doctor will ask how long it has lasted, what brings it on, what comes up, and what other symptoms you have, such as pain, fever, weight loss, or changes in your bowels. They will also review your medicines and recent meals or travel.
A physical exam checks your belly for tenderness, swelling, and signs of dehydration. From there, tests are chosen to match the likely cause:
- Blood and urine tests look for infection, dehydration, pregnancy, and how well your liver, pancreas, and kidneys are working.
- Stool tests can find an infection or blood.
- Imaging such as an ultrasound or CT scan checks the gallbladder, liver, pancreas, and intestines.
- Upper endoscopy lets a gastroenterologist look directly at your esophagus, stomach, and upper small intestine and take small samples.
- A gastric emptying study measures how fast your stomach empties when gastroparesis is suspected.
Not everyone needs every test. The point is to separate the common, harmless causes from the few that need quick treatment. This page is educational and cannot diagnose you, so use it to prepare for a real visit, not to replace one.
When to See a Doctor and Which Specialist
See a doctor if nausea or vomiting lasts more than a couple of days, keeps coming back, or comes with weight loss, ongoing belly pain, trouble swallowing, or blood. A primary care doctor is a good first stop and can treat many causes or refer you onward.
For digestive causes that linger or are hard to pin down, the specialist is a gastroenterologist, a doctor who focuses on the esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. They handle reflux, ulcers, gallstones, liver conditions, gastroparesis, and inflammatory bowel disease, and they perform endoscopy when a closer look is needed. Depending on the suspected cause, you might also see a surgeon for gallstones, or your regular doctor for medication-related nausea.
You can find a gastroenterologist near you using the local listings on this page, which show experienced specialists by state and city. Bring a short list of your symptoms, their timing, and your current medicines to make the visit count.
Find Help for Nausea and Vomiting Near Me
Browse CMS-verified providers who treat nausea and vomiting by state.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about nausea and vomiting
What is the most common cause of nausea and vomiting?
For most people it is a short-term stomach bug or something they ate, such as gastroenteritis or food poisoning. These usually clear up on their own within a day or two with rest and fluids. Reflux and medication side effects are also very common everyday causes.
How do I stop nausea fast?
Sit still, get some fresh air, and take small, slow sips of a clear liquid like water or ginger tea. Avoid strong smells, fatty foods, and sudden movement until the queasiness eases. If it does not improve or you cannot keep fluids down, contact a doctor.
When should I go to the ER for vomiting?
Go right away if you vomit blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, have severe or sudden belly pain, show signs of dehydration, or cannot keep any fluids down for several hours. Also seek emergency care for chest pain, confusion, a stiff neck with fever, or vomiting after a head injury.
How long is it normal for vomiting to last?
Vomiting from a stomach bug or food poisoning usually settles within one to two days. If it lasts longer than two days in adults, keeps returning, or comes with high fever, severe pain, or dehydration, see a doctor. Children and older adults should be checked sooner.
What can I eat after vomiting?
Wait until the vomiting eases, then start with clear fluids in small sips. Once those stay down, try bland foods like crackers, toast, rice, bananas, or applesauce. Add normal foods back slowly and avoid fatty, fried, or spicy meals for a day or two.
Can acid reflux cause nausea?
Yes. Acid reflux can leave you feeling queasy, especially after meals or when lying down, sometimes with a sour taste or burning in your chest. If nausea and reflux happen often, a doctor can check for related problems and suggest treatment.
When does nausea and vomiting need a gastroenterologist?
See a gastroenterologist when nausea or vomiting is ongoing, keeps returning, or comes with belly pain, trouble swallowing, weight loss, or blood. These specialists diagnose and treat digestive causes such as ulcers, gallstones, liver disease, and gastroparesis, often using endoscopy.
Medical disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with questions about a medical condition. If you have a medical emergency, call 911. Our editorial standards