Introduction
Nausea, the word meaning seasickness in Greek, is a feeling of discomfort in the stomach that is associated with a revulsion for food and an expectation that vomiting will follow, as it often does. This feeling is rare in a healthy adult, but common in children and old people. It is evident in pregnancy and motion sickness. Though it may not feel like a severe disease, if not followed by vomiting, the condition is very disturbing. It can be associated with loss of appetite and taste sensation and lead to nutritional deficiency.
Signs & symptoms
Catchy feeling in chest and throat
Feeling filled and obstructed inside the throat
A feeling of sensation that vomiting will follow
Causes
Pregnancy
Motion sickness
Indigestion
Food poisoning
Intense pain like in appendicitis, pancreatitis, gall bladder stones etc.
Infections like E-coli
Diseases like GERD
Certain medications-like chemotherapy
Ulcer
Pathophysiology
Nausea results from the irritation of nerve endings in the stomach or duodenum, which in turn stimulate centres in the brain that control nausea and vomiting. Nausea can be a symptom of disorders ranging from the trivial to the serious. It is most commonly caused by indigestion, motion sickness or pregnancy. Nausea can result from eating too rapidly or from experiencing emotional stress during or just after a meal. The nausea experienced in seasickness and airsickness is caused by a disturbance of the semi-circular canals of the inner ear, which are the organs of balance. The nausea sometimes experienced in the early months of pregnancy is called morning sickness and usually occurs at breakfast time. It recurs daily for two or three months and then disappears without any treatment. Nausea may also arise from any of the causes of an abnormal lack of appetite—for example, shock, pain, intracranial pressure, badly fitting dentures, or diseases of the liver or of the kidneys. Simple nausea is relieved by vomiting.
Diagnosis
Nausea can be diagnosed by a proper case taking and physical examination. Tests like endoscopy and ultrasound are done in diseases like GERD, oesophagitis etc.
Treatments
Anti-histamines like dimenhydrinate
Scopolamine patch
Prognosis
In most of the cases, nausea is a short-term disease with good prognosis. In chronic conditions like chemotherapy for cancer, treatment should be for the cause and the outcome is long term and poor in many cases.
Complications
Persistent vomiting
Dehydration
Malnutrition
Emaciation
Severe vomiting and dehydration can lead to shock.
Disease & Ayurveda
Hrullaasa
Nidana
Causative factors for vitiation of Kapha
Ajeerna-indigestion
Purvaaroopa
Praseka-Excess salivation
Samprapti
When due to indigestion & other causative factors, Kaphadosha gets vitiated and causes obstruction in the mouth, throat and chest. This makes the saliva blocked in the mouth in excess quantity without moving down into stomach. Vitiated and excess Kapha, along with deranged Vaata produce the disease as discomfort in chest, feeing of vomiting, excess salivation etc.
Lakshana
Excess salivation
Discomfort and heaviness of chest
Feeling like vomiting
Fullness of abdomen
Aversion to food
Tastelessness
Divisions
Not mentioned
Prognosis
Sadhyam
Samana
Rookshabhojanam after sadyovamanam in strong patient
Mild langhana with fasting etc. in weak patient
Aamapachana
Agnideepana
Sodhana
Sadyovamana (Therapeutically indused vomiting)
Commonly used medicines
Eladi vati
Lavangadi vati
Brands available
AVS Kottakal
AVP Coimbatore
SNA oushadhasala
Vaidyaratnam oushadhasala
Home remedies
- Chew a piece of ginger
- Don’t change position all of a sudden. Move very slowly.
- Try Acupressure
- Smell a lemon slice
- Control the breathing and relax
- Use certain spices like cumin, pepper, ginger, turmeric, cloves etc.
- Relax the muscles of your body especially upper body
- Take a Vitamin B6 Supplement.
Diet
- To be avoided
Heavy meals and difficult to digest foods – cause indigestion.
Junk foods- cause disturbance in digestion and reduces the bioavailability of the medicine
Carbonated drinks – makes the stomach more acidic and disturbed digestion
Refrigerated and frozen foods – causes weak and sluggish digestion by weakening Agni (digestive fire)
Milk and milk products – increase kapha, cause obstruction in channels and respiratory tract disorders
Curd – causes vidaaha and thereby many other diseases
- To be added
Light meals and easily digestible foods
Green gram, soups, honey
Freshly cooked and warm food processed with cumin seeds, ginger, black pepper, ajwain etc
Behaviour:
Protect yourself from cold climate.
Better to avoid exposure to excessive sunlight wind rain or dust.
Maintain a regular food and sleep schedule.
Avoid holding or forcing the urges like urine, faeces, cough, sneeze etc.
Avoid sedentary lifestyle. Be active
Yoga
Regular stretching and mild cardio exercises are advised once nausea & vomiting tendency are relieved. Also, specific yogacharya including naadisuddhi pranayama, bhujangaasana, pavanamuktasana is recommended.
Regular exercise helps improve bioavailability of the medicine and food ingested and leads to positive health.
Yoga can maintain harmony within the body and with the surrounding system.
Pavanamuktasana
Nadisudhi pranayama
Bhujangasana
Simple exercises for lungs and heart health
All the exercises and physical exertions must be decided and done under the supervision of a medical expert only.
Research articles
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4699282/