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What are the Most Common Nausea Symptoms?

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

When a person experiences nausea, he usually feels as if he needs to vomit. Often, people who become nauseated describe feeling sick to their stomachs. In addition to a general feeling of queasiness, a person may experience other nausea symptoms. Among the most common are increased sensitivity to smells, loss of appetite, and abdominal bloating; some people may also feel the urge to belch or experience heart pounding. A bad taste in one’s mouth or increased saliva production may also be included among the most common symptoms of nausea.

The most common symptom of nausea is the feeling that an episode of vomiting will begin soon. This doesn’t mean a person who feels nauseated will vomit however, since a person can experience even severe nausea without vomiting. Nausea can be hard to describe, but many people who experience it say they feel queasy. Others say they feel sick to their stomachs.

Nausea typically makes someone feel like they need to vomit.
Nausea typically makes someone feel like they need to vomit.

Smell sensitivity and appetite loss are also among the most common nausea symptoms. A person who becomes nauseated often loses his appetite and may have a difficult time consuming any type of food or beverage. This can be a problem, as eating a bland food, such as crackers, may sometimes help to relieve nausea. In some cases, a person who feels nauseated is also sensitive to smells. Even smells that he normally enjoys, such as food or perfume, may make his nausea worse.

Nausea may cause an increase in saliva in some people.
Nausea may cause an increase in saliva in some people.

Abdominal bloating may also occur along with other nausea symptoms. In such a case, the affected person typically has the sensation of being overly full, and the bloating may even be visible. This symptom is usually caused by the presence of intestinal gas.

Many people feel the urge to belch or experience heart pounding when they become nauseous as well. In some cases, though not always, releasing gas in this manner may help a person feel better. Heart pounding may occur as well, especially when nausea is severe. In fact, some people experience heart pounding right before an episode of nausea turns into vomiting.

Abdominal bloating is a coomon symptom of nausea.
Abdominal bloating is a coomon symptom of nausea.

An individual may also have nausea symptoms that affect the way his mouth feels or tastes. For example, some people notice a sour taste in their mouths when they feel nauseated or note that their mouths feel dry. In other cases, however, a person’s mouth may seem to fill with increased saliva when he’s nauseated. Unfortunately, swallowing this increased saliva sometimes may make nausea symptoms worse.

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon324732

I've had nausea all morning. About an hour ago I had stomach cramps followed by a need to rush to the bathroom. I'll spare you the details, but glad I had a bucket in there! I needed to go back about 15 minutes ago and I'm now getting that feeling again. I can cope with diarrhea but hate vomiting.

StarJo

Anxiety symptoms include nausea. I remember being really stressed out at my new job for the first few months. I felt so queasy all morning that I could hardly do my work!

I started taking anti-nausea medicine, but it only helped a little bit. Then, someone told me to try peppermint. I started drinking peppermint tea every morning around 9:30, and it did make me feel better.

Now, whenever I'm feeling nauseated because of my anxiety, I chew peppermint gum or suck on a hard piece of peppermint candy. It relieves my nausea every time.

giddion

My heart pounds furiously when I'm extremely nauseated, but only before I begin to vomit. Also, my hands become tingly and feel like they are being poked with needles.

My hands start to shake. I break into a cold sweat, and my heart races. I start to breathe more quickly, and I feel a sense that something is about to come up my esophagus.

There have been times where I'd wished to vomit in order to relieve the nausea. At least once it's over with, you don't have that sick feeling for awhile.

Oceana

Sometimes headaches are nausea symptoms. My friend gets migraines a lot, and he usually feels like he is going to vomit when the headache arrives.

He also gets lightheaded. He sees spots, so I don't know if the pain or the visual changes contribute to the feeling of nausea more.

If he gets any one of these symptoms, nausea is involved. He never gets a migraine without feeling very sick at his stomach. Though he rarely vomits, he does lose his appetite until the pain has passed.

Perdido

Being dizzy is a nausea symptom for me. The room suddenly starts to spin, and I have trouble walking straight.

I usually have to sit back down and wait for the episode to pass. Walking while dizzy is never a good idea, and when you throw queasiness into the mix, you run the risk of vomiting while falling over!

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    • Nausea typically makes someone feel like they need to vomit.
      By: Adam Gregor
      Nausea typically makes someone feel like they need to vomit.
    • Nausea may cause an increase in saliva in some people.
      By: Adrian Costea
      Nausea may cause an increase in saliva in some people.
    • Abdominal bloating is a coomon symptom of nausea.
      By: bruno135_406
      Abdominal bloating is a coomon symptom of nausea.
    • Nausea may cause vomiting.
      By: Tom Wang
      Nausea may cause vomiting.
    • Many people experience the urge to belch when they become nauseous.
      By: pathdoc
      Many people experience the urge to belch when they become nauseous.
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      Mild nausea can be caused by an inner ear infection.
    • Coffee drinkers who experience nausea may be wise to limit their caffeine consumption.
      By: volff
      Coffee drinkers who experience nausea may be wise to limit their caffeine consumption.
    • Spicy foods can upset a person's stomach.
      By: Nitr
      Spicy foods can upset a person's stomach.
    • A loss of appetite is common with nausea.
      By: mbt_studio
      A loss of appetite is common with nausea.
    • An individual who experiences nausea with sunburn should see a medical professional immediately.
      By: Amy Walters
      An individual who experiences nausea with sunburn should see a medical professional immediately.