What Causes Nausea in the Morning?

Morning sickness, hangover, acid reflux, and anxiety are some potential causes of nausea in the morning. Morning sickness affects more than 50% of pregnant women, but a similar form of nausea is often felt by women starting contraceptive pills. Hangovers are caused by heavy drinking of alcohol, and among the many common symptoms of this condition is nausea. Nausea in the morning could also be caused by acid reflux. Anxiety caused by stress, especially if one is dreading an event that might happen later in the day, can also be the root of the problem.

Nausea gravidarum, also known as morning sickness, is believed to occur to keep pregnant women from eating foods that might harm the fetus. This revulsion to certain foods can also protect the mother, since her immune system may not be up to par because of the pregnancy. Morning sickness typically starts early in the morning and decreases in severity throughout the day — unless the mother eats or smells a food that can bring on another bout of sickness. In addition, hormonal contraceptive pills can cause nausea similar to morning sickness due to increased estrogen levels. When this happens, the woman might feel nauseous when smelling foods she once enjoyed and commonly consumed.

A hangover is essentially physiological effects like nausea, headache, and sensitivity to light brought on by heavy consumption of alcohol. These side effects of a hangover are very common, along with thirst and sensitivity to noise. While most common after a night of heavy drinking, it is possible for hangover nausea happen at any time of the day.

Also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), acid reflux is a disease caused by stomach acid reaching the esophagus. Normally, the top of the stomach is closed, but various things can damage or change this barrier. Heartburn and vomiting are the most common symptoms of acid reflux, but some people with this disease also experience nausea. Whether a person experiences nausea in the morning depends on when he or she last ate. Chest pain and excessive salivation are other uncommon symptoms of acid reflux.

Another potential cause of nausea in the morning is anxiety. Anxiety is considered a normal reaction to stress, but sometimes anxiety can be excessive or have no obvious trigger. Some symptoms of anxiety are nausea, chest pain, and heart palpitations. In some cases, anxiety attacks have been mistaken for heart attacks due to the severity of their symptoms.