Don’t Forget to Hydrate when Dealing with Nausea

 

Peppermint Tea @ Kafe Pisa

 

When you experience nausea, whether it’s because of morning sickness, motion sickness, or some other cause, the last thing you feel like doing is eating or drinking. However, failure to adequately hydrate can make your nausea worse and lead to more dangerous-even life threatening- conditions.

Nausea has a dual relationship with dehydration. Dehydration can cause nausea or it can be the result of the loss of fluids associated with nausea and vomiting. Either way, it’s important to stay hydrated when you’re feeling nauseous. Signs that you may be dehydrated include:

  • Lack of sweating
  • Lethargy
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Dry Mouth
  • Thirst
  • Dark colored urination

One of the main reasons dehydration often becomes a problem for people dealing with nausea is that we don’t feel like taking anything in when we feel like we’re going to throw up. Dehydration can be an even bigger problem if our nausea is caused by the flu or other conditions which cause us to sweat, vomit or have diarrhea since those symptoms all lead cause us to lose water.

When you suffer from nausea, make sure you don’t stop hydrating. You may not be able to drink large amounts at once, but sipping on water can keep you from dehydrating. In some cases, it can even help reduce your nausea. If you can’t drink water, some other options include:

  • Tea. Some kinds of tea, especially peppermint, lavender and chamomile can actually help settle your stomach as well.
  • Ginger ale.Ginger has long been recognized as one of the most effective natural remedies for nausea. In fact, ginger ale was originally produced as a medication to help nausea.
  • Other clear soda. Seven Up, Sprite, or any kind of clear soda can help settle your stomach.
  • Sports drinks.Gatorade, Powerade and other sports drinks keep you hydrated and restore electrolytes which your body loses from sweating or throwing up. Many doctors recommend sports drinks over water when trying to stay hydrated.

Regardless of what’s causing your nausea, the last thing you want to do is compound the problem by allowing yourself to become dehydrated. Not only is that likely to make your nausea worse, but it could cause much more serious health conditions. If you find yourself feeling nauseous often, consider carrying a water bottle with you and increasing your fluid intakes, especially when you’re facing situations which typically make you nauseous. In some cases, it will reduce or eliminate nausea. Even if it doesn’t, it will help keep you from more serious health issues.