Approximately 25% of the population suffers from chronic nausea. The symptoms for everyone are different, though the most common are dizziness, pale skin and the urge to vomit. Chronic nausea tends to dissipate over time, and the causes vary.
Here are some of the top causes of chronic nausea:
- Pregnancy. Pregnancy-related nausea is also known as morning sickness. Nausea is a common symptom among women who are pregnant.
- Viral or other infectious agents. It’s natural for your immune system to produce enough anti-bodies to stave off viruses and other infections. Still, this can make you feel a bit whoozy. Simply having an infection, cold or the flu can leave you nauseous.
- Allergies. The body treats allergies similar to viral infections. You’ll most likely feel the effects after eating or drinking something to which you are allergic. Nausea with pollen allergies is rare, but not unheard of.
- Gastroparesis. This is a condition in which the stomach takes too long to empty. The cause for this abnormality is the stomach becomes partially paralyzed. Because of this, food is unable to travel further through the digestive path, leaving you nauseous.
- Brain abnormalities. Parts of the central nervous system control the brain triggers for vomiting. At its worst, a tumor might be the cause. A simple chemical imbalance is a less dangerous scenario.
- A hyper-reactive immune system. Your body fights disease to the best of its ability. Sometimes your immune system becomes overly sensitive. Your body then reacts violently to the slightest infection or anything else it perceives to be a threat.
- Non-physical conditions. Depression and anxiety can lead a person to nausea. In some cases, this worsens the initial condition. Particular types of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia may also cause nausea.
- Migraine headaches. These headaches have additional effects other than the standard throbbing ache. Nausea, fever and sensitivity to light and sound are the primary symptoms.
- Organ failure. Kidney and liver failure are common causes of nausea. So is appendicitis.
- Cancer and chemotherapy. Although nausea is a familiar side effect of chemotherapy, not everybody acquires this effect. There are a number of factors that contribute to your chances of chemotherapy-induced nausea, such as sex, age and anxiety levels.
If you are experiencing nausea for more than two weeks, it’s best to seek medical attention. Ignoring it could lead to a number of worsening conditions, including death.