Should I Visit The A&E for Nausea? When Is It Serious?
Nausea is a condition that many people experience when there's discomfort in their stomachs which sometimes makes them feel like throwing up. It’s your body’s way of getting rid of the contents of your stomach due to many different reasons.
Nausea is quite common.
Unless the symptoms are either prolonged or getting serious and interfere with your professional, personal, and social life, it can be easily treated at home!
You could be experiencing nausea for many reasons. It could be because of medication, stomach flu, heartburn, indigestion, stress, intense pain, food poisoning, stomach flu, motion sickness, or even an indication of pregnancy.
You should consult a GP for your nausea to help pinpoint the reason for it, via Teleconsultation services.
However, recurring nausea could be a sign of something serious, though. It could be an indication of or a precursor to something more serious in which case, you may need to have a consultation with or get a physical examination from a doctor.
So, how do you know when nausea is serious?
Is Nausea Serious?
First of all, if you are experiencing nausea along with the symptoms listed below, you may need to get yourself physically assessed. And yes, that could mean a trip to the A&E or a doctor home consultation may be necessary.
Symptoms of When Nausea is Serious:
When you’re experiencing nausea along with the following symptoms:
Chest pain
Intense headache or fever
Set of symptoms related to a physical head injury
Pain in the jaw
Blood in your vomit
Heavy sweating
Pain or numbness in your left arm
Stiff neck
Difficulty Breathing
Confusion
Diarrhoea
Inability to consume food or drinks for more than 12 hours
Symptoms continue despite having taken medication for more than 24 hours
Dehydration; infrequent urination, weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness
What Do You Need To Treat Nausea?
Rehydrating yourself, resting, and maintaining a soft diet could help alleviate the marks of nausea. Most of the time, with the relief of over-the-counter medication, nausea will ease up and will NOT require a doctor consultation or a trip to the A&E.
If the nausea is accompanied by severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and/or diarrhoea, you could be suffering from viral gastroenteritis which may require a rehydration solution or IV drip.
For those who find it difficult to make it out of bed or even the house, our nurses on-call can help set you up with IV drips.
And if you’re having trouble with nausea and/or vomiting and would rather not drive yourself to the clinic or pharmacy, book a video consultation and have the medicine delivered right to your doorstep.
Even after nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea has eased up, consuming soft foods for another day or two will help your stomach further adjust and recuperate. Of course, don’t forget to continue hydrating yourself.
How To Prevent Nausea?
Knowing the triggers help you avoid nausea whenever you can. For instance, if you’re going on a boat ride or going to a place where there are strobe lights, prepping yourself ahead of time with anti-nausea medication like scopolamine helps.
Pain medication will ease the migraine attacks while keeping yourself comfy and cool mitigates exacerbation. If you are sensitive to strong odours, avoid smells of cooking/food-frying, strong perfume, and other olfactory stimulants.
To avoid upsetting your stomach, change your diet and eating habits. Eating easily digestible food in small amounts more frequently is another good way to give your body time to recover. And although this goes without saying, it is NOT a good time to indulge in spicy, fatty, or greasy food.
Stick to safer options like cereal, biscuits or digestive biscuits, toast or bread, soup, ginger, bananas, applesauce, herbal tea and the likes.
Do not lie down after a heavy meal and avoid excessively heavy activities like exercising right after a meal.
Calling a Doctor or Visiting The A&E For Nausea
Sometimes, nausea can be accompanied by vomiting and diarrhoea and if it is persistent and interferes with your personal, professional and social life, you are advised to seek out the help of a professional doctor.
The doctor, after a video consultation or physical examination, can better evaluate your condition, prescribe you medication and monitor your condition. If required, our medical team will be deployed to your home or wherever you are to conduct a physical examination.
