Life
5 Weird Things That Could Be Making You Nauseous
Everyone has experienced nausea at one point or another. It is an unsettling and, for lack of a better term, icky feeling. Maybe you get the occasional bout of motion sickness, or maybe you will get monthly nausea that is associated with PMS, but sometimes the feeling seemingly strikes out of nowhere. So what weird things are making you nauseous? The fix to your woes might be a lot easier than you think.
Odds are, your digestive unease is more likely triggered by an imbalance in your body chemistry, which are oftentimes related to dietary or lifestyle choices that can be quickly remedied. Hangovers after a night of heavy drinking frequently come with a hefty dose of nausea, but that kind of nausea is rarely mysterious. And, as anyone who has ever spent any time in the drugstore knows, loads of prescription and over the counter drugs list stomach upset as a common side effect, so pay attention to labels to avoid those sources of nausea.
So what are these other weird and wonderful sources of queasiness, and how can you stop them dead in their tracks? Check out these five situations that could be turning your lunch upside down.
1. Dehydration
Nausea and dehydration can get stuck in a nasty feedback loop with nausea keeping you from drinking water and dehydration making you more nauseated. Try drinking small sips of water until your stomach relaxes a bit, and the two problems should subside together.
2. Over-hydration
Anyone who has ever chugged a ton of water in the middle of a strenuous hike or other exercise session will be familiar with the body's reaction to drinking too much water too quickly. Drinking too much water during exercise can cause an imbalance between sodium and fluids, which can cause inflammation, pain, and, yep, you guessed it — nausea. Take it slow, and you should be able to avoid an upset stomach during exercise.
3. Taking multivitamins on an empty stomach
I just learned about this one last week, and it blew my mind. Who knew taking a multivitamin on an empty stomach could backfire in such distracting fashion? Supplements like iron and copper can cause stomach upset, and more acidic vitamins (like vitamin C) can cause increased acid in the stomach, which is no fun.
4. Caffeine (or any other kind of) withdrawal
If you're a caffeine junkie and you've ever accidentally or intentionally gone without your fix for the day, you've probably experienced the splitting headaches and nausea that comes with depriving your body of caffeine. Because caffeine can cause a mild physical dependence for its users, quitting cold turkey can actually cause withdrawal symptoms like you would find with any other substance of similar strength and addictive potential. If you're actually trying to quit caffeine and want to avoid the nastier symptoms, try slowly tapering off rather than cutting it out all at once.
5. Stress
Stress and anxiety can cause intense physical reactions in our bodies. When we're having a particularly trying day, there are measurable spikes in heart rate, adrenaline, blood pressure, and other neurochemicals that prepare our bodies for fight or flight. These chemicals can also speed up metabolism and cause unpleasant digestive symptoms like nausea. Squeeze in an extra intense workout or try a meditation app to get your body back in tune with your everyday life rather than letting your mind and body trick each other into preparing you for the Battle of Castle Black.
