Causes of Nausea & Vomiting

Look back to see when the female's last menstrual cycle was. It is possible that the nausea and vomiting are due to a pregnancy. Nausea and vomiting are quite common during the first trimester of any pregnancy because of the hormonal changes your body is going through. If a period is missed, an over-the-counter pregnancy test can be purchased at any pharmacy or department store to get confirmation of this. An appointment can be made with an OB/GYN to have a urine or blood test done in his office to confirm the pregnancy.

Stomach Flu

Check to see if the nausea and vomiting come on quite suddenly. If the person didn't feel sick for a long time before he actually got sick, then it came on suddenly. When a person comes down with the stomach flu, he actually has an infection in his stomach. This infection is usually viral and antibiotics will not work to cure it. Becoming nauseous and beginning to vomit is the body's way to try to rid itself of the infection. Stomach flu's often have another common symptom of diarrhea. If the nausea and vomiting doesn't begin to subside within 24 to 48 hours the person needs to seek medical treatment. A doctor will be able to confirm or deny that the stomach flu is the cause of the nausea and vomiting as well as monitor the person for dehydration.

Motion Sickness

Think if she moved suddenly, or she is currently in motion . This could be a ride on an airplane, day out at sea, ride on a roller coaster, or even a bumpy ride in the car. The added motion affects the equilibrium in the inner ear. This message is transported to the brain and then she will begin to feel nauseous. Soon after that she will begin to vomit. This is called motion sickness. There are some things she can do to try to counteract motion sickness. She can take two ginger root tablets or sip some gingerale. This will calm her stomach. She can also purchase some motion sickness tablets or patches to use. They are available over-the-counter or by a prescription from her doctor. These types of medications are best taken several hours before the motion is set to take place.

Food Poisoning

Review the foods that have eaten within the past 24 hours. E.coli and Staphylococcus bacteria can infect food and make anyone sick with food poisoning. Food poisoning can occur if food is left out too long, a piece of raw meat is eaten, or out of date dairy products are consumed. The symptoms of food poisoning are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Once the body rids itself of the bacteria, it will begin to feel better. The important thing to watch out for is dehydration. If you symptoms do not subside within 48 hours, treatment should be sought by a doctor or emergency room.