Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentPreventionSeeking Medical Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Prevention
Seeking Medical Care
Nauseaanddiarrheaoften occur together, particularly withgastroenteritisandfood poisoning.
This article will discuss how each symptom presents, what can cause both symptoms to occur, and how to treat nausea and diarrhea.
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Symptoms of Nausea and Diarrhea
Nausea can present as:
Other symptoms that can occur with nausea include:
Diarrhea is defined as loose, watery stools occurring three or more times in one day.
Diarrheacan present with symptoms such as:
When to Get Emergency Care
Call 911 (or your local emergency number) or seek immediate medical treatment if you or your child experiences:
6 Common Causes of Nausea and Diarrhea
Many conditions can cause nausea and diarrhea. Some of the more common ones include:
Viral Gastroenteritis (“Stomach Flu”)
The most common cause ofdiarrhea—and a common cause of nausea—is viral gastroenteritis. This illness is usually called the stomach flu or a stomach bug, although it is not a form of influenza.
Viruses that commonly cause diarrhea and/or nausea include:
Rotavirus is a common cause of acute diarrhea in infants and children, with outbreaks that tend to occur most often in the winter and early spring. A rotavirus vaccine is available to help protect kids against this condition.
Other symptoms of gastroenteritis may include:
Symptoms from viral gastroenteritis typically start to improve within 24 hours.
Food Poisoning
Ingesting food that contains toxins from bacteria in foods that have not been prepared, handled, cooked, or stored properly can cause nausea and diarrhea.
You typically start to feel sick from food poisoning between one to eight hoursafter eatingthe contaminated food, but it can take longer for symptoms to appear.
An upset stomach fromfood poisoningcan last from 12 to 48 hours.
Medications
Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, often cause nausea. They alsomake the lining of the intestine thinner, causing stool to be softer and more watery, which can lead to diarrhea.
Other medications that can cause nausea and/or diarrhea include:
Food Intolerance
Food allergies and intolerances to food such as cow’s milk, eggs, cereal grains, or seafood may cause nausea and/ordiarrhea. Lactose intolerance (sensitivity to foods and beverages containing milk products) commonly causes diarrhea.
People who are intolerant of fructose may also experience diarrhea if they consume foods or beverages that contain fructose, such as fruits, fruit juices, honey, or high-fructose corn syrup.
Sugar alcohols, often found in sugar-free products, may also cause diarrhea for some people. These alcohols includesorbitol,xylitol, andmannitol.
Infections
In addition to viral infections, bacterial and parasitic infections can also cause nausea and diarrhea. These infections are usually spread through contaminated food, water (including ice cubes), or beverages.
When these infections are contracted during travel to certain areas, it is calledtraveler’s diarrhea.
Gastrointestinal Conditions
Conditions that affect the stomach and/or intestines can have symptoms that include nausea anddiarrhea. These conditions include:
How to Treat Nausea and Diarrhea
Nausea and vomiting are symptoms of conditions. How they aretreateddepends on their cause. Often, nausea and diarrhea can be managed at home, but in some cases medical treatment is necessary. Talk to your healthcare provider before trying any treatment for nausea or diarrhea to ensure the treatment plan is right for you and your condition.
Nausea Remedies
Depending on the cause of your nausea, your healthcare provider may recommendmedicationssuch as:
You also may be advised to start oral rehydration therapy, which involves drinking a rehydration solution specially formulated to replace minerals and fluids you have lost through frequent vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Check with your healthcare provider before taking any medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) ones, especially if you arepregnant.
Natural, At-Home Solutions
If the cause of your nausea doesn’t require medical attention, it can often be managed with some at-home measuressuch as:
Lifestyle Changes
If you are experiencing prolonged or repeated episodes of nausea, your healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist, such as agastroenterologist.A gastroenterologist can determine the reason for your nausea and work to manage it. Sometimes, lifestyle changes, like modifying your diet, could help.
Diarrhea Remedies
Which medications are recommended fortreating your diarrheawill depend on the cause of the diarrhea. For symptomatic relief of acute (sudden onset) diarrhea, your healthcare provider may recommend medications such as:
Do not take medication for diarrhea, including OTC medications, without first consulting with your healthcare provider, as these drugs can worsen some infections.
Don’t take bismuth subsalicylate with the herbs white willow (Salix alba), meadowsweet (Spirea ulmaria), or wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens).
Your healthcare provider may suggest oral rehydration therapy as well.
Unless your diarrhea needs medical attention, you can usuallymanage it at homewith techniques similar to those used to manage nausea, such as sipping liquids, eating small meals of bland food, andavoiding foods and beveragesthat could irritate your digestive system, like greasy foods or caffeine.
If you have a condition such as IBD or IBS that causes more frequent episodes of diarrhea, your healthcare provider may suggest changes to your diet or lifestyle habits that could help.
What About Young Children?
It is important to identify the cause of the nausea and/or diarrhea in children. If they have an infection, appropriate antibiotic treatment will be needed.
Infants can continue breastfeeding or drinking formula if they are not throwing up repeatedly. If your child is not vomiting, they can continue toeat their usual dietas they feel up to it.
Children with diarrhea and/or vomiting must be watched carefully for signs of dehydration. Your healthcare provider may recommend giving your child rehydrating solutions such as:
If the diarrhea is severe, intravenous (IV, within a vein) fluids may be needed at the hospital to treat dehydration.
How to Prevent Nausea and Diarrhea
It’s not always possible to prevent nausea and diarrhea, but steps can be taken to lower the risk ofspreading the germsthat cause infections leading to these symptoms.
Tips for Preventing Traveler’s DiarrheaTo help guard against contracting an infection that leads to nausea and diarrhea when traveling, take measures such as:Research where you are going and talk to your healthcare provider about taking precautions beforehand, since some areas are more prone to traveler’s diarrhea than others.Avoid drinking tap water or using tap water to prepare food or drinks, brush your teeth, or make ice.Drink bottled water, soft drinks, and drinks that have been made with boiling water, such as coffee or tea.Make sure the juice, milk, and milk products you consume have been pasteurizedAvoid eating raw or undercooked meat, fish, or shellfish (food should be fully cooked and served hot).Don’t eat raw or fresh fruits and vegetables unless you have washed and peeled them yourself.Avoid eating food from street vendors or food trucks.
Tips for Preventing Traveler’s Diarrhea
To help guard against contracting an infection that leads to nausea and diarrhea when traveling, take measures such as:Research where you are going and talk to your healthcare provider about taking precautions beforehand, since some areas are more prone to traveler’s diarrhea than others.Avoid drinking tap water or using tap water to prepare food or drinks, brush your teeth, or make ice.Drink bottled water, soft drinks, and drinks that have been made with boiling water, such as coffee or tea.Make sure the juice, milk, and milk products you consume have been pasteurizedAvoid eating raw or undercooked meat, fish, or shellfish (food should be fully cooked and served hot).Don’t eat raw or fresh fruits and vegetables unless you have washed and peeled them yourself.Avoid eating food from street vendors or food trucks.
To help guard against contracting an infection that leads to nausea and diarrhea when traveling, take measures such as:
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
Contact your healthcare providerif it’s not an emergency, but you or your child experience symptoms such as:
Watch for signs of dehydration, such as:
Summary
Nausea is the sensation that you are going to vomit. Diarrhea is three or more episodes of watery stool in a day. It is common for nausea and diarrhea to occur simultaneously, including viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections, such as gastroenteritis and food poisoning. Somemedicationscan also cause nausea and diarrhea, as can certain conditions such as IBD and IBS.
Nausea and diarrhea can usually be treated at home with fluids, rest, andbland foods. More serious symptoms, such as blood in the vomit or stool, require medical attention and may need medications like antibiotics for a bacterial infection.
17 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Nausea.MedlinePlus.Diarrhea.Penn Medicine.Diarrhea.National Health Service.Feeling sick (nausea).MedlinePlus.Nausea and vomiting - adults.American Academy of Pediatrics.Diarrhea in children: what parents need to know.MedlinePlus.Nausea and vomiting.Healthdirect.Nausea.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diarrhea.Nemours KidsHealth.Diarrhea.Stanford Medicine.Nausea and vomiting.Nemours TeensHealth.Diarrhea.Harvard Health Publishing.What to do when your medication causes nausea.National Cancer Institute.Nausea and vomiting and cancer treatment.Mount Sinai.Diarrhea.Canadian Cancer Society.Diarrhea.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diarrhea.
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Nausea.MedlinePlus.Diarrhea.Penn Medicine.Diarrhea.National Health Service.Feeling sick (nausea).MedlinePlus.Nausea and vomiting - adults.American Academy of Pediatrics.Diarrhea in children: what parents need to know.MedlinePlus.Nausea and vomiting.Healthdirect.Nausea.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diarrhea.Nemours KidsHealth.Diarrhea.Stanford Medicine.Nausea and vomiting.Nemours TeensHealth.Diarrhea.Harvard Health Publishing.What to do when your medication causes nausea.National Cancer Institute.Nausea and vomiting and cancer treatment.Mount Sinai.Diarrhea.Canadian Cancer Society.Diarrhea.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diarrhea.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Nausea.MedlinePlus.Diarrhea.Penn Medicine.Diarrhea.National Health Service.Feeling sick (nausea).MedlinePlus.Nausea and vomiting - adults.American Academy of Pediatrics.Diarrhea in children: what parents need to know.MedlinePlus.Nausea and vomiting.Healthdirect.Nausea.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diarrhea.Nemours KidsHealth.Diarrhea.Stanford Medicine.Nausea and vomiting.Nemours TeensHealth.Diarrhea.Harvard Health Publishing.What to do when your medication causes nausea.National Cancer Institute.Nausea and vomiting and cancer treatment.Mount Sinai.Diarrhea.Canadian Cancer Society.Diarrhea.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diarrhea.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Nausea.
MedlinePlus.Diarrhea.
Penn Medicine.Diarrhea.
National Health Service.Feeling sick (nausea).
MedlinePlus.Nausea and vomiting - adults.
American Academy of Pediatrics.Diarrhea in children: what parents need to know.
MedlinePlus.Nausea and vomiting.
Healthdirect.Nausea.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diarrhea.
Nemours KidsHealth.Diarrhea.
Stanford Medicine.Nausea and vomiting.
Nemours TeensHealth.Diarrhea.
Harvard Health Publishing.What to do when your medication causes nausea.
National Cancer Institute.Nausea and vomiting and cancer treatment.
Mount Sinai.Diarrhea.
Canadian Cancer Society.Diarrhea.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diarrhea.
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