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  Can Heartburn Cause Nausea?

There are many reports of people experiencing nausea along with heartburn. Although it says so otherwise on many sites around the internet, heartburn is not a condition. It is a symptom of a condition called GERD (acid reflux), and nausea is also one of the other symptoms (although not as common). This type of illness is usually ongoing and even though it might temporarily come and go, it never completely disappears as something that you eat might trigger it at any point in time. It is widely recognized that, yes, acid reflux can cause nausea.

When the acidity in your stomach gets past a certain level, and you have a weakened LES a lot of that acid splashes around in your chest and throat area. Since these parts of the body are not created to have that type of substance within them it allows for the to easily get burnt. Imagine placing very hot candle wax (in liquid form) on your hand. We used to do this as kids, but sometimes you would get it while it was still very hot. This would burn really bad but there was no way to really get it off as it would burn any area that it touched.

refluxUnlike with the hand, when the acid starts to burn the throat area, the body begins extra saliva production as that will make its way down the back of your throat and neutralize the acid and coat the burn. The burning is painful and harmful and can cause a lot of nerve points to trigger which can cause many different symptoms, one of them being nausea. This might make you feel as if though you are car sick or just want to vomit. In my opinion it is the body's defense mechanism as it tries to stop the pain and get rid of the acidic substance from an area where it doesn't belong. Since it won't stay down, might as well get it to exit through the top. 

If you do go this route, prepare for even more burning and a very acidic after taste. Too much throwing up and burning of the esophagus and you might also come down with a case of acid laryngitis where you start to change or even completely lose your voice. The only way to combat the nausea which is coming from reflux is by controlling the acid reflux itself.

There are many dietary and lifestyle changes which can be made. For shorter term bouts, numerous types of over the counter medication / antacids is available. It is recommended to see a doctor and get the disease properly diagnosed if it continues for a longer period of time as it can really damage many of the body parts and even cause ulcers or cancer.

What Can You Do Now To Prevent Nausea?

  • These are a few of the methods recommended: 
  • Avoid large meals, and try to have smaller ones throughout the day 
  • Slow down as you eat 
  • Take hard to digest foods out of your diet 
  • Eat colder meals, as the smell of hot dishes may elevate the nausea 
  • Do not attempt eating when nauseated 
  • Drink water between meals instead of during them