What is Nausea?
Nausea is a discomforting, gastrointestinal uneasiness or illness that often leads to vomiting—a subjective sensation that categorisation and consequential treatment can be elusive due to its association with numerous conditions and precipitants [1]; chronic nausea and vomiting are defined by symptoms that last for a minimum of one month [1, 2].
Nausea can have many different causes. Some people are sensitive to:
- Motion
- Specific foods
- Drugs
- Or the output of pathological states.
All these conditions can be associated with nausea [3].
Gastrointestinal Issues
Gastrointestinal Issues: Nausea can result from heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, or overeating [3, 4, 5]. Nausea can also manifest infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or food poisoning [6].
Medications
Medications and Drugs: Certain drugs, such as anti-cancer medications for instance chemotherapy, might be sickening to the stomach [3, 4, 5, 6].
Motion Sickness
Motion sickness: A rough ride in a car can cause incoming signals to fail to arrive at the same time as sensory input, leading to nausea [3, 4, 5, 6].
Food Related Problems
Problems with food: Eating certain foods, including spicy ones, high-in-fat ones or foods you might be allergic to, can lead to nausea [3].
Pain
Pain: Intense pain from pancreatitis, gallbladder stones, and kidney stones can promote nausea symptoms [3].
Medical Conditions
Nausea is also a symptom associated with conditions such as:
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
- Ear infection
- Heart attack
- Intestinal blockage
- Liver failure or liver cancer
- Meningitis
- Migraines [3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 6].
Psychological Factors
Psychological factors like anxiety, depression, and expectations can significantly affect nausea. Anxiety is linked to post-treatment nausea, while expectations for nausea can influence the severity of post-chemotherapy nausea.
Is Nausea During Ovulation a Common Symptom?
Although ovulation nausea isn’t generally regarded as a typical symptoms of ovulation, it is crucial to recognise that every woman’s body is individual and can react differently to hormonal changes during the cycle.
Nausea can be caused, however, by other conditions – for example, severe pain in the pelvis that comes with nausea or vomiting can be due to a ruptured ovarian cyst, a sign of ovarian torsion (twisting of the ovary on itself), and both of these are potentially life-threatening [9].
It’s also salient that nausea is a recognised symptom of early pregnancy, sometimes called ‘morning sickness’. Nausea is a classic symptom that arises at any time of day and is usually directly correlated with conception. This happens in almost 67% of women within 11 to 20 days of ovulation in that ever-so-important moment when the egg and sperm unite [10].
But if you have ovulation nausea that’s bothering you, you should talk with your doctor to rule out an underlying issue.