When nausea and gas occur together, the most common cause usually has something to do with diet. Certain foods are known to produce gastrointestinal distress when consumed in large quantities, and this can often translate as gassiness, nausea, or both. These symptoms might also be a sign of food poisoning or some sort of allergy or sensitivity to a specific ingredient, or in other cases might be related to a larger medical condition like anxiety, pregnancy, or gallbladder disease. It’s also possible that a person could be experiencing gas and nausea for completely separate reasons that just happen to overlap. Both are fairly common, and there are many different possibilities. Anyone who is concerned about experiencing the two together is encouraged to get a medical opinion, though in most cases there’s nothing serious to worry about.
Diet
What people eat and how much they eat is one of the main causes of all digestive problems, including both nausea and gas. Foods that commonly cause gas include vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green peppers, and onions. Beans, bananas, eggs and fried and fatty foods are also culprits, particularly when consumed in large quantities. On the beverage side, sodas, fruit drinks, beer, and red wine frequently cause these sorts of symptoms, too.
Gas doesn’t always happen alongside nausea when these foods or drinks are consumed, but it can, particularly when people eat a lot or combine many of these “problem” foods together. Nausea can happen for many reasons, but feeling overly full while having a gas attack is often recipe for a problem. People may feel just a bit queasy or seasick, or they might actually feel as if they’re about to vomit.
Food Poisoning, Allergy, or Sensitivity
Nausea and gas might also be a result of food poisoning, or an adverse reaction to a certain food that a person has eaten. In these cases, the body will often try to expel the problematic food through vomiting. Gas in the intestine is often a side effect of stomach inflammation, though liquidy, loose stools can be a part of many food reactions, and these often come with plentiful flatulence.
Medical Conditions
A number of diseases, disorders, and conditions can cause these symptoms to occur together, too. Gallbladder disease, concussions, and gastroparesis are some of the most common, though certain cancers and heart problems could also be to blame along with mental health issues like anxiety disorders. Women who are in the early stages of pregnancy sometimes also feel queasy and gassy as a result of the changes happening in their bodies. It’s important to note, though, that in almost all of these cases there are other, more easily identifiable symptoms; gas along with nausea are just two of them, and don’t in and of themselves usually indicate anything in particular.
Unrelated Causes
Many people who experience nausea at the same time as gas are actually suffering from two separate issues. Both symptoms are fairly common on their own, and experiencing them together doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re related.
Some of the most common causes of nausea are seasickness and motion sickness. Certain medicines can also lead to queasiness, and it’s also a fairly normal reaction to a disturbing sight or smell. Anxiety or nervousness can make someone nauseous, too, as could the stomach flu or some other virus. Stomach inflammation problems and ulcers can be causes as well.
Aside from dietary issues, swallowing air is one of the more frequent causes of gas. Swallowed air that isn’t burped up could pass through the digestive system and turn into flatus, which can be both painful and embarrassing. Some medications can also lead to constipation and intestinal troubles, or an ailment like Irritable Bowel Syndrome could be to blame.
Prevention
The list of common causes of nausea and gas are long, but both ailments are usually preventable. To keep gas to a minimum, foods known to induce it should be consumed in moderation. A dietary supplement that reduces gas also can help. To prevent nausea, people should try to eat smaller meals, eat more slowly, and be sure that all foods are cooked properly and under sanitary conditions. Foods that are hard to digest should generally be avoided, too.
Getting Help
Most of the time, the symptoms of both gas and nausea will go away on their own with time. Anyone who is concerned about whether what they’re feeling is “normal” should probably talk to a medical professional. This is particularly true for symptoms that last for more than about a week, or for vomiting or diarrhea that cause weight loss or serious dehydration. Getting to the root of the problem is often the best way to fix it.