Nausea

Nausea is the uneasy sensation in the stomach and throat that often precedes vomiting, though it can occur without it.

It is a symptom rather than a disease and arises from signals in the brainstem that integrate input from the gut, the inner ear, the bloodstream and higher brain centers. Common causes include viral gastroenteritis, motion sickness, pregnancy, migraine, medication side effects, anxiety and chemotherapy. Nausea may be brief and self-limited or persistent and associated with weight loss and dehydration.

Assessment considers timing, relation to meals, associated symptoms such as fever or abdominal pain, and medication and pregnancy history. Persistent or severe nausea may prompt laboratory tests or imaging. Two synthetic THC-based prescription drugs, dronabinol and nabilone, are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for chemotherapy-related nausea, while research on cannabidiol itself for nausea remains limited.