Causes

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Nausea and vomiting may occur separately or together. Common causes include:

  1. Chemotherapy
  2. Gastroparesis (a condition in which the muscles of the stomach wall don't function properly, interfering with digestion)
  3. General anesthesia
  4. Intestinal obstruction — when something blocks food or liquid from moving through the small or large intestine.
  5. Migraine
  6. Morning sickness
  7. Motion sickness: First aid
  8. Rotavirus or infections caused by other viruses.
  9. Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
  10. Vestibular neuritis

Other possible causes of nausea and vomiting include:

  1. Acute liver failure
  2. Alcohol use disorder
  3. Anaphylaxis
  4. Anorexia nervosa
  5. Appendicitis — when the appendix becomes inflamed.
  6. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
  7. Brain tumor
  8. Bulimia nervosa
  9. Cannabis (marijuana) use
  10. Cholecystitis
  11. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  12. Crohn's disease — which causes tissues in the digestive tract to become inflamed.
  13. Cyclic vomiting syndrome
  14. Depression (major depressive disorder)
  15. Diabetic ketoacidosis (in which the body has high levels of blood acids called ketones)
  16. Dizziness
  17. Ear infection (middle ear)
  18. Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)
  19. Fever
  20. Food allergy (for example, cow's milk, soy or eggs)
  21. Food poisoning (foodborne illness)
  22. Gallstones
  23. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  24. Generalized anxiety disorder
  25. Heart attack
  26. Heart failure — a condition in which the heart doesn't pump blood as well as it should.
  27. Hepatitis
  28. Hiatal hernia
  29. Hydrocephalus
  30. Hyperparathyroidism (overactive parathyroid)
  31. Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
  32. Hypoparathyroidism (underactive parathyroid)
  33. Intestinal ischemia
  34. Intestinal obstruction — when something blocks food or liquid from moving through the small or large intestine.
  35. Intracranial hematoma
  36. Intussusception (in children)
  37. Irritable bowel syndrome — a group of symptoms that affect the stomach and intestines.
  38. Medications (including aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, oral contraceptives, digitalis, narcotics and antibiotics)
  39. Meniere's disease
  40. Meningitis
  41. Pancreatic cancer
  42. Pancreatitis
  43. Peptic ulcer
  44. Pseudotumor cerebri (idiopathic intracranial hypertension)
  45. Pyloric stenosis (in infants)
  46. Radiation therapy
  47. Severe pain
  48. Toxic hepatitis

Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.

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Dec. 07, 2023

See also

  1. Achalasia
  2. Acute coronary syndrome
  3. Acute liver failure
  4. Addison's disease
  5. Adrenal fatigue: What causes it?
  6. Airplane ear
  7. Alcohol intolerance
  8. Alcohol use disorder
  9. Allergy medications: Know your options
  10. Allergy-proof your home
  11. Anaphylaxis
  12. Anaphylaxis: First aid
  13. Aneurysms
  14. Angina
  15. Anthrax
  16. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
  17. Ascariasis
  18. Aspirin allergy
  19. Astrocytoma
  20. Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT)
  21. Autoimmune hepatitis
  22. Beating Ovarian Cancer
  23. Bee sting
  24. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
  25. Bile reflux
  26. Blastocystis hominis
  27. Botulism
  28. Brain aneurysm
  29. Brain tumor
  30. Brain tumor FAQs
  31. Brainstem tumor
  32. Bump on the head: When is it a serious head injury?
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  46. Chronic sinusitis
  47. Churg-Strauss syndrome
  48. Cirrhosis
  49. Cirrhosis self-care and diet
  50. Concussion
  51. Concussion in children
  52. Concussion Telemedicine
  53. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
  54. Constipation in children
  55. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  56. COVID-19 travel advice
  57. COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What you need to know
  58. COVID-19 vaccines: Get the facts
  59. COVID-19 vs. flu: Similarities and differences
  60. COVID-19: How can I protect myself?
  61. COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
  62. Craniopharyngioma
  63. CSF leak (Cerebrospinal fluid leak)
  64. Cyclic vomiting syndrome
  65. Debunking COVID-19 myths
  66. Dengue fever
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  68. Diabetic Gastroparesis
  69. Diabetic ketoacidosis
  70. Diabetic neuropathy
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  72. Different types of COVID-19 vaccines: How they work
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  93. Food allergy or intolerance?
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  104. H1N1 flu (swine flu)
  105. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
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  107. Headaches in children
  108. Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
  109. Heart attack
  110. Heart attack prevention: Should I avoid secondhand smoke?
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  120. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)
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  122. Henoch-Schonlein purpura
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  124. Hepatitis C
  125. Hepatitis C: How common is sexual transmission?
  126. Hepatitis C: What happens in end-stage liver disease?
  127. Herd immunity and COVID-19: What you need to know
  128. Hirschsprung's disease
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  130. How kidneys work
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  132. Hypercalcemia
  133. Hyponatremia
  134. Infant reflux
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  136. Intestinal ischemia
  137. Intracranial hematoma
  138. Intussusception
  139. Is hydroxychloroquine a treatment for COVID-19?
  140. Jellyfish stings
  141. Kawasaki disease
  142. Kidney disease FAQs
  143. Kidney stones
  144. Lead poisoning
  145. Listeria infection
  146. Liver cancer
  147. Liver disease
  148. Liver disease: How medications can harm the liver
  149. Liver hemangioma
  150. Living with Brain Tumors
  151. Long COVID: Lasting effects of COVID-19
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  162. Mayo Clinic study reporting increased incidence of C. difficile infection
  163. MCAD deficiency
  164. Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS)
  165. Medications for liver failure
  166. Medulloblastoma
  167. Meningitis
  168. Migraine
  169. Migraine FAQs
  170. Migraine medicines and antidepressants
  171. Migraine treatment: Can antidepressants help?
  172. Migraines and gastrointestinal problems: Is there a link?
  173. Migraines and Vertigo
  174. Migraines: Are they triggered by weather changes?
  175. Migraines: Simple steps to head off the pain
  176. Molar pregnancy
  177. Morning sickness
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  179. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
  180. Myocardial ischemia
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  182. New Test for Preeclampsia
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  184. Nighttime panic attacks: What causes them?
  185. Norovirus infection
  186. NSAIDs: Do they increase my risk of heart attack and stroke?
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  188. Orchitis
  189. Orthostatic hypotension (postural hypotension)
  190. Ovarian cancer
  191. Ovarian cancer: Still possible after hysterectomy?
  192. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
  193. Pain Management
  194. Pancreatic cysts
  195. Pap test: Can it detect ovarian cancer?
  196. Parvovirus infection
  197. Peanut allergy
  198. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
  199. Peritoneal carcinomatosis
  200. Peritonitis
  201. Pilocytic astrocytoma
  202. Pineal gland tumor
  203. Pinworm infection
  204. Pituitary tumors
  205. Plague
  206. Polio
  207. Polymorphous light eruption
  208. Porphyria
  209. Postpartum preeclampsia
  210. Preeclampsia
  211. Pregnancy and COVID-19: What are the risks?
  212. Preventing Kidney Stones
  213. Pseudomembranous colitis
  214. Pyloric stenosis
  215. Radiation sickness
  216. Recurrent breast cancer
  217. Rhabdomyolysis
  218. Ricin poisoning
  219. Rotavirus
  220. Ruptured eardrum (perforated eardrum)
  221. Safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
  222. Safety tips for attending school during COVID-19
  223. Salmonella infection
  224. Salt craving: A symptom of Addison's disease?
  225. Scarlet fever
  226. Scrotal masses
  227. Self-care for the flu
  228. Sex and COVID-19
  229. Shaken baby syndrome
  230. Silent heart attack
  231. Smallpox
  232. Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
  233. Spider bites
  234. Spinal headaches
  235. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD)
  236. Staph infections
  237. Strep throat
  238. Subarachnoid hemorrhage
  239. Sulfa allergy
  240. Swallowing gum: Is it harmful?
  241. Tapeworm infection
  242. Testicular torsion
  243. Thunderclap headaches
  244. Toxic shock syndrome
  245. Vascular rings
  246. Vasovagal syncope
  247. Ventricular fibrillation
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  257. Wilson's disease
  258. Zollinger-Ellison syndrome