Headache and Nausea: 8 Causes and How to Treat Them

Headaches and nausea often occur together. This condition can have many causes and, in some cases, may be a symptom of certain illnesses. Proper treatment is necessary so that headaches and nausea don’t interfere with your daily activities.

A headache typically feels like dizziness, weakness, or the sensation of fainting, while nausea is an uncomfortable feeling in the stomach that leads to the urge to vomit. When they happen together, it can make you feel really uncomfortable. The causes range from motion sickness, pregnancy, to symptoms of certain conditions.

Causes of Headaches and Nausea

Headaches and nausea are usually not caused by anything serious. Here are some common reasons they happen, along with explanations:

1. Motion Sickness
   Headaches and nausea are common symptoms of motion sickness. This happens when your brain receives too much stimulation, whether it’s from sights, sounds, or movements. Along with dizziness and nausea, motion sickness may cause cold sweats, headaches, and vomiting. Things like reading, staring at a screen, or traveling during early pregnancy can make it worse.
2. Pregnancy
   Pregnancy can bring on dizziness and nausea due to hormonal changes that lower your blood pressure. Nausea, often called morning sickness, is likely caused by a rise in the hormone hCG during pregnancy.
3. Low Blood Sugar
   When your blood sugar is low, your brain doesn’t get enough glucose, its main energy source, causing dizziness and headaches. Low blood sugar can also cause an adrenaline rush, leading to nausea.
4. Drinking Too Much Alcohol
   Excessive alcohol consumption can dehydrate your body, leading to dizziness as blood flow to the brain becomes irregular. Alcohol also irritates your stomach, increasing acid production, which can cause nausea and vomiting.
5. Food Allergies
   If you feel dizzy and nauseous after eating certain foods, it might be a food allergy. Your immune system reacts to something in the food as if it’s harmful, even though it isn’t. Other symptoms of food allergies include itchy skin, swelling, coughing, sneezing, stomach pain, or diarrhea.
6. Vertigo
   Vertigo, especially BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo), can make you feel dizzy and nauseous, particularly when moving your head. BPPV vertigo may also include loss of balance and abnormal eye movements (nystagmus).
7. Vestibular Migraine
   This type of migraine can cause dizziness and nausea that come and go. Vestibular migraines are thought to occur because of changes in brain nerve cells, though the exact cause isn’t clear.
8. GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)
   GERD occurs when stomach acid flows back up into your esophagus, irritating it and sometimes affecting the inner ear, leading to dizziness and nausea. Other symptoms include heartburn, chest pain, and difficulty swallowing.

How to Manage Headaches and Nausea

Headaches and nausea often go away on their own, but here are a few ways to relieve them:

• Eat healthy and balanced meals
• Stay hydrated by drinking 8 glasses of water a day
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, spicy, acidic, or overly fatty foods
• Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night in a calm, quiet room
• Move slowly when getting up or sitting down
• Avoid eating too much before traveling, and take motion sickness medication if necessary
• Use over-the-counter antihistamines for dizziness
• Try the Epley maneuver for vertigo

If these methods don’t help, or if your symptoms persist, see a doctor. A medical evaluation can help pinpoint the cause and lead to the right treatment, such as migraine medication for vestibular migraines.

Consult a doctor if you experience additional symptoms such as a stiff neck, confusion, seizures, sensitivity to light, skin rash, or a decrease in appetite, as these could indicate more serious conditions requiring immediate attention.