What is nausea? A historical analysis of changing views

Abstract

The connotation of “nausea” has changed across several millennia. The medical term ‘nausea’ is derived from the classical Greek terms ναυτια and ναυσια, which designated the signs and symptoms of seasickness. In classical texts, nausea referred to a wide range of perceptions and actions, including lethargy and disengagement, headache (migraine), and anorexia, with an awareness that vomiting was imminent only when the condition was severe. However, some recent articles have limited the definition to the sensations that immediately precede emesis. Defining nausea is complicated by the fact that it has many triggers, and can build-up slowly or rapidly, such that the prodromal signs and symptoms can vary. In particular, disengagement responses referred to as the “sopite syndrome” are typically present only when emetic stimuli are moderately provocative, and do not quickly culminate in vomiting or disengagement from the triggering event. This review considers how the definition of “nausea” has evolved over time, and summarizes the physiological changes that occur prior to vomiting that may be indicative of nausea. Also described are differences in the perception of nausea, as well as the accompanying physiological responses, that occur with varying stimuli. This information is synthesized to provide an operational definition of nausea.

Acute findings in an acquired neurosensory dysfunction

“…The dizziness, ear pain, and subjective cognitive symptoms are aversive; as in the case of conditioned taste aversion in the presence of nausea and the symptoms may be attributed to irrelevant but novel conditions that merely coincide temporally with the proximate cause. Attribution and misattribution issues for balance disorders and nausea have been reviewed elsewhere . More recently, clinical evidence suggests that objective cognitive findings in patients with Otic capsule dehiscence syndrome are resolved by surgical repair .…”

“…Attribution and misattribution issues for balance disorders and nausea have been reviewed elsewhere. [6][7][8] More recently, clinical evidence suggests that objective cognitive findings in patients with Otic capsule dehiscence syndrome are resolved by surgical repair. 9 As is well-known for public health concerns, media attention can increase the prevalence of medical consultation by the "worried well."…”

Vestibular Neuroscience for the Headache Specialist

“…When sensory information is deranged, postural instability can evoke autonomic and cognitive symptoms including motion sickness, simulator sickness, and cybersickness . Patients with vestibular dysfunction, with evolving nausea from motion sickness or with migraine will often endorse the term “brain fog” or “mental fog” as a descriptor of their sensations . It may include perceptions of difficulty concentrating, of mental slowness, and difficulty recognizing incoming information; in other words, a general impairment of situation assessment abilities .…”

Incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting and it’s predictors among adult elective surgical patients at Jimma Medical Center, South West Ethiopia

“…Incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting and it's predictors among adult elective surgical patients at Jimma Medical Center, South West Ethiopia dramatically in recent decades (4), Post Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) remains one of the most frequent and distressing complications following anesthetic and surgical procedures (5)(6)(7). It affects 20 -30% of all post-operative surgical and 70%-80% high risk patients (8,9).…”

“…Nausea is a subjective sensation of urge to vomit whereas vomiting as a clinical symptom is a forceful dynamic expulsion of gastric contents through the mouth or nose. Dry-retching is a vomit-like feelings with contractions of stomach without vomiting or substance (9). Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a clinical manifestation that exist when a total score of nausea, dry retching and vomiting are greater than or equal to fifty depending on a Linear Post-operative Nausea and Vomiting Intensity Scale (10,11).…”