Nausea is a feeling of discomfort and unease in your upper abdomen, back of your mouth, and chest, which frequently manifests as a desire to vomit or spit. While nausea is not painful, it can be uncomfortable and have an impact on your quality of life if it persists. Because nausea is a non-specific symptom, there are numerous possible causes.
Causes of Nausea:
- Gastrointestinal disorders and food poisoning are the most common causes.
- Nausea can also be caused by low blood sugar, motion sickness, migraine, dizziness, fainting, and sleep deprivation.
- Nausea can also be a side effect of early pregnancy morning sickness and medications such as chemotherapy.
Many people are unaware that nausea can have a significant impact on your oral health. Nausea can result in vomiting, which brings stomach acids into your mouth. Stomach acids are corrosive and can lead to a variety of oral health issues.
Antiemetics, which are used to treat nausea, have side effects such as dry mouth and gum swelling, which can have an impact on your oral health.
1. Oral Health and Vomiting:
- Vomiting brings stomach acids and bile into your mouth just before they are expelled. This reflexive action can seriously harm your teeth, gums, and throat.
- Because stomach acids are corrosive, they erode the enamel that covers and protects your teeth.
- When we vomit frequently, our enamel wears away, resulting in tooth cavities.
- Acid also has an effect on dentine tissue, which is a hard tissue that makes up the bulk of your teeth and supports your enamel. This can result in hypersensitivity and other dental health issues.
- Stomach acids can also cause changes in the colour and texture of your teeth. Your teeth may begin to yellow and become weaker and more brittle, making them easily chipped.
- The acids in your vomit can also irritate your salivary glands, which are located on the sides of your cheeks, and can cause swelling.
- Just as stomach acids erode your enamel, they can erode the skin inside your mouth and throat, causing painful sores that can become infected and swell.
- Dry mouth and toothaches are also caused by frequent vomiting.
2. Acid reflux:
- Acid reflux occurs when the contents of your stomach (gastric fluid) rise into your oesophagus.
- Reflux symptoms and complications include an acidic taste in the back of your mouth, heartburn, chest pain, difficulty breathing, bad breath, regurgitation, and oral health problems.
- Acid reflux into your mouth can cause tooth erosion due to enamel breakdown, particularly on the inside surface of your teeth.
- This condition can also result in a dry mouth, bad bread, a burning sensation in your mouth, and reddening of your palate.
- Other symptoms include difficulty swallowing, nausea, vomiting, saliva flooding the mouth, coughing, and a hoarse voice.
- Smooth, glazed, or dull enamel surfaces are signs of acid reflux enamel erosion.
- Some lifestyle choices and habits, such as drinking too much alcohol, eating acidic and fatty foods, smoking, and taking medications, can aggravate acid reflux.
3. Oral Health and Pregnancy Nausea:
Nausea and vomiting, also known as morning sickness, are common pregnancy symptoms that affect 50 percent to 90 percent of pregnant women. These symptoms usually appear between the fourth and sixteenth weeks of pregnancy. The exact cause of pregnancy nausea is unknown, but it is thought to be related to hormonal changes.
Morning sickness vomiting causes an increase in acid in the mouth, which is harmful to your oral health.
4. Tips for Maintaining Oral Health While Suffering from Nausea:
- If you have frequent vomiting due to nausea, you should avoid brushing your teeth right after vomiting.
- Stomach acid erodes tooth enamel, and brushing your teeth right away can cause the enamel to erode even faster.
- Instead, rinse your mouth with water first, followed by mouthwash and brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste 30 minutes later.
- You should also refrain from brushing your teeth too hard.
- Dehydration can also result from frequent vomiting. Drink plenty of water if you frequently vomit to avoid dehydration.
- Limit your alcohol consumption, quit smoking, and avoid sugary and fatty diets if you suffer from acid reflux.
- If your nausea lasts longer than two days or you vomit frequently (more than twice a day), you should see your doctor, as this could indicate a serious underlying problem.
