---
title: "Feeling sick (nausea): When to See a GP | HealthAnswers"
description: "Feeling sick (nausea) is usually short-lived, caused by stomach bugs, motion sickness, anxiety, pregnancy or medicines — see a GP if it lasts days."
url: https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/feeling-sick/
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---

# Feeling sick (nausea): When to See a GP | HealthAnswers

Symptoms

Feeling sick (nausea) is usually short-lived, caused by stomach bugs, motion sickness, anxiety, pregnancy or medicines — see a GP if it lasts days.

Written by HealthAnswers editorial team Medically reviewed by [HealthAnswers UK doctor review panel](https://healthanswers.co.uk/our-doctors/) Reviewed 3 July 2026

## Quick answer

What could feeling sick mean? Feeling sick (nausea) is very common and usually short-lived — caused by things like stomach bugs, food, motion sickness, anxiety or pregnancy. It often settles with rest, fluids and plain food. Persistent or unexplained nausea, or nausea with warning signs, should be checked.

General UK health information, not a diagnosis. In an emergency call 999 ; for urgent advice use [NHS 111](https://111.nhs.uk/) (GP out-of-hours in Northern Ireland).

On this page 5 sections

## Common causes of feeling sick

- Stomach bugs and food are the most common short-term causes of nausea.
- Motion sickness, anxiety and migraines are frequent triggers of feeling sick.
- Nausea is common in pregnancy, especially in the early months.
- Medicines are a frequent and often fixable cause of ongoing nausea.

## Feeling sick is usually short-lived

Nausea is one of the most common symptoms there is, and most of the time it passes within hours to a couple of days. It is a signal with many possible senders — the gut, the inner ear, hormones, the brain, medicines — which is why context matters more than the feeling itself.

## Common causes of feeling sick

- Stomach bugs and food are the classic short-term causes, and often come with vomiting or [diarrhoea](https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/diarrhoea/).

- Motion sickness is triggered by travel and tends to be predictable.

- Migraines often bring nausea alongside the [headache](https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/headache/).

- [Anxiety](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/anxiety/) can cause a churning, sick feeling during stressful periods.

- Pregnancy very commonly causes nausea, especially in the first months.

- Medicines are one of the most frequent — and most fixable — causes.

## How to ease nausea

Rest, fresh air and small sips of fluid are the foundation. Eat little and plain when you feel able — toast, crackers, rice. Ginger genuinely helps some people. Avoid rich food, strong smells and alcohol until things settle. If a stomach bug is the cause, the priority is fluids to avoid dehydration.

## When to see a GP about nausea

See a GP if nausea lasts more than a few days, keeps returning, or has no obvious explanation — and always mention your medicines, since adjusting one is often the simple fix.

## When nausea needs urgent help

Get urgent help for nausea with [chest pain](https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/chest-pain/), severe tummy pain, a sudden severe headache with a stiff neck, vomiting blood or black vomit, or signs of dehydration — and for people with diabetes who cannot keep food or fluids down, as blood sugar control can become dangerous quickly.

## ! When to get medical help for feeling sick

See a GP if nausea lasts more than a few days, keeps returning, or has no obvious cause — and mention any medicines you take. Seek **urgent** advice (111, or 999 if severe) for nausea with chest pain, severe tummy pain, a severe headache with a stiff neck, vomiting blood or black vomit, signs of dehydration, or in someone with diabetes whose blood sugar is hard to control.

## Common questions about feeling sick

How can I stop feeling sick? Rest, take small sips of water or a sugary drink, get fresh air, and eat small amounts of plain food (like toast or crackers) when you can. Ginger helps some people. Avoid strong smells, rich food and alcohol until it settles. What causes nausea without vomiting? Plenty of things — anxiety, migraines, acid reflux, medicines, hormonal changes and early pregnancy commonly cause nausea without actual vomiting. If it persists without explanation, a GP can help find the cause. When is nausea a sign of something serious? Seek urgent help for nausea with chest pain, severe abdominal pain, a sudden severe headache, vomiting blood, or black, tar-like vomit. Otherwise, nausea lasting more than a few days or recurring without cause warrants a GP visit. Could it be a medicine making me feel sick? Quite possibly — nausea is one of the most common medicine side effects, especially when starting something new. Don't stop a prescribed medicine on your own; ask a pharmacist or GP, who can often adjust the timing, dose or option.

## Sources

- [NHS — Feeling sick (nausea)](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/feeling-sick-nausea/)

## How we reviewed this page

Medically reviewed by the [HealthAnswers UK doctor review panel](https://healthanswers.co.uk/our-doctors/)

First published 3 April 2026 Medically reviewed 3 July 2026 Next review due 3 July 2029 or sooner if NHS or NICE guidance changes

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