Nausea during a cold due to phlegm | Cold and nausea – What can be behind it?

Nausea during a cold due to phlegm

The strong formation of mucus during a cold can also lead to nausea and vomiting. The often viscous mucus is transported from the nose to the throat and then swallowed. In the stomach, the swallowed mucus and the viruses it contains cause nausea.

People who have a cold should avoid drinking milk or cocoa if possible, as this only increases the production of mucus. Water and warm tea are better. In addition, lozenges and expectorant cough syrup help the body to remove the mucus more easily and reduce nausea.

What other symptoms can accompany this?

In case of a severe cold, a slight nausea may occur. Other accompanying symptoms are a pronounced nausea and vomiting. If diarrhea and fever occur in addition to the nausea, these are signs of a bacterial infection.

A cold is typically caused by viruses, in severe cases the inflamed mucous membranes are also infected with pathogenic bacteria. Doctors then speak of a so-called superinfection. In such cases, a doctor should be consulted, as antibiotics usually have to be prescribed for treatment.

The doctor must also rule out the possibility that it is flu (influenza), which in addition to the cold-like symptoms also causes vomiting and diarrhoea. In the case of a cold, the mucous membranes of the nose and upper respiratory tract react with increased mucus formation. The mucus is swallowed and, together with the cold viruses it contains, reaches the gastrointestinal tract, where the viruses cause inflammation of the mucous membranes.

The body then triggers nausea and vomiting via the vomiting center in the brain stem. Severe vomiting in connection with a cold that lasts for several days should always be clarified by a doctor. If nausea in combination with diarrhoea occurs in addition to the typical symptoms, it is possible that it is not a common cold but a “real” flu.Influenza is caused by influenza viruses and is more severe and aggressive than a cold.

The viruses not only attack the upper respiratory tract and cause sore throat and cough, but also lead to severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. If you have a cold with diarrhoea, you must consult a doctor to diagnose the illness and treat it accordingly. If left untreated, influenza can lead to serious complications such as heart and brain inflammation.

In some cases, diarrhea is also caused by bacteria, which, due to the already weakened immune system caused by the cold, can penetrate the body more easily and lead to infections. The doctor then prescribes antibiotics. Fever is a typical accompanying symptom of colds.

The combination of cold, fever and nausea is also not unusual. Due to the infection in the body, the immune system reacts with messenger substances that lead to an increase in temperature. This is a protective reflex of the body, as most pathogens are less able to spread at higher temperatures.

Normally, the temperature of a cold is only slightly elevated and lies below 39° Celsius. A high, rapidly rising fever above 39° Celsius in combination with a cold and vomiting is a sign of a flu-like illness (influenza). Influenza is highly contagious and the course of the disease is not comparable with a common cold.

Those affected should always consult a doctor who will make the diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment. A cold can often cause circulatory problems and a pronounced feeling of weakness. People with a cold suffer from flickering eyes, palpitations and sweating.

Often the circulation is so weakened by the cold that dizzy spells and nausea occur. The cause is usually too low blood pressure (hypotension), which is caused by a lack of fluids and the infection in the body. In the context of a cold, circulatory problems and the associated nausea are harmless and the symptoms disappear after a short time on their own.

It is important for those affected to make sure that they have a sufficient fluid intake and bed rest. Severe earaches can lead to nausea and vomiting in the case of a cold. Due to an inflammation in the middle ear, the mucous membranes swell and the fluid produced can no longer drain into the throat.

The middle ear contains the hearing organ and the sense of balance, which is why the inflammation can often cause hearing loss in the affected ear as well as dizziness. The dizziness leads to nausea and unsteadiness of gait – unpleasant accompanying symptoms that usually disappear again after the inflammation has subsided and do not require special treatment. In cases of severe ear pain and extreme nausea, middle ear infection is suspected.

Those affected must then consult a doctor who will prescribe antibiotics or, in the worst case, open the eardrum through a small incision so that the accumulated pus can drain away. This quickly relieves the symptoms. The small incision heals easily.

Pain in the limbs is a typical symptom of infectious diseases. The immune system reacts to the cold viruses with antibodies, which also lead to headaches and muscle pain. Severe pain in the limbs, which occurs together with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, indicates an infection with the influenza virus, i.e. influenza.

In addition to the symptoms of a cold, an extreme feeling of sickness and a pronounced feeling of exhaustion are also typical. In rare cases, sore throats can be accompanied by a pronounced feeling of nausea, nausea and vomiting. Normally these symptoms do not occur together, but in certain diseases, such as influenza or bacterial pharyngitis, they do.

The doctor can take a smear from the throat and determine whether bacteria are the cause of the inflammation. If the smear is positive, treatment with antibiotics is carried out. Children who suffer from sore throats and nausea must be examined by a doctor to determine whether they have scarlet fever.

This is a typical childhood disease caused by streptococcus bacteria. Typical for scarlet fever is the so-called “raspberry tongue“: the tongue is strongly reddened and the taste buds are swollen and clearly visible.Children suffering from sore throats and nausea must be examined by a doctor to determine whether they have scarlet fever. This is a typical childhood disease caused by Streptococcus bacteria. Typical for scarlet fever is the so-called “raspberry tongue“: the tongue is strongly reddened and the taste buds are swollen and clearly visible.