Therapy
The therapy of nausea, which occurs in combination with a cold, depends on the respective cause. If there is mild nausea caused by swallowed mucus from the upper respiratory tract, treatment is usually not necessary. The nausea disappears quickly by itself after the cold has subsided.
In the case of a bacterial inflammation in the throat (e.g. by streptococci), which causes pain and nausea, the doctor will take a smear and can thus determine which pathogen it is. Once the pathogen has been identified, a suitable antibiotic is selected for therapy. In the case of serious illnesses and severe symptoms, there is usually not enough time to wait for the pathogen to be detected. In such cases, the physician prescribes a broad-spectrum antibiotic which is directed against the common disease-causing bacteria. If the nausea is severe and persistent, the doctor can administer medication to combat the nausea, these agents are called antiemetics.
These drugs can help
There are a variety of medications that can be taken to treat nausea when you have a cold. However, a drug therapy for nausea is only necessary if the symptoms are severe. Most medications contain active ingredients that prevent the signal transmission of messenger substances in the refractive center of the brain.
These include, for example, the dopamine receptor antagonist droperidol (trade name Xomolix®) or the muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine. Other substances such as metoclopramide (Paspertin®, MCP-Ratiopharm®, Gastronerton®, Cerucal®) promote movement as well as emptying of the stomach and duodenum, thus reducing the nausea. This group of active ingredients is known as prokinetics.
In cases of severe nausea with vomiting, the patient cannot keep the drugs with him/her for long enough for them to take effect. In such cases the antiemetic can be administered as a suppository or as an injection by a doctor. You can find an overview of all medications that can be used to treat nausea at Medication for nausea There are a number of home remedies that can help against nausea caused by colds.
It is important that the sufferer makes sure that he or she has a sufficient fluid intake in order to keep the mucous membranes moist and to compensate for fluid loss through possible vomiting. Drinks containing milk should be avoided, as these can promote the formation of mucus and can make existing nausea even worse. Ginger tea in particular has a calming effect on the stomach and can relieve the nausea.
Camomile tea or unsugared fruit tea can also help. Fresh air also helps with nausea: it is best to take a short walk in nature or simply open the window. If the nausea does not get better and persists for days, a doctor should be consulted in any case.
Heavy mucus formation in the upper respiratory tract is often the trigger for nausea when you have a cold. To speed up the healing process and relieve the nausea, homeopathic globules can be taken, which have an expectorant effect. Other homeopathic remedies can also be taken to specifically combat nausea.
- Arsenicum album,
- Antimonium tartaricum
- Pulsatilla
- Ipecacuanha,
- Phosphorus
- Podophyllum
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