What Are the Causes of Constant Mild Nausea?

Ordinarily, nausea comes across as a bad feeling in your stomach or a general discomfort--feeling "green"--accompanied by an urge to throw up. Unpleasant as it may be, nausea can come in handy when you ingest unwanted food or germs and when your body attempts to get rid of these substances. Low levels of nausea that linger over a period of time, however, can indicate an underlying health issue.

Identification

Nausea symptoms that don't interfere with normal daily life can be considered mild. If your symptoms persist for several days to several weeks, then you are experiencing constant mild nausea.

Causes

Constant mild nausea can stem from physical trauma such as brain injury or concussion or from meningitis, an infection in the lining of the brain. Nausea also can be a side effect of medications. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy may cause constant mild nausea and a frequent urge to vomit. Additionally, women in early pregnancy often experience constant mild nausea, or "morning sickness." This term is misleading, though, since nausea can strike at any time throughout the day and may or may not be accompanied by vomiting 2.

Complications

If your constant mild nausea is caused by psychological reasons such as anxiety and stress, you may also suffer from other gastrointestinal disturbances such as bloating, gas, diarrhea and acid reflux. You may also have persistent headaches. In this case, psychotherapy may be suggested to find the cause of anxiety and stress and thereby indirectly alleviate your nausea symptoms.

Considerations

If your constant mild nausea becomes more severe and is causing you to vomit repeatedly, you may become dehydrated and need medical attention.

Treatment

Determining the cause of your nausea and treating it directly can also help you relieve your symptoms. A healthy and balanced diet also may provide relief.