by Dr. David Pollack

Chronic nausea is terrible. I have had quite a few patients over the years that suffered from minor to extreme versions of nausea disorders. There are certain aspects of all these situations that are quite similar, from the mildest queasiness to the most severe cyclic vomiting syndrome.

There are two major sites for the creation of nausea: the digestive tract and the kidneys. In most patients I have treated for nausea issues, both sites have been involved. Poor digestion results in a less-than-complete breakdown of food. This incompletely digested food is absorbed into the bloodstream and eventually builds up in the kidneys. Over time, the kidneys can't filter the blood efficiently, and this results in nausea. If the digestive problem arises from dysfunction of the gallbladder, things get worse. Generally, gallbladder dysfunction will more likely cause extreme symptoms and involve nausea when combined with kidney deficiency.

So, how do we fix this? There are multiple strategies. From the nutritional perspective, some adjustments need to be made. Eat smaller meals to ensure better digestion and less inflammatory response. Be mindful of the proteins you eat. Be careful with dense, hard-to-digest, or overcooked meats. Make sure your proteins never get tough or chewy. This makes them far more difficult to digest, leading to stress upon the kidneys. Use a small amount of fresh lemon juice with your meals. This can help emulsify fats and assist in food breakdown. It also has a powerful effect on thinning the bile in the gallbladder. To best care for the kidneys, keep diluting and washing out irritants by drinking plenty of pure, clean, filtered water of neutral pH. Ginger and dandelion tea are also good for the kidneys.

From a clinical aspect, we need to use certain herbal/nutraceutical remedies to assist the gentle and paced cleansing of the bile sludge from the gallbladder and protein residue from the kidneys. There are many ways to do this, from mild to powerful. Using the appropriate strength for the right situation is critical. Sometimes with severe cases, we must just treat the kidneys to calm things down before attempting to cleanse the gallbladder, because if it is done too early it can cause an increase in symptoms. 

Often, we combine herbal therapies with acupuncture, which can both deal with immediate nausea symptoms as well as push forward the progress of the overall treatment goals. We also employ cold laser therapies to reduce inflammation and influence kidney, and potentially, gallbladder function. 

There are sometimes physical techniques that are appropriate as well, based on the problems surrounding the main issue. For example, many with gallbladder dysfunction begin to have diaphragm spasms, both from the direct touch of the gallbladder and the effects of chronic vomiting. We can do special massage techniques to the diaphragm to relieve these. This can actually directly reduce vomiting in some cases by reducing the tension state of the stomach. 

We generally combine these treatments with gentle detox therapies to try to pull off some of the circulating inflammation and toxicity without overburdening the kidneys or liver. 

These are just some of the general steps involved, and despite it sounding complicated, I find it fun and exciting—especially to see someone with a green-gray complexion find relief and turn a beautiful pink glow of health, often within just a few weeks.

Source: Dr. David Pollack, of Pollack Wellness Institute, located at 66 Commack Rd., Ste. 204, in Commack. For more information, call 631-462-0801 or visit Pollack Wellness.com