Heart failure happens when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body efficiently. The most common symptoms of heart failure are shortness of breath, fatigue, cough, and general weakness.

Nausea can also result from heart failure. While some causes of nausea are easy to identify, such as medication side effects, other causes are unclear. Experts are constantly developing their understanding of the gut-heart connection.

People with heart failure may experience nausea due to:

Right-sided heart failure

Nausea is particularly common for people with right sided heart failure. Right-sided heart failure often causes blood to back up in the veins throughout the body, leading to congestion in the liver, intestines, and lower body. This can lead to digestive symptoms, such as:

  • nausea
  • loss of appetite
  • feeling full quickly
  • pain in the abdomen

Left sided heart failure often causes blood to back up in the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath. As left sided heart failure often leads to right sided heart failure, people often experience a combination of symptoms.

Slow stomach emptying

Heart failure can cause gastroparesis, delayed stomach emptying, due to congestion in the blood vessels supplying the digestive system. This can cause nausea and a feeling of fullness.

Chronic inflammation

People with heart failure tend to have widespread inflammation in their bodies, which may affect the gastrointestinal tract, causing nausea and other symptoms. Poor blood flow to the intestines can cause further inflammation and damage to the intestinal lining.

Medication side effects

Some heart failure medications can cause nausea as a side effect. It is common for people to feel nauseous when they first start taking a medication, but this typically improves over time.

Medications that commonly cause nausea include:

  • digoxin (Lanoxin)
  • hydralazine (Apresoline)
  • isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil)
  • isosorbide-hydralazine (BiDil)

To reduce nausea, a doctor may prescribe an alternative medication or an anti-sickness medication. They may also suggest lowering the dose of the original medication.

Always consult a doctor before making any changes to your medication.

Some lifestyle measures may help people experiencing nausea. They include:

  • eating small, frequent meals of bland foods
  • staying hydrated and drinking fluids between meals
  • sitting upright after eating
  • elevating the head and chest when sleeping
  • avoiding spicy, fatty, and heavily processed foods

Some people consume ginger to relieve nausea. People can add fresh ginger to hot water to make tea or add it to meals. It is also available as a supplement. However, supplements can interact with prescription medications, so check with a doctor before trying them.

Complementary treatments, such as acupressure, which a person can perform at home, may also be helpful for reducing nausea.

Persistent nausea can impair a person’s quality of life and have serious consequences. If people do not eat consistently, they may become malnourished, increasing the risk of cardiac cachexia.

Cachexia is common in advanced stages of serious diseases. It involves extreme weight loss, muscle wasting, and physical impairment that progresses over time.

If a person experiences the following symptoms, they should see a doctor:

  • severe or persistent abdominal pain
  • vomiting that prevents medication and fluid intake
  • worsening shortness of breath, chest pain, or new swelling