[Update nausea and vomiting amongst the elderly].

Nausea (like vomiting) is a symptom and not an independent disease pattern. This makes it difficult to give an accurate number of the incidences in the elderly population. Approximately every 2nd to 3rd elderly person is affected.There are many possible causes of nausea (cerebrally caused, cerebrally controlled or caused by gastrointestinal disease). The physiological aging of the gastrointestinal tract on its own does not cause nausea.The diagnosis is based on a detailed medical history and an in-depth physical examination. Further diagnostic steps have to be customized to each patient. An official guidelines for diagnostics is not established.Initially the therapy aims to treat the cause (underlying disease or polypharmacy). Symptom-oriented medication should only be considered as secondary meassure. However, numerous possible drugs are inadequate for elderly people.