Vomiting or throwing up, nausea and vomiting are terms for gushing emptying processes of the stomach or esophagus against the normal direction. Vomiting is usually associated with a burning sensation in the esophagus (heartburn) caused by stomach acid.
What is vomiting?
Vomiting is usually associated with a burning sensation in the esophagus (heartburn) caused by stomach acid. Vomiting is the emptying of the stomach or esophagus through the mouth. The partially digested food is transported out of the body against the natural direction. Partial discharge through the nose may also occur. In addition to the food, stomach acid is also present in the vomit, which can cause a burning sensation. Vomiting is usually the symptom of higher-level illnesses or triggers. Vomiting is controlled by a complex reflex mechanism from the vomiting center of the brainstem.
Causes
Causes of vomiting or emesis are mostly medications, alcohol, and external stimuli such as disgust and physical stimuli (e.g., sticking a finger down the throat), diseases of the brain, diseases of the digestive organs, mental disorders, vomiting during pregnancy, and vomiting after anesthesia. Thus, vomiting has no single cause, but can be initiated by a variety of triggers. One of them is external influences. Visual stimuli that trigger disgust can cause vomiting, but vomiting can also be triggered by a disturbance of equilibrium – for example, by a ship’s voyage. Closely related to this complex of causes are diseases of the brain. In the case of disorders in the vomiting center, for example due to excessive intracranial pressure, this causes the body to vomit. The most common cause, however, is diseases of the digestive tract. Vomiting often occurs during food poisoning, ingestion of harmful substances such as alcohol in large quantities, or infection with bacteria and viruses. At the same time, vomiting can be a symptom of more serious diseases, such as a change in blood sugar levels or uremia. Another complex of causes is formed by psychological disorders. The best-known psychological causes of vomiting are eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. In these cases, vomiting is used specifically as a method to become slim and lose weight beyond the healthy level. Vomiting can also occur due to other psychological problems – dissociative disorders are an example. During pregnancy, vomiting occurs in the first few weeks. The severity of the symptom varies from woman to woman. Some feel nothing from it, while others can only eat without vomiting at certain times of the day. Vomiting can also occur during the normal female menstrual cycle.
Diseases with this symptom
- Food poisoning
- Fish poisoning
- Gastrointestinal flu
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
- Flu
- Typhoid fever
- Mushroom poisoning
- Sunstroke
- Cholera
- Alcohol intoxication
- Stomach cancer
- Gallbladder inflammation
- Duodenal ulcer
- Salmonella poisoning
- Pancreatitis
- Intestinal obstruction
- Inflammation of the intestine
Complications
Vomiting is usually very unpleasant, but usually the health is not seriously endangered in the process. Nevertheless, in the case of a weakened immune system or chronic vomiting, various complications may occur that require urgent treatment. As a result of vomiting, there may be a loss of a lot of fluid (dehydration) and electrolytes such as potassium and sodium. Mild dehydration is usually not problematic. Progressive dehydration can be fatal in the worst case, as the body lacks fluids and salts on a large scale. At-risk groups include babies and young children in particular, as they have fewer endogenous reserves. The elderly are also more likely to suffer from dehydration than younger people. In addition, vomiting shifts the electrolyte balance. If more severe, the ph level in the blood can change and lead to nerve damage and cardiac arrhythmias. In addition, vomiting can irritate the esophagus and cause a tear in the lower part of the esophagus. Tearing of the stomach may occur and the stomach contents may be inhaled.The acidic contents of the stomach can also damage the teeth. Chronic vomiting can cause malnutrition. If vomiting is treated with medication, the active ingredients may not be absorbed via the stomach or intestines. Therefore, it is better to administer the active ingredients by another route, such as intravenously.
When should you see a doctor?
Vomiting knows everyone from their own experience. Often, even lay people know the cause of their nausea. Sometimes they have not tolerated a meal, another time it was due to exam anxiety and some can not tolerate driving. Furthermore, vomiting during pregnancy is well known. Fortunately, the causes of vomiting are often harmless, and if the cause is known, it would be excessive to consult a doctor every time. However, if vomiting occurs more frequently or over a longer period of time and there is no apparent reason for it, a visit to the doctor is strongly advised. Vomiting can be a symptom of various diseases that require treatment. In addition, severe or frequent vomiting can cause the body to lose fluids and valuable electrolytes and other substances that are important for the body. Impairments associated with vomiting, such as pain, fever or even clouding of consciousness, are virtually an alarm signal. In such cases, it may even be necessary to call an emergency physician immediately. The nature of the vomit is also of great importance. So-called coffee grounds vomiting is a sign of blood altered by stomach acid. The cause is a damaged stomach skin or stomach wall or a duodenal ulcer. Here, too, a usual family doctor’s appointment is no longer sufficient, but the emergency doctor must be called. This form of vomiting can namely be accompanied by great blood loss and be life-threatening.
Treatment and therapy
If vomiting continues for several days, a doctor should be consulted. Treatment of vomiting should be based on the causes in terms of medication. Depending on the cause, vomiting must be treated differently. First of all, it must be distinguished whether the cause is psychological or physical. Furthermore, it depends on the specific cause as well as the severity of the illness. In the case of mental illnesses, it is not the vomiting itself that must be treated, but the underlying illness. Depending on the type of cause, different types of psychotherapy are required. Harmless vomiting, such as travel sickness, can be treated with simple remedies. These are usually freely available and act on the vomiting center of the brain. In this way, they relieve the nausea at an early stage. If, on the other hand, a disease is present, action must be taken against it. In the case of bacteria and viruses, the administration of antibiotics or appropriate preparations is usually sufficient to stop the vomiting. If it does not subside even after this or has another cause, further investigations should be initiated, as there may be a serious illness.
Outlook and prognosis
Vomiting usually occurs in a person whenever there is something in the stomach that could harm the stomach. Therefore, the body tries to remove this food from the stomach by vomiting. In this case, the patient should do the vomiting because it is usually necessary for healing to progress. Only in very few cases does the patient need to consult a doctor when vomiting occurs. Usually, vomiting stops on its own when the stomach settles or when food is no longer fed to the stomach. Since vomiting is an automatic protective reflex of the body, vomiting should not be prevented either. Without special treatment, vomiting usually stops after a few minutes, but in rare cases it can last for several hours and recur. It occurs mainly in cases of food poisoning or alcohol poisoning. If vomiting does not stop even after hours or occurs quite suddenly without food being ingested, a doctor should be consulted to be on the safe side.
Prevention
Effective prevention of vomiting can be done only in some cases. One has no influence on bacterial or viral infections or mental illnesses – but one can on other causes. In case of vomiting during pregnancy or before menstruation, one should consult a doctor and ask for a preventive preparation. A similar approach should be taken for travel sickness and seasickness.Anti-vomiting agents can be obtained in advance and taken early.
What you can do yourself
Vomiting can be treated in most cases with home remedies and does not necessarily need to be examined by a doctor. It is important to find out the reason when vomiting, as the reasons can be very varied. In most cases it is a protective reaction of the body. It is advisable to allow vomiting as far as the body demands it. Holding back vomiting slows down the healing process. Often, the affected person feels much better and relieved after vomiting. Bed rest and a relaxed atmosphere generally help against the symptom. Only light food should be eaten and plenty should be drunk. Water, juices and soothing teas are ideal here. The food should be easily tolerated by the stomach and contain many minerals and vitamins, as these are exported from the body during vomiting. To quickly counteract vomiting, remedies from the pharmacy can also be obtained. These calm the stomach and stop the reflex that leads to vomiting. If vomiting does not stop or is associated with severe other pain, the family doctor should be consulted. This also applies if blood comes out of the mouth when vomiting.
