Vomiting: All You Need To Know To Fight It
Vomiting is the expulsion of the contents of your stomach and sometimes the proximal small intestine. The discharged matter flows up through your oesophagus and into your mouth. A feeling of uneasiness or discomfort always precedes vomiting, and this sensation is called nausea. Usually, it subsides once you have thrown up. Vomiting and nausea are technically not illnesses. But, they can be the symptom or indication of certain underlying ailments. Alternatively, certain conditions could trigger it as well.
What Are The Causes of Vomiting?
There could be a whole range of reasons that could prompt regurgitation-
- Food poisoning and indigestion- the most common reasons for vomiting
- Viral or bacterial infection of the stomach
- Overeating
- Motion or sea sickness
- Pregnancy
- Migraine and severe headaches
- Crohn’s Disease
- Bowel obstruction
- Chemotherapy and certain other medications
- The disease of the gall bladder
- Concussion or any injury to the brain
- Bulimia
- Brain tumor
- Ulcers
- Gastroparesis (a result of diabetes) - food does not pass through the stomach quickly enough
- Ingesting too much of alcohol or other toxins
- Appendicitis
- Meningitis
Both adults and children are equally prone to regurgitation. However, the usual causes of vomiting in children are-
- The Flu
- Allergic reaction to milk
- Food poisoning
- High fever
- Blocked intestines
The timing of your regurgitation can say a lot about what is causing it. If you throw up right after a meal, it could be because of gastritis, bulimia or ulcer. But, if you vomit within eight hours of a meal, it could indicate food poisoning. And, if you feel nausea set in long after your last meal, it could be an infection of the stomach or intestine.
Should You Be Concerned?
If you are suffering frequent bouts of vomiting, it could be for harmless reasons like a prolonged period of indigestion. But, it could also be a sign of more dangerous ailments like brain tumors, meningitis, or appendicitis. Moreover, if you vomit persistently, it could lead to dehydration. In pregnant women, it could cause a fluid and mineral imbalance. That is why it is important to seek treatment right away.
Treatment for Vomiting
There are a few things you can do at home to halt your vomiting-
- Drink clear and ice-cold water
- Avoid solid foods till your nausea dissipates
- If you throw up for more than 6 or 7 times, start drinking oral rehydration solutions that replenish your body with essential minerals that you lose while vomiting
- Suck on a lemon
- Practice deep breathing
- Make a decoction of ginger, cloves, and fennel and drink it. It can help calm your digestive system. This tea is especially effective for curbing nausea and vomiting in people who are undergoing chemotherapy
- You can opt for aromatherapy. Dip some cotton into oils of lavender, chamomile, rose or peppermint and smell it
- If pregnancy is causing nausea and vomiting, you could try eating a few healthy crackers early in the morning before leaving the bed
- If home remedies do not work, then your doctor will prescribe antiemetics, which are anti-vomiting medicines to help stop the vomiting. For those instances when chemotherapy prompts vomiting, there is a special kind of drug therapy to curb it
- If your child is prone to vomiting, you should change the diet after consulting a skilled nutritionist
Can You Prevent Vomiting?
There are a few things you can do to reduce your susceptibility to throwing up-
- Eat small portions of food. Instead of 3 heavy meals, break them down to 5 moderate meals and space them out evenly as this helps with digestion
- Consume healthy snacks between mealtimes. Eat slowly and always chew your food thoroughly before swallowing
- Don’t go to bed right after a meal
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Avoid eating too much of protein-rich greasy foods which take a long time to digest
- Your food should usually be at room temperature
- Make sure that the food you eat is fresh and prepared with strict adherence to hygiene standards
These measures will help only if your regurgitation is the result of indigestion or stomach infection. If the root cause is something else, you must go consult a Doctor.
Conclusion
Nausea and vomiting can put anyone down. Also, it’s painful and disagreeable. But with the right treatment and by exercising the recommended precautions, you can easily overcome it. [av_promobox button='yes' label='Consult a specialist on MediBuddy' link='https://www.medibuddy.in/?utm_source=blog_cta&utm_medium=blog' link_target='' color='blue' custom_bg='#f00' custom_font='#ffffff' size='large' icon_select='no' icon='ue800' font='entypo-fontello']If you want to know what is inducing you to vomit frequently, talk to a Doctor through MediBuddy and learn about how to curb regurgitation.[/av_promobox] Sources:
