Your Guide to Nausea and Vomiting: Causes and Remedies
What is Vomiting?
Vomiting is a symptom of an underlying disease. It’s a forceful discharge that makes the stomach content. The causes of vomiting may include food poisoning, motion sickness, Ear infection pregnancy, stress, acid reflux, Gastroenteritis, and dizziness. Some of the illnesses may also cause vomitings like pneumonia and sepsis. It can also be a side effect of different medications, including drugs that are used during cancer chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Causes of Vomiting
Below are some common causes of vomiting
- Food Poisoning
- Indigestion
- Infections
- Motion Sickness
- Pregnancy
- Headaches
- Medications
- Anesthesia
- Chemotherapy
Vomiting during Pregnancy
During pregnancy, vomiting can be caused due to hormonal changes in the bloodstream. Most women can face morning sickness that can be seen during the first month of pregnancy. The symptoms of vomiting and morning sickness can be resolved within four months of pregnancy.
Diagnosis of Vomiting
Your doctor will check your body, ask about how you feel, and look for signs of dehydration to figure out why you're feeling sick. If they need more information, they might ask for tests to find out what's making you feel nauseous. These tests could include:
- Physical Examination
- Medical History
- Blood Test
- Urine Test
- Pregnancy Test (if applicable)
- Upper GI Endoscopy
Types of Vomiting Color
Type of Vomiting
|
Color
|
Possible Causes
|
Clear or Watery |
Clear
|
Early vomiting, stomach flu, bile reflux
|
Yellow or Greenish |
Yellow/Green
|
Bile reflux, gallbladder issues, food poisoning
|
Bright Red |
Red
|
Fresh blood, bleeding in the upper digestive tract
|
Coffee Grounds |
Dark Brown
|
Partially digested blood, bleeding in stomach
|
Black or Tarry |
Black
|
Digested blood, gastrointestinal bleeding
|
Brown or Dark Red |
Brown/Dark Red
|
Old blood, slow gastrointestinal bleeding
|
White or Gray |
White/Gray
|
Liver or pancreatic disorders, bile duct obstruction
|
Vomiting emergencies:
Vomiting is a very common thing but if there is an emergency then medical attention is required.
Vomiting Treatments
Some major treatment that can be taken to avoid vomiting are:
- Drinking plenty of liquids to get rid of dehydration
- Take a liquid diet to give some rest to your stomach
- Avoid using strong perfumes
- If you are taking solid food, prefer digestible food like cereal and rice.
- Avoid eating spicy foods someday.
- Avoid physical activities
- Eating light and bland foods
- Eat slowly and take smaller bites
- Avoid activity after eating
- Do deep breathing exercises
For children specifically
- ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution): Prepare homemade ORS by mixing 2 spoons of sugar, a pinch of salt, lemon, cumin powder, and mint leaves in 200 ml of water. Giving sips of this drink to children can help replenish fluids and prevent dehydration.
- Ice Chips: Giving small ice chips at frequent intervals can reduce vomiting and help prevent dehydration in children.
If you have planned for a trip and you have a history of motion sickness in this case you can take advice from Doctor and he will prescribe you medicines. For the patients who are going through chemotherapy, the doctor may change your drug therapy.
The doctor might prescribe antiemetic drugs for vomiting.
Home Remedies for Vomiting
Some natural home remedies that can cure you from vomiting are:
- Drink enough water
- Drinking Juice
- Taking deep breath
- Wrist acupressure
- Try taking ginger, fennel, and cloves
- Sugar and saltwater
- Take lemonade water