Vomiting & Nausea

Signs & Symptoms

Vomiting is the forcible emptying (“throwing up”) of your stomach contents. When you vomit, your stomach muscles contract, which forces the contents of the stomach up through your esophagus and out your mouth. Dry heaves may precede or follow vomiting.

Nausea is the uncomfortable feeling you get in the back of your throat or the uneasiness in your stomach when you feel like you are going to throw up.

Prevention

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before you prepare food, eat, and after you use the toilet.
• Eat well, exercise regularly, and get plenty of rest to keep your immune system strong.

Causes

• Eating spoiled food
• Infections in the intestines
• Drinking too much alcohol
• A side effect of some medications
• Motion sickness. Morning sickness in pregnant females.
• Labyrinthitis. This is inflammation of an area in the ear. Often, a respiratory infection causes this.
• Migraine headaches
• Acute glaucoma
• Stomach ulcers
• A blockage in the intestines
• A concussion from a head injury
• Hepatitis
• Meningitis. This is inflammation of membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.

Self-Care / Prevention

Vomiting

• Don’t smoke, drink alcohol, or take aspirin.
• Don’t eat solid foods. Don’t drink milk.
• Drink clear liquids at room temperature (not too hot or cold). Good examples are water; sport drinks, such as Gatorade; diluted fruit juices; ginger ale, etc. Take small sips. Drink only 1 to 2 ounces at a time. Stir carbonated beverages to get all the bubbles out before you sip them. Suck on ice chips if nothing else will stay down. {Note: For children, contact your child’s doctor about using over-the-counter (OTC) mixtures, such as Pedialyte.}
• Gradually return to a regular diet, but wait about 8 hours from the last time you vomited. Start with foods like dry toast, crackers, rice, and other foods that are easy to digest. Or, eat foods as tolerated. Avoid greasy or fatty foods.