Symptoms
Vomiting is throwing up the stomach's
contents. Dry heaves may precede or follow vomiting.
Nausea is when you feel like you're going
to throw up.
Causes
Common causes of nausea and vomiting are:
Viruses in the intestines. Eating
spoiled food or eating or drinking too much.
Motion sickness
Morning sickness in pregnant women
Some medications, such as certain
antibiotics
Some medical conditions cause vomiting, too. These include:
Labrynthitis. This is inflammation
of an area in the ear that usually results from an upper respiratory infecction.
Migraine headaches
Appendicitis
A concussion from a head injury
Acute glaucoma (see Glaucoma)
Stomach ulcers (see Peptic
Ulcers)
Hepatitis (see Hepatitis)
Meningitis. This is inflammation of
membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.
With vomiting, do you have any of these problems? Any heart attack warning signs
listed in Chest Pain topic Stiff neck, fever and lethargy You vomit blood or black colored matter Sudden severe pain in and around one eye,
blurred vision, headache, and you see rainbow-colored halos around lights A recent head or abdominal injury Fainting or decreased level of consciousness |
 |
| Dehydration is when your body loses too much water. Do you have
these signs of dehydration? Feeling confused Passing very little or no urine Sunken eyes Dry skin that doesn't spring back after
being pinched |
|
| With nausea and vomiting, do you have a fever and shaking chills
and pain in one or both sides of your mid back? |
|
| Do you have very bad stomach pain? Does it last for more than 2
hours? Does it keep hurting even after you vomit? |
 |
| Do the whites of your eyes or does your skin look yellow? |
|
| Do you have any of these problems? Burning or stinging feeling when
you pass urine Passing urine a lot more often than usual Bloody or cloudy urine Pain in your abdomen or over your bladder |
|
| With nausea or vomiting, do you have ear pain or a feeling of
fullness in your ear? |
 |
| In a baby or small child, has the vomiting lasted 2 to 6 hours?
For others, has the vomiting lasted more than 12 hours without getting better? |
|
| Are you vomiting medicine that is necessary for you to take (e.g.,
high blood pressure pills, etc.)? |
|
For Vomiting:
Don't eat solid foods. Don't drink milk.
Drink clear liquids (water, sport drinks,
such as Gatorade, flat cola, and ginger ale, etc.). Take small sips. Drink only 1 to 2
ounces at a time. Stir any carbonated beverages to get all the bubbles out before sipping
them. Suck on ice chips if nothing else will go down. {Note: For
children, contact your child's health care provider about using over-the-counter products
such as Pedialyte and Revital Ice-rehydrating freezer pops.}
Gradually return to regular diet, but wait
about 8 hours from the last time you vomited. Eat foods as tolerated. Avoid greasy or
fatty foods.
Don't smoke, drink alcohol, or take
aspirin.
For Nausea Without Vomiting:
Drink clear liquids. Eat small amounts of
dry foods, such as soda crackers (if tolerated).
Avoid things that irritate the stomach,
such as alcohol and aspirin.
For motion sickness, use an
over-the-counter antinausea medicine, such as Dramamine. Follow package directions.
Sea-Bands, a wrist band product that uses acupressure on a certain point on the wrist to
control motion sickness, may be helpful. Sporting good stores and drugstores sell
Sea-Bands.
HEALTH AT HOME - Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions, and Self-Care © 2002 by Don R. Powell. American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
Date updated 06/06/02