Many are interested in what vomiting is, its causes, symptoms, treatment and consequences. Vomiting is a reflex action, which is characterized by uncontrolled release of the contents of the stomach and intestines from the body. Usually vomit comes out through the mouth, but in the event of excessive amounts or with severe vomiting, they can flow into the nose. It is noteworthy that spasms of the muscle that causes vomiting, a person can not control. We will talk about what vomiting is next.
Mechanism
The diaphragm in a person goes down, there is a reduction in the region of the stomach where it is combined with the duodenum. This process is called antiperistaltic. Then there is a contraction of the abdominal muscles and relaxation of the muscles of the stomach. The entrance to the stomach opens, the esophagus expands, due to which the contents of the stomach begin to involuntarily enter the mouth.
The reflex act of vomiting is regulated by a special center, which is located inside the medulla oblongata. The study of methods of treatment, symptoms, and causes of this condition is carried out in the field of medicine - emetology.
Also in the brain there is a department located in the fourth ventricle. This is a chemoreceptor zone that has opioid, dopamine and serotonin receptors. Signals to this area come through the cerebrospinal fluid and blood. When this area is activated, the vomiting center is stimulated.
Before vomiting in humans, a pre-ejaculation phase begins, consisting of various somatic and autonomic symptoms: a throat sensation of foreign body appears, heaviness appears in the epigastric region, salivation increases, tachycardia, increased perspiration, and pupils expand.
Calls for vomiting are rhythmic diaphragm movements with a closed glottis. So, the abdominal, stomach, intestinal, and respiratory muscles are involved in the vomiting act.
Causes
Vomiting is not an independent disease, it is a symptom that occurs due to a variety of pathological diseases and complex conditions. Conditionally, the causes of the arising gag reflex are divided into the following:
1. Diseases of the digestive system:
- Acute gastroenteritis, in which the intestines and stomach are affected by pathologies of the infectious type.
- Diseases of the esophagus: acute gastroenteritis and stenosis of the esophagus (narrowing of its lumen), which can occur due to malignancy, chemical burns.
- Pancreatic disease.
- Pathology of the stomach: ulcer, poisoning, gastritis.
- Liver disease: swelling or hepatitis.
2. Cerebral (cerebral). These are pathologies that affect the brain and arise as a result of infectious infection (meningitis), the development of a malignant tumor, and traumatic brain injury.
3. Exchange vomiting occurs in humans with pathology of the organ of equilibrium (labyrinth of the inner ear).
4. Infectious toxic arises due to the toxic effect of a viral or bacterial infection.
5. Psychogenic vomiting occurs due to psycho-emotional stress. In addition, she can talk about the development of a more serious disease in a patient:
- bulimia - an ailment that is accompanied by an increase in appetite with severe soreness and weakness in the abdomen;
- neurogenic anorexia - unwillingness to eat, in which there is a decrease in weight.
6. Increased intracranial or arterial (blood) pressure.
7. Endocrine or metabolic factors, for example:
- Addison's disease, in which the adrenal glands cannot produce their own hormones;
- hyperthyroidism, which affects the thyroid gland and is manifested by an increase in the level of hormones in the patient’s blood.
Vomiting without fever and diarrhea can also be caused by radiation, which is used to treat malignant neoplasms.
Symptoms
In almost every case, vomiting occurs after the onset of nausea. With an attack of vomiting in humans, the skin can turn pale, the heartbeat (tachycardia) becomes more frequent, perspiration, salivation, and dizziness increase.
In addition, the patient may be disturbed by weakness and trembling, often he has pain in the head. A single or frequently repeated vomiting reflex in especially severe cases and with excessive volume can lead to the development of dehydration.
Diagnostics
Typically, the definition of vomiting does not cause much difficulty. If it is not possible to find out its cause, a full examination of the patient should be carried out. As a rule, a specialist obeys the following algorithm of actions:
- Analysis of patient complaints and medical history: the doctor should clarify how long a person has vomited, how often it occurs, whether it becomes easier after vomiting, whether this symptom is associated with eating, and also what is the nature of the masses released and their volume.
- Lifestyle analysis: the doctor finds out whether the patient has had abdominal operations and infections, food poisoning, and whether his weight has changed over the past two weeks.
- The specialist examines the patient, in which he determines the presence of signs of infectious diseases and poisoning, measures body temperature. In addition, the doctor assesses the general condition of the patient: measures blood pressure, pulse, reflexes and respiratory rate, as well as the degree of dehydration. It also reveals signs of diseases of the intestines and stomach: changes in stool, enlarged liver, bloating, and possible tension of the peritoneum.
- The specialist prescribes laboratory tests of the patient's urine and blood to identify possible concomitant diseases.
- Instrumental diagnostic methods include:
- X-ray using barium contrast. Contrast is a special substance that makes gastrointestinal defects as clear as possible, eliminating obstruction in the stomach and intestines.
- An ultrasound of the peritoneal organs, which allows you to determine the size and condition of the lymph nodes, spleen, kidneys and liver. Ultrasound also reveals existing diseases of the digestive system that provoke vomiting: gastric ulcer, malignant tumors.
- Fibrogastroduodenoscopy for the study of the stomach using an endoscope. This method allows you to identify existing gastrointestinal diseases.
- Brain neurosonography is a type of ultrasound that is performed to detect abnormalities that occur in the patient’s cranium.
If necessary, the patient is consulted by a gastroenterologist, because abdominal pain and vomiting often accompany each other and are symptoms of serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Vomiting in a woman
In women, vomiting can occur not only due to certain diseases, but also due to a joyful condition - pregnancy. The cause of developing vomiting can be hormonal imbalance, which occurs due to the adaptation of the body to a new role for itself - bearing the fetus.
It is known that women can often suffer from nervous disorders, so they may experience a gag reflex with excessive emotional and stressful experiences. In some women, vomiting can occur at the beginning of the menstrual cycle. Some of them may induce vomiting in their own right in order to get rid of food that was previously eaten. This is noted with bulimia and anorexia.
Vomiting in pregnant women
It is worth understanding what vomiting is in pregnant women. The uterus during gestation gradually increases, squeezing the digestive organs. Undoubtedly, this contributes to the appearance of attacks of vomiting, which are associated with eating.
It is worth noting that usually pain in the stomach and vomiting are observed in women at the beginning of pregnancy. If its intensity does not decrease over time, you should immediately tell the obstetrician-gynecologist who is observing the pregnancy about this fact, so that he identifies the causes of such symptoms and prescribes appropriate treatment.
Vomiting in a man
It is noteworthy that men are less likely to vomit than women. In addition to the above general causes, vomiting can be caused by excessive consumption of strong alcoholic beverages. The main problem in treating this condition in men is called the fact that because of personal characteristics of the psyche, they seek medical help late in time, which can lead to dehydration.
Vomiting in children
If in childhood the gag reflex is not accompanied by a high temperature, this can be considered an element of the norm up to a certain age. If it does not disappear, this may indicate serious illness. The following symptoms are a reason to seek advice from a pediatrician:
- Psychogenic vomiting occurs due to certain disorders of the child's psyche. Vomiting of this type is influenced by several factors that depend on individual characteristics and previous severe and conflict situations.
- Vomiting with teething and with the introduction of complementary foods.
- Regurgitation in infants who are breastfeeding.
But sometimes vomiting can be dangerous for the child. For example, if this condition occurs in newborns, this may indicate the development of pyloric stenosis. This condition is a narrowing and obstruction in the place where the stomach and the duodenum connect. Also, in the baby, intestinal invagination may occur, in which a part of the intestine enters the organ, causing its obstruction. In this case, vomiting occurs without diarrhea in the child.
At the age of 1-13 years, approximately 5% of children have acetonemic syndrome - vomiting may occur due to an increase in the number of ketone bodies. The following factors provoke the development of this condition: endocrine disorders, poisoning with various substances, stressful situations, etc.
In girls, vomiting without diarrhea and an acetone-type temperature is noted more often. Sometimes it can be multiple. Effectively and quickly eliminating the acetone crisis can be the introduction of intravenous injections, since vomiting can disrupt the child's water and electrolyte balance.
Secondary acetonemic syndrome can develop due to ketoacidosis and ketosis, which develops due to fever, with infections and after surgical removal of the tonsils. In infants, foamy and often recurring vomiting, in which there is no diarrhea and fever, can talk about a foreign body in the digestive organs.
Severe nausea
It is worth noting that excessive vomiting and diarrhea with blood are mainly an individual patient reaction to an existing or developing painful condition. Usually it occurs due to diseases of an infectious nature or poisoning.
However, in certain situations, severe vomiting can be a symptom of quite serious ailments, for example, it can be noted with bouts of severe manifestation of toxicosis during gestation. Vomiting can occur in some pathological conditions of the brain: hydrocephalus, intracranial hypertension, hemorrhage, malignant tumors, inflammatory processes in the presence of encephalitis and meningitis.
A strong gag reflex, which is observed more than 10 and less than 20 times a day, is called indomitable. If medical attention is not provided on time, the gag reflex can last a long time. Prolonged and indomitable vomiting is usually observed in patients with metabolic disorders that lead to cerebral edema, severe intoxication and Reye's syndrome.
The most serious and even dangerous complication of vomiting is rapid dehydration, which requires instant medical attention.
Treatment
Therapy should be aimed at identifying and treating the underlying ailment. First of all, vomiting is treated with sparing and proper nutrition. After the appearance of the gag reflex, it is not recommended to eat spicy, very hot, smoked, fatty, generously seasoned foods. You need to eat in small parts, you need to drink plenty of water (more than 2 liters of purified water per day), quite often, but fractionally.
To normalize the water-salt balance in the body due to prolonged vomiting, it is necessary to take certain medications. With indomitable vomiting reflex, antiemetic drugs may be prescribed to the patient.
The problem of vomiting can be eliminated on its own, provided that it was caused by overeating, stress, motion sickness or drinking alcohol.
You should immediately consult a doctor if the gag reflex started in patients with diabetes, in people with certain chronic diseases, with prolonged vomiting that lasts more than 2 days.
With a vomiting reflex, which is accompanied by acute abdominal pain, signs of dehydration, problems with urination, changes in functional and mental activity, with repeated vomiting as a result of head trauma, muscle stiffness on the back of the head, it is necessary to immediately call doctors.
Complications
With regularly repeated vomiting, there is a significant loss of fluid in the human body, with which important substances and trace elements are excreted. Undoubtedly, this can upset the water balance and cause seizures. The body is depleted due to insufficient intake of food. If vomiting is released into the respiratory system, the patient may develop suffocation.
Due to the frequently repeated damage to tooth enamel with acid from the stomach that enters the mouth, thinning is noted. The walls of the esophagus and stomach may also be damaged. Another complication will be redness of the skin of the face due to increased intrathoracic pressure from vomiting.
Effects
Functional consequences are manifested in the form of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. If vomiting of foam continues for more than 2 days, this may contribute to the appearance of gastroesophageal reflux disease or gastritis.
If the patient does not contact the doctor for help, even a fatal outcome is possible, especially if the patient has gastrointestinal diseases, or when aspirated, when vomit enters the respiratory system.
Preventative measures
To prevent increased vomiting and abdominal pain, you should drink sweet water to calm the stomach, then sit down or lie down for a while. Subsequent excessive activity will enhance the reflex. When traveling by car, children are encouraged to sit forward so that they can watch the road.
At elevated temperature and severe cough accompanying vomiting, children should be given gentle, but effective antipyretic drugs. Drinking plenty of water at the same time as active activities and games can also cause a gag reflex in children.
With persistent white vomiting, the patient should immediately consult a doctor, as well as if the vomit has various impurities or has a very unpleasant, offensive smell.
It is important to properly organize your diet: wash foods before using them, thoroughly clean your hands, and monitor the freshness and quality of food (check its smell, appearance and, of course, shelf life).
After you figure out what vomiting is, you should give up all your strength to eliminate it. After all, it can entail serious consequences. Only a doctor can prescribe adequate treatment, taking into account the causes of the pathological condition.