Vomiting can be an
exhausting and unpleasant experience, caused by a number of conditions. The term
'vomiting' refers to the forceful ejection of contents of stomach through the mouth.
Popularly known as 'being sick' or throwing up', vomiting is a reflex action caused by
stimulation of vomiting center in the brain stem.
Causes of Vomiting
1. Stomach irritation: Irritation of the lining of stomach is the commonest cause
of vomiting.
A multitude of reasons may cause this:
- Gastritis
- Gastroenteritis
- Peritonitis
- Appendicitis
- Ulcers (Gastric and Duodenal)
- Tonsillitis (especially in young
children)
- Excessive drinking
- Excessive intake of contaminated
food
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2. Motion sickness
3. Head injury
4. Certain diseases like meningitis, fever, whopping cough, jaundice etc
5. Pregnancy (Morning sickness)
6. Delibrate vomiting (by putting finger in the mouth) |
First
Aid:
* Avoid solid foods as they will make you more sick and induce further
vomiting.
* Take plenty of bland fluids - water, diluted milk or squashes but no
aerated or alcoholic
drinks.
* Suck ice cubes if you find it impossible to keep fluids down.
* A teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda diluted in a teacup of water or
milk can also be helpful.
* As the patient feels better, he can shift to semi solid diets like
soups, custards, daliya etc.
* Work back to normal diet over three to four days.
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