Vomiting

Vomiting is also termed as Emesis. It is an unpredicted expulsion of the food contents through the mouth and frequently through the nose. Usually, vomiting takes out toxic materials from the gastro-intestinal tract during digestion. That contains gastric secretions with the food substances that were eaten recently. In severe cases blood, bile, stomach acids can be seen and can damage the respiratory system. Prolonged vomiting can cause dehydration, erosion of teeth enamel, and can also tear the esophagus. Vomiting is frightening for young children, older citizens and exhausting for kids of all ages.

Some common causes for vomiting are narcotic drugs, hard pain, stress, motion sickness, tickling the back of the pharynx, gastroenteritis, food poisoning, excess alcohol, eating disorder and other serious illnesses.

Alternatively, some of the common causes of vomiting in infants are:

• Food allergies or milk intolerance.
• Infection of the digestive tract that usually causes vomiting with diarrhea.
• An inborn disturbance of metabolism.
• Infection fever.
• Intestinal obstruction.
• Unexpected ingestion of a drug or poison.

Call the doctor immediately or take your child to an emergency care if you suspect poisoning or drug ingestion.

Symptoms

• Expulsion of food through mouth and nose
• Increased saliva
• Dizziness
• Light-headedness
• Difficulty swallowing food or liquid
• Change in skin temperature
• Increased heartbeat rate
• Increased sensitivity to certain smells
• Loss of taste

Popular treatments and recommendations

• Drink ginger tea with a little sugar of your taste.
• Drink a glass of a mixture of cold water, juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon of sugar and salt every two hours.
• If the vomiting is due to excess consumption of alcohol, slowly eat a slice or two of breads.
• Drink lots of vegetable juices and non-acidic beverages.
• Take a mixture of 1 tablespoon of mint and lime juice, with 1/2 tablespoon ginger infusion  2-3 times a day.
• Make tea with a mixture of Holy Basil, catnip and peach bark tea and drink daily.
• Take a tablespoon of onion juice every two hours.
• Blend a mixture of ¼ tablespoon ginger powder, 1 cup apple juice and ¼ cup water together until the ginger gets dissolved and drink it twice a day.
• Take some cloves, cardamoms or a cinnamon stick every possible time in your mouth.
• Lick the a piece of lemon halves sprinkle with some rock salt on each pieces after vomiting.
• Take a half tablespoon of grounded cumin seeds with water.

Prevention

• Avoid oily, spicy, heavy and indigestible foods.
• Choose small meals during the day rather than large meals.
• Eat slowly.
• Take a rest of at least 10 minutes after eating.
• Drink water frequently.

References

• http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/vomit.html
• Silverthorne, D.U, 2007, ‘The Digestive System, in Human Physiology, ed. Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco, chap. 21.
• http://remedies.iloveindia.com/symptoms-vomiting.html
• http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/nausea-and-vomiting/overview.html
• http://www.emedicinehealth.com/vomiting_and_nausea/page2_em.htm#Vomiting and Nausea Symptoms
• http://remedies.iloveindia.com/vomiting.html
• http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/vomit.html#
• http://www.medicinenet.com/nausea_and_vomiting/article.htm
• http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-nausea-vomiting?page=2