Truth be told, vomiting is one of the worst experiences a person has to go through. It’s a feeling that you wish you never had. A sudden rush of nausea and a violent digestive system may seem like the worst feeling at first, but in most cases, vomiting is good for the body. Whereas it is definitely not a fun experience, vomiting is a reflex action that allows the body to get rid of dangerous toxins, poisons, bacteria, viruses, and parasites. This reflex action is also triggered by stress, anxiety and certain medication.
Too many people are under the belief that vomiting is a sickness. What they don’t know is that it as a sign of something bad happening in your body and a perfectly fine way to get rid of unwanted substances from your body. Keep in mind that in perfects conditions, fever, vomiting and coughing are positive signs as fever induces a state of sickness in your body which helps to kill the invaders, while vomiting and coughing are a way purify your body. So, it’s better to get rid of these toxins than to let them stay in your body
Causes of Vomiting
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that generally comes before the vomiting process. Where nausea and vomiting are not actual diseases themselves, they may be signs of many conditions such as:
- Medical conditions (motion or sea sickness, pregnancy, migraines, vertigo)
- Virus or bacterial attack (gastroenteritis or stomach flu, food poisoning)
- Intense pain (mainly ear related or pains that trigger substance P which signals the brain to vomit)
- Medications (as a side effect of medical treatments such as chemotherapy)
- Allergic reaction (ingestion of toxins, excessive alcohol, or a response to certain smell or odours)
These are mainly the involuntary causes of vomiting where a person can’t control the action. However, many doctors suggest that if you have ingested something bad, you can make yourself throw up voluntarily.
Can Vomiting Be Harmful To The Body?
Usually, in most cases, vomiting is harmless itself, but it is a sign that something in the body is not working how it should be. Most important concern after a series of vomiting is dehydration. Where adults have a lower risk of getting dehydrated, young children are more prone to it as they are unable to detect the symptoms of dehydration.
A lot of water and food is lost when a person vomits, so it is vital to drink lots of water and eat some food after vomiting to bring the body back to a working level. Visible signs of dehydration are dry lips, sunken eyes, high pulse and rapid breathing. Parents should also keep an eye on decreased urination and color of urine in infants.
Continuous vomiting during pregnancy can lead to a severe condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, in which a mother’s imbalance of nutrients and fluids can lead to malnutrition of a child in her womb and endanger the life of her unborn child.
Also, keep an eye on the color of your vomit. A bring red or dark color means that your vomit contains blood and greenish vomit color is an indication of some bile. Blood in vomit is a sign of ulcers or cut in the muscle and bile could signal that your digestive system is not working as properly as it should be.
A severe belly pain, along with vomiting and fever, is an obvious sign of appendicitis. You should contact your doctor immediately if you suffering from these symptoms.
A series of vomit after an accident or a head injury is the sign of a concussion and should not be taken lightly.
If you are continuously vomiting and the side effects are still there even after 48 hours, you should contact your doctors as it may be a sign of a chronic disease or a lump in your brain that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible.
How to Recover After Throwing Up
- Be Patient: The first thing you need to do is to be comfortable and understand that it is a waiting game. In case of an infection and food poisoning, vomiting is very good at getting rid of what’s making you sick so bear with it.
- Focus on Hydration: The most important thing you need to take care after a series of vomit is the fluid intake. As an adult it is in your best interest to provide your body with the necessary amount of water and minerals to help with the recovery process, and as a parent, you need to force your children to take them if it comes to that.
- Eat Healthily: Remember that your body is trying to recover so you must eat food like fruits and meals that are easy to digest. Avoid fatty foods which are much harder to digest.