nausea or vomiting

What is nausea or vomiting?

Nausea and vomiting are not diseases but they are types of infections. These are symptoms related to infections such as food poisoning, motion sickness, overeating, blocked intestine, illness, or brain injury. Nausea and vomiting may sometimes be symptoms of more serious diseases such as heart attack, kidney or liver disorder, or tumors some forms of lung cancer.

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Describe the difference between nausea and vomiting. 

Nausea is defined as the uneasiness of the stomach that can lead to vomiting, but it is not always lead to vomiting. On the other hand, vomiting is defined as voluntary or involuntary throwing up stomach contents through the mouth. Some people may result in vomiting can come from the stomach and intestines (infection, injury, and food irritations), the inner ear (dizziness and motion sickness), and also the brain (head injury, brain infections, tumors, migraines headaches).

What are the causes of nausea or vomiting?

The causes of both nausea and vomiting are similar. Some causes are:

• Seasickness and motion sickness
• Early pregnancy
• Intense pain
• Exposure to chemical toxins
• Emotional stress
• Fear
• Gallbladder disease
• Food poisoning
• Indigestion
• Various disease
• Certain smells or odors

Causes of vomiting depend on age. For adults, vomiting is the result of viral infection and food poisoning also for a person who has a high fever. For children, it is also caused by a viral infection, food poisoning, motion sickness, overeating and feeding, coughing, and illness in which the child has a high fever. Vomiting is harmless but it may be a sign of serious illness. Some examples of serious illnesses caused by vomiting are:

• Concussions
• Encephalitis
• Meningitis
• Intestinal blockage
• Appendicitis
• Migraine headaches
• Brain tumors

Another reason for vomiting is dehydration. Adults have a lower risk of becoming hydrated because they can detect the symptoms such as thirst, dry lips, or mouth, but children have greater chances of becoming dehydrated because they can’t detect the symptoms of dehydration. There are a few visible symptoms of dehydration such as:

• Dry lips and mouth
• Sunken eyes
• Rapid breathing
• Rapid pulse

What can be done to control or relieve nausea or vomiting?

There are several ways to control or relive nausea, in case of not working on these techniques you need to talk with your doctor about it.

• Drink clear or ice-cold drinks.
• Eat light, bland foods
• Avoid fried, greasy, or sweet foods
• Eat slowly and eat smaller meals
• Do not mix hot or cold foods
• Avoid activity after eating
• Avoid brushing your teeth after eating

Treatment for vomiting includes:

• Drink large amounts of clear liquids
• Avoid solid food
• Resting
• Temporary left to take medicines

How can you prevent nausea?

Nausea can be prevented:

Eating small foods

Eating slowly

Avoid hard things to digest foods

When you wake up in the morning and you feel nauseated, eat some crackers or eat protein snacks. Drink more water at least six to eight glasses of water a day.

Take your child under the age of 6 years to the doctor if:

• Vomiting lasts more than a few hours
• Diarrhea is also present
• Signs of dehydration occur
• Fever is higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit

Take your child to the doctor over 6 years old:

• Vomiting lasts more than one day
• Diarrhea is also combined
• Signs of diarrhea
• Fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit

You should also talk to your doctor immediately if these symptoms occur:

• Blood in the vomit
• Severe headache
• Stiff neck
• Lethargy
• Confusion
• Decreased alertness
• Severe abdominal pain
• Vomiting and diarrhea both are present
• Rapid breathing
• Fast pulse rate