SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES OF VOMITING

Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often comes before vomiting. Vomiting is the forcible voluntary or involuntary emptying ("throwing up") of stomach contents through the mouth. Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms that can be caused by numerous conditions. Nausea and vomiting most often are due to viral gastroenteritis — often mistakenly termed "stomach flu" — or the morning sickness of early pregnancy.

Many medications can cause nausea and vomiting, as can general anesthesia for surgery. Rarely, nausea and vomiting may indicate a serious or even life-threatening problem.

Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions such as:

Medication-induced vomiting (including aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, oral contraceptives, digitalis, narcotics and antibiotics)

Intense pain

Emotional stress (such as fear)

Gallbladder disease

Food poisoning

Infections (such as the "stomach flu")

Overeating

A reaction to certain smells or odors

Heart attack

Concussion or brain injury

Brain tumor

Some forms of cancer

Gastroparesis or slow stomach emptying (a condition that can be seen in people with diabetes)

Ingestion of toxins or excessive amounts of alcohol

Chemotherapy

General anesthesia

Intestinal obstruction

Migraine

Morning sickness

Motion sickness: First aid

Rotavirus

Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)

Vestibular neuritis

Other possible causes of nausea and vomiting include:

Anaphylaxis (in children)

Anorexia nervosa

Appendicitis

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Bulimia nervosa

Cholecystitis

Crohn's disease

Cyclic vomiting syndrome

Depression

Dizziness

Diabetic ketoacidosis

Ear infection (middle ear)

Generalized anxiety disorder

GERD — Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Hepatitis

High fever (in children)

Hydrocephalus (a congenital brain abnormality)

Hyperparathyroidism (overactive parathyroid)

Hypoparathyroidism (underactive parathyroid)

Intestinal ischemia

Intracranial hematoma

Intussusception (in children)

Irritable bowel syndrome

Liver failure

Meniere's disease

Meningitis

Pancreatic cancer

Pancreatitis

Peptic ulcer

Pseudotumor cerebri

Pyloric stenosis (in infants)

Radiation therapy

Traumatic brain injury

Early stages of pregnancy (nausea occurs in approximately 50%-90% of all pregnancies; vomiting in 25%-55%)

The causes of vomiting differ according to age. For children, it is common for vomiting to occur from a viral infection, food poisoning, milk allergy, motion sickness, overeating or feeding, coughing, or blocked intestines and illnesses in which the child has a high fever.

The timing of the nausea or vomiting can indicate the cause. When appearing shortly after a meal, nausea or vomiting may be caused by food poisoning, gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining), an ulcer, or bulimia. Nausea or vomiting one to eight hours after a meal may also indicate food poisoning. However, certain food- borne bacteria, such as salmonella, can take longer to produce symptoms.