Vomiting of undigested food in an adult

VOMIT

(
vomitus, emesis
) - a complex reflex act leading to the eruption of stomach contents (sometimes along with intestinal contents) out through the mouth (less often through the nose).

The act of vomiting consists of successive movements of various muscle groups. It begins with a deep breath with lowering of the diaphragm, followed by lowering of the epiglottis and raising of the larynx and soft palate, which helps isolate the airways from vomit. The pylorus contracts, the body of the stomach and the esophagogastric sphincter relax, the cardiac part (cardia) is pulled upward, the esophagus expands and shortens. When the pylorus is tightly closed and the entrance to the stomach is gaping, conditions are created for the retrograde exit of gastric contents. This is facilitated by strong contractions of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. A sharp increase in intra-abdominal and intragastric pressure causes the eruption of stomach contents through the mouth. The stomach and esophagus play a passive role. Sometimes during R., antiperistaltic bowel movements occur, which leads to intestinal contents entering the stomach.

In physiol. In relation to R., it is a protective reaction of the digestive system to the ingress into it (or the formation in it) of toxic or other damaging substances. R. is carried out as a complex reflex with the participation of the vomiting center, next to the Crimea in the lower part of the bottom of the fourth ventricle of the brain there is a starting chemoreceptive zone. Coordination of motor reactions during R. is carried out by departments of the reticular formation of the medulla oblongata (see), associated with the respiratory, vasomotor, cough and other autonomic centers. Therefore, R. is accompanied by certain reactions of breathing, the circulatory system, and salivation. Vomiting is often preceded by nausea (see).

Common Causes of Vomiting

Nausea from strong odors of perfume, raw meat, fish or cooked food is a frequent companion of pregnant women. And if this is not pregnancy, then what? Then you should contact a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, therapist or neurologist for advice.

Causes of vomiting due to odors can be:

• hunger - this is how the stomach reminds you that breakfast and lunch should be on schedule, it is advisable to have a full breakfast before traveling on stuffy public transport;
• chronic gastrointestinal diseases;
• nervous overstrain - neuroses, stress, depression;
• allergies or poisoning.

Unpleasant sounds such as the sound of vomiting, scratching with a knife on a plate, the sound of a microphone malfunction with prolonged exposure also provoke vomiting. An unpleasant sight often causes nausea. Such a reaction indicates excessive impressionability, and sometimes even the first stages of neurosis.

Nausea against the background of non-existent odors. When it seems like it smells like burning or something else, it may indicate brain tumors.

Many people live and cope with nausea on their own, without paying much attention and without thinking about the real reasons. Although sometimes this is the only early sign of heart problems, ear infections and other hidden inflammatory processes.

Development mechanisms

To understand why sudden, causeless nausea occurs, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of its development. Doctors distinguish several varieties:

• central;
• reflex;
• visceral;
• motor;
• hematogenous-toxic.

Central

The cause of the development of the central variety can be inflammatory and infectious pathologies occurring directly in the brain and/or its membranes. Provocateurs include: concussions, head injuries, benign/malignant brain tumors. Accompanies arterial hypertension and may indicate the development of a hypertensive crisis.

Visceral

Visceral nausea is a sign of problems with the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). It occurs as a symptom of stomach cancer, ulcerative pathologies, inflammation of the pancreas, cholecystitis, gastritis.

Nausea may be a sign of gastrointestinal disease

This type often develops against the background of the following pathologies:

• inflammation of the pharynx;
• pleurisy;
• myocardial infarction;
• renal colic;
• thrombosis.

Motor

Motor nausea develops during inflammatory/infectious pathologies of the ear, as well as disturbances in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

Hematogenous-toxic

Sudden nausea in this case occurs as the body’s response to exposure to toxic substances. Often found in patients diagnosed with renal failure, endocrine pathologies, all types of tumors, as well as during pregnancy.

Important! The cause of its development may be the use of certain medications. In this case, it is considered as a side effect.

Nausea during inflammatory processes

Nausea and vomiting combined with dizziness and loss of balance are symptoms of ear inflammation. It occurs as a complication after influenza, otitis media, measles, tuberculosis, meningitis, scarlet fever and other infectious diseases.

Labyrinthitis is an inflammation of the inner ear, which has the shape of a labyrinth filled with endolymph. Not only are auditory analyzers located here, but also vestibular receptors are located in the tubules, which are responsible for orienting the body in space, balance and coordination. Inflammatory processes affect both functions, which provokes such symptoms.

Most often observed 1-2 weeks after otitis media. The middle ear is separated from the inner ear by a membrane. When inflamed, the wall swells and becomes permeable. Toxins and pathogens penetrate deeper, and purulent labyrinthitis occurs.

The following symptoms may be observed:

• heavy sweating;
• temperature;
• pallor;
• hyperemia of the facial skin - strong blush;
• tachycardia;
• discomfort in the heart area;
• noise in ears;
• hearing loss;
• nystagmus - a feeling that everything around you is spinning.

How to stop vomiting? With such symptoms, it is unwise to try to cope with the condition on your own. Before the ambulance arrives, the patient must be hydrated with special solutions to reduce dehydration. Further treatment will be aimed at eliminating inflammation. Antiemetic drugs may be used. Self-administration of such medications is undesirable.

The chronic form can occur unnoticed and symptoms are mild. Systematic dizziness, even short-term, should be alarming. Nystagmus can change direction. Impaired coordination of movement from a subtle tilt of the body to a fall, when it is difficult to rise without the help of others.

Important! The state of nausea and lightheadedness is not accompanied by heaviness and pain in the stomach; attacks of vomiting do not even bring temporary relief and are not associated with meals.

Labyrinthitis can occur after a head injury, if there has been damage to the integrity of the eardrum, or a crack in the skull.

Vomiting, diarrhea and fever often occur as a result of intoxication of the body against the background of pneumonia. Depending on the location of the source of the disease, pneumonia is divided into types with different clinical pictures. In other words, with a certain order of conditions that the patient suffers.

Important! Most often, pneumonia is manifested by high temperature, fever, excessive sweating and chills, which continues to worsen for 2-3 days. But there are also sluggish and undulating course of the disease without obvious signs.

Focal pneumonia affects a small part of the lungs. The patient complains of a prolonged cough with sputum, loss of strength, and chest pain when breathing. The temperature usually does not reach extreme values, and persistent fever is not observed. The disease progresses in waves: periods of improvement are followed by an increase in temperature with chills or short-term fever, and a general deterioration in well-being.

Croupous inflammation has a characteristic sign - “rusty” sputum. The disease is accompanied by a high temperature, a dry cough turns into a wet one with an admixture of blood particles, which determines the characteristic color of the sputum. Fever lasts for a long time, sometimes about 10 days. The decrease in temperature at times occurs sharply, and at the same time blood pressure drops. The patient loses consciousness. There are also complaints of shortness of breath and painful breathing. Herpes may appear on the face. The patient looks haggard, with an unhealthy blush, the wings of the nose swell with every breath.

Viral pneumonia is characterized by a rapid development of events: high temperature up to 40 degrees, shortness of breath, painful dry cough, aching joints and headache. In some cases, conjunctivitis, rhinitis, laryngitis, and tonsillitis are associated. Atypical pneumonia almost always provokes severe intoxication: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting.

Important! A blue tint to the fingertips and areas of the face indicates sluggish pneumonia and is caused by a lack of oxygen in the tissues.

An advanced cold causes coughing to the point of vomiting. The provoking factor will be a seizure attack simultaneously with a contraction of the diaphragm. A large accumulation of viscous sputum, which flows down the walls of the nasopharynx, leads to a feeling of nausea. Swallowing mucus also causes involuntary vomiting. An obsessive cough with gagging is observed in the following diseases:

• tracheitis;
• bronchitis;
• allergic reaction;
• tuberculosis;
• lungs' cancer;
• bronchial asthma.

With colds, the sputum is clear; if the sputum is purulent (yellow-green) in color, it means the cold is of viral or bacterial origin. Bronchial asthma causes yellow nasal discharge, which is caused by a high concentration of eosinophils, a subtype of white blood cells.

A vomiting cough is a companion of many heavy smokers. Sputum constantly accumulates in the nasopharynx. And if there is no desire to get rid of the addiction, it is important to regularly examine the lungs and carry out maintenance therapy.

Diagnostic value

VOMITING is not a specific symptom of any nosological form. At the same time, its occurrence in combination with other symptoms, assessment of the characteristics of manifestations, incl. including the study of vomit, can significantly facilitate the diagnosis of the disease or clarify it, and also contribute in some cases to a correct assessment of the severity of the patient’s condition.

The study of vomit is desirable in each case of R. Organoleptically determine the single and total (with repeated R.) volume of vomit, its consistency, color, smell, the presence of food residues, their composition, the presence of patol. impurities (blood, mucus, large amounts of bile, pus, worms). Depending on the nature of the vomit, they distinguish between R. freshly eaten food, R. eaten long ago (so-called stagnant R.), bile, bloody, fecal, purulent R., etc. Undigested food in the vomit may indicate gastric achylia or R. of esophageal origin, for example, with achalasia of the esophagus. R. pure gastric juice of high acidity allows one to suspect Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (see Zollinger-Ellison syndrome). The putrid smell of vomit can be observed with disintegrating stomach cancer, the smell of alcohol - with alcohol poisoning, the smell of acetone - with acetonemic R. (see Acetonemia). Fecal R. is characteristic of intestinal obstruction (see). Bloody R. (see Hematemesis) always indicates bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. tract and requires urgent diagnosis of the cause of bleeding (ulcer, erosion, etc.). Bile is almost always present in vomit with severe R.; In a number of diseases, predominantly biliary R. is possible.

If the organoleptic examination is not enough, the necessary laboratory tests of the vomit are carried out - bacteriological (for example, for acute foodborne toxic infections), cytological, chemical, etc. If poisoning is suspected, forensic medicine is carried out. chemical research.

Determining R.'s connection with food intake is of important diagnostic importance. This relationship is usually characterized by identifying the following types of R.: morning, or R. on an empty stomach (vomitus matutinus), early (occurs soon after eating), late (occurs several hours after eating), night R. and, finally, R. not associated with eating (cyclic R.), etc.

The pathogenetic diagnosis of R. is based on the totality of signs of the underlying disease, taking into account the characteristics of the occurrence of R., the nature of the vomit, and the connection of R. with food intake.

Central vomiting can occur due to organic diseases of the c. n. c, - with meningitis, encephalitis, abscesses and brain tumors (see), as well as with lesions of the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear, with glaucoma. It may be based on acute vascular crises due to hypertension or migraine. A special place is occupied by psychogenic R. in hysterical neurosis (hysterical vomiting), as well as in a variant of the usual R. in other disorders. n. d.

When analyzing the causes of psychogenic R., they keep in mind that even in healthy individuals, the reaction to unpleasant food or stressful stimuli is often accompanied by R. and that people’s tendency to R. is very individual. It is known that women are more susceptible to R. than men, children - to a greater extent than adults. The following features are attributed to habitual psychogenic R.: a long history (sometimes R. begins during school years), R. often occurs in relatives, usually occurs soon after the start of a meal or immediately after its completion, it is easily caused by inserting a finger into the pharynx, can be independently suppressed, rarely happens in a public place, bothers the patient himself relatively little and worries his relatives more, sometimes combined with anorexia nervosa (see). In some cases, with psychogenic disorders, it is not R. that is observed, but regurgitation (see), in which the contractions of the abdominal muscles characteristic of R. are absent.

Cyclic R. is described in Chap. arr. in children. It is characterized by causeless recurrent and prolonged attacks of severe R. with headache, abdominal pain, and fever. The causes of cyclic R. are considered to be psychogenic factors, perinatal and postnatal brain damage.

Central R., especially with organic pathology c. n. pp., often occurs without previous nausea, which is used in differential diagnosis. Central R. is characterized by a sudden eruption of vomit for the patient, often in a “fountain” (the patient does not have time to choose a place for R.), which may cause the erroneous assumption of pyloric stenosis. Vomit usually consists of freshly eaten food without pathol. impurities. These characteristics are not, however, absolute.

Hematogenous - toxic vomiting is observed in diseases characterized by the formation of toxic products of impaired metabolism, for example, with uremia, decompensated diabetes mellitus (acetonemic R.), liver failure, with porphyria, thyrotoxicosis, hyperparathyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, in patients with diarrhea. It is also caused by exogenous poisons circulating in the blood during poisoning (carbon monoxide, chlorine, alcohol, etc.), medicinal intoxications (digitalis preparations, radiocontrast agents, cytostatics, sulfonamides, iron preparations, certain drugs, apomorphine, etc.). R. should be included in this same type for various inf. diseases when it is caused by bacterial toxins, viruses, and various metabolites circulating in the blood.

Hematogenous-toxic R. caused by exogenous poisons is characterized by previous severe nausea, repetition of vomiting (sometimes indomitable R.), liquid and initially copious vomit, which with repeated R. often consists of small portions of liquid stained with bile. R. in endogenous intoxications may be more reminiscent of the central one in its manifestations. Characteristic is R.'s combination with other signs of intoxication - dehydration, the development of acidosis (if there is no severe hypochloremia from R. itself), sometimes fever, impaired consciousness up to the development of coma (see).

Visceral vomiting is caused by reflex stimulation of the vomiting center from peripheral receptors; most often it is observed in the pathology of gout. tract and is associated in a certain way with food intake, although R. is possible that is not associated with food intake (for example, in acute appendicitis).

Morning R. (before breakfast, on an empty stomach) is typical for chronic. gastritis (especially due to alcoholism), sometimes observed during exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease, duodenitis, accompanied by abundant salivation. In some cases, morning R. may occur due to irritation of the posterior wall of the pharynx by bronchial secretions accumulated overnight. Early R. accompanies gastric dysfunction and neurotic conditions, but is also observed with stomach cancer, gastritis, and diverticula of the esophagus. Late R. occurs with pyloroduodenal ulcers, duodenitis, gastritis with increased gastric secretion. Night R. sometimes occurs in patients with peptic ulcers; in some cases, it is caused arbitrarily to relieve pain; it can also be observed in food poisoning, in diseases of the biliary or urinary tract.

R. with food eaten long ago (more than 7 hours before R.), as well as the sound of splashing when palpating the epigastric region 5 hours later. after eating food or water, indicates a violation of gastric evacuation. It is characteristic of pyloric stenosis (see Pyloric stenosis), postbulbar stenoses. Sometimes R. from food eaten long ago and disturbances in gastric evacuation can be of a functional nature, as, for example, in severe forms of diabetes mellitus, when gastric atony develops with “stagnant” R., reflex gastric paresis in cholelithiasis and certain other pathols. processes when treating patients with anticholinergics.

Biliary R., characterized by an abundance of bile in the vomit, is observed with complications after operations on the stomach (adductor loop syndrome, reflux gastritis, peptic ulcer anastomosis), with narrowing of the duodenum below the major duodenal papilla, sometimes with biliary colic. It is accompanied by pain in the epigastric region, nausea, and patients exhibit weight loss and iron deficiency anemia.

Painful nausea without fever or diarrhea

Heart problems are often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Violation of the pumping function of the heart muscle, in addition to nausea, is manifested by flatulence, constipation and other dispersive symptoms. Hypoxia leads to this reaction in the body. There is not enough oxygen in the tissues of the digestive system. Structural changes in the muscle fibers of the myocardium lead to tissue swelling in the abdominal and thoracic region. Weakness of the heart often provokes vomiting as a side effect of medications.

Myocardial infarction may be preceded by painful nausea and vomiting for another 5 days. And also the change of high blood pressure and tachycardia by a sharp drop in pressure. Shortness of breath, unreasonable fear and acute pain in the chest intensify.

The so-called “gastric” or abdominal infarction is disguised as gastrointestinal problems. Symptoms:

• cutting pain in the epigastric region;
• nausea;
• urge to vomit;
• pain appears in the stomach area and increases rapidly, as with an ulcer or gastritis.

Important! Vomiting does not provide relief. Typically, the patient previously complained of angina. Pain and vomiting occur regardless of food intake. Such differences make it possible to exclude inflammation of the gastric mucosa.

More often, the weaker sex is susceptible to such attacks, since the diaphragm is located slightly higher than in men and the lower part of the heart is located closer to the stomach. Typical signs of a heart attack are: burning pain, numbness of the limbs, pain in the shoulder, shoulder blade or jaw. But asymptomatic attacks are not uncommon; sometimes nausea and vomiting for no particular reason become the only symptoms.

If you vomit after eating, how to help, what to do?

If you experience nausea and vomiting after eating, abdominal cramps, fever, or the presence of blood in the vomit, you should immediately call an ambulance. To provide first aid before the arrival of doctors, in agreement with the doctor, you can use some traditional methods. It is important to remember that self-medication can have negative health consequences, so it is best to avoid it to prevent complications of the current situation.

After consulting a doctor, you can resort to the use of the following medicinal plants and their decoctions:

1 Peppermint is brewed with boiling water (1 tbsp.) and infused for three hours. The decoction should be consumed in three doses.

2 For chronic stomach upset, use a decoction of dill seeds. To do this, boiled seeds are placed in 150 ml of boiled water. This remedy helps prevent vomiting.

3 To relieve nausea and prevent vomiting in case of poisoning, pour 600 ml of cold boiled water into two or three tablespoons of three-leaf watch, then leave for 12 hours. The decoction must be drunk throughout the day.

4 Based on the healing and calming properties of ginger, it is widely used in folk medicine to combat nausea and vomiting. If you feel nauseous, you can drink some ginger ale or take a ginger infusion.

5 Ginger decoction for nausea. The recipe for ginger root decoction is quite simple. Fresh ginger root should be grated on a fine grater and mixed with a glass of boiled water. The mixture should then be simmered over low heat for half an hour. In another container, a glass of boiled water is mixed with ground lemon balm leaves (5 tbsp). After preparation, the decoctions must be mixed and the resulting composition infused for 6 hours. The decoction should be taken one glass four times a day.

6 Ginger root helps alleviate toxicosis in pregnant women. You shouldn't abuse it. It is enough to add small portions of ginger to your food. Drinking water acidified with lemon juice will help enhance the positive effect.

You must always remember that the occurrence of nausea and vomiting indicates various disorders of the body: from food poisoning to serious diseases.

Endocrine diseases and possible causes of vomiting

The endocrine system is a complex mechanism of glands that are responsible for the functioning of all organs. Some failures also include vomiting and nausea. The most common ailments are described below.

Vomiting in diabetes is a common symptom, and sometimes the only early sign of problems with glucose. Negligence towards one's health forces one to ignore symptoms. And treating gastrointestinal disorders at home seems to be an acceptable measure.

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not secrete enough of the hormone insulin. Improper metabolism of glucose in the body often causes vomiting, since breakdown products are not completely eliminated and accumulate. The concentration of acetone in the plasma increases. A person needs urgent help.

Deterioration of the condition occurs due to an increase or sharp decrease in blood sugar. The reasons for such fluctuations are as follows:

• the patient did not adhere to the insulin administration schedule;
• self-medication with drugs to control insulin in the blood;
• hypoglycemia – a condition when blood sugar is less than normal;
• a condition close to diabetes mellitus, without proper therapy the disease will continue to progress;
• gastroparesis is a violation of gastric motility, the organ has lost the ability to contract properly and food is retained for a long time.

Any fluctuation in blood glucose levels results in nausea. Hyperglycemia is a high level of sugar that also provokes lightheadedness, pain in the chest on the left, and decreased visual acuity. Low glucose levels can lead to brain swelling. Then the vomiting center is under significant pressure, which provokes nausea. The patient also complains of weakness, cramps, and excessive hunger.

Important! Glucose levels can also decrease in a healthy person due to fasting, a strict diet, or prolonged overwork.

Ketoacedosis – insulin deficiency causes cells to draw energy from fat stores. Which in turn leads to an increase in the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood. Intoxication causes nausea. A clear sign is the characteristic smell of acetone from the mouth.

Diabetes insipidus is a disease associated with an imbalance in the body's water balance and is caused by a lack of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). There are three mechanisms for the formation of pathology:

• central – the hypothalamus releases an insufficient amount of the hormone;
• dyspogenic - can also occur with normal hormonal background, the cause is the influence of irritating factors (tumor, surgery) on the thirst centers;
• nephrogenic - kidney tissue becomes resistant to the hormone.

The kidney type of diabetes occurs only in men. The disease is associated with a deterioration in male libido and potency.

In women, diabetes insipidus is fraught with problems with the menstrual cycle and can cause infertility or miscarriages.

Important! Placental enzymes destroy ADH. Therefore, diabetes insipidus often accompanies pregnancy, starting from the 3rd trimester, and disappears after childbirth.

Main symptoms:

• frequent and copious urination more than 3 liters per day, can reach 15 liters;
• insomnia due to frequent nighttime visits to the toilet;
• severe thirst, from 3-4 liters per day with a norm of 2 liters;
• dry skin and mucous membranes – dry mouth;
• nausea and vomiting;
• convulsions appear;
• mental disorders: apathy, irritability;
• low performance;
• the patient suddenly loses weight;
• no appetite.

Important! The disease has clear symptoms, develops rapidly and can have serious consequences. Therefore, if you have complaints of thirst and excessive urination along with vomiting, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Vomit in diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus contains undigested food and/or bile.

What medications to treat vomiting during motion sickness

Almost 70% of all travelers experienced motion sickness, at least in childhood. 20% of adults never outgrow this problem as they age. In doctors' offices this condition is called kinetosis. It is provoked by the reaction of the vestibular apparatus. Special receptors analyze the position of the head and the movement of the body in space. Sharp turns of the head are an irritating factor; the body reacts with a reflexive contraction of muscles to maintain balance.

A person suffering from kinetosis has a particularly difficult time with sharp turns, ascents/descents, braking/acceleration, airplane takeoff/landing, turbulence, and rocking on the waves while traveling by water. There are people who cannot tolerate all forms of transportation, and for some, there are acceptable travel options.

What should those who are prone to motion sickness do? The recommendations are simple:

• eat an hour or an hour and a half before the trip;
• food should be light and satisfying: boiled chicken or buckwheat porridge;
• give up sweets, carbonated drinks and dairy products;
• you need to sit down in the direction of travel;
• It’s easier to endure the trip if you fall asleep or look straight ahead into the distance;
• It is not recommended to read while driving; it is better to listen to music or an audiobook;
• take special medications for motion sickness.

Medicines for motion sickness and seasickness:

Experts consider the statement “outgrow” to be incorrect. Motion sickness may indicate arterial nutritional disorders. The cerebellum, inner ear, eyes, receptors responsible for contraction of muscles and ligaments, the thalamus and a number of brain centers are responsible for vestibular functions.

The above areas are supplied with blood mainly by the branches of the vertebral artery. Insufficient blood flow can result from birth injuries, including cesarean section, and others. Displacement of bones even by a fraction of a millimeter during childbirth significantly impedes blood circulation. If such an injury occurs, then the vertebral arteries are the first to be compressed. With a high degree of probability, such a child will get motion sickness in transport.

As you get older, motion sickness goes away or is tolerated much easier. This doesn't mean the problem has gone away. The brain just functions better as it gets older. But childhood trauma can manifest itself in other ways. Motion sickness can also be a consequence of a severe head injury or concussion in early childhood.

Motion sickness combined with dizziness is a reason to consult an osteopath. Children respond better to treatment. But adults shouldn’t ignore this problem either.

What to drink against vomiting in gastrointestinal diseases

Each gastrointestinal pathology is characterized by characteristic sensations of vomiting and nausea, varying in intensity, frequency, duration and composition of the vomit.

Important! Do not take antiemetics on the advice of incompetent persons or pharmacists.

Gastritis with low acidity does not cause vomiting. The patient constantly experiences obsessive nausea, which becomes stronger after eating. The symptom is more pronounced if a person suffers from several diseases at the same time. Gastritis due to pancreatitis or cholecystitis.

Vomiting is more common in patients with increased gastric juice activity. The high content of hydrochloric acid corrodes the walls and vomiting is the only mechanism of self-preservation of the stomach. The same thing happens with ulcers, when hydrochloric acid, even in normal proportions, irritates damaged areas of the walls. There is a sour smell in the vomit.

Worsening of a stomach or duodenal ulcer is fraught with bleeding. Then vomiting of blood occurs. Tarry stools also appear within 24 hours or the next day.

Inflammatory processes in the intestines are more accompanied by stool upset, and vomiting and nausea signal an acute stage of the disease. For example, with intestinal obstruction. Retention of stool and gases, absorption of toxic substances into the blood quickly worsen the condition, the following is observed:

• spasmodic or constant severe pain;
• cold sweat appears, skin is pale;
• frequent bouts of vomiting;
• pulse weak and rapid.

Without timely assistance, peritonitis develops. The patient will require hospitalization and surgery. In especially severe cases, stool can be thrown into the stomach and come out with vomiting.

In diseases of the liver and gall bladder, vomiting occurs against the background of a bitter taste in the mouth, yellowness of the skin and sclera of the eyes. Also, due to the activity of liver enzymes, the patient feels itchy skin. Bile is present in the vomit. Gallstone disease is the most common cause of vomiting.

The causes of gallstones are the settling and compaction of heavy bile particles - read more in this article. The main components of bile are cholesterol, calcium salts and bilirubin. Stones interfere with the normal functioning of the gallbladder, complicate its outflow, and impair digestion. Too large formations are removed surgically.

The formation of stones is promoted by:

• excess weight;
• long courses of hormonal drugs with estrogen, as well as some drugs with pronounced side effects: octreotide, clofibrate, cyclosporine;
• heredity;
• frequent childbirth;
• unfavorable climate;
• high-calorie foods and lack of fiber in the diet;
• extreme weight loss on strict diets;
• some pathologies: diabetes mellitus, liver cirrhosis, anemia, etc.;
• intestinal operations.

Women are also more susceptible to gallstones than men.

Anti-vomiting medications used for gastrointestinal disorders

Important! In case of repeated vomiting of unknown origin, it is forbidden to take antiemetic and painkillers until the ambulance arrives.

Pathogenesis

Excitation of the vomiting center can occur with increased intracranial pressure (tumors, abscesses near the fourth ventricle), under the influence of mental stimuli, under the influence of impulses from the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear, reflexively with irritation of various parts of the body. The trigger chemoreceptive zone reacts directly to chemical exposure. substances (medicines, poisons, toxins) entering the blood.

The source of the gag reflex can be irritation of various parts of the body, but there are zones whose irritation most often causes a gag reflex (“vomit zones”). These include the pharynx, coronary vessels, peritoneum, mesenteric vessels, bile ducts, and cerebral cortex. In most people, R. occurs with tactile irritation of the mucous membrane of the posterior wall of the pharynx (pharyngeal reflex). An increase in pressure in the stomach and in various parts of the small and large intestines can cause a gag reflex, provided that the pressure in the stomach and duodenum exceeds 20 mm Hg. Art. Vomiting impulses are sometimes combined with pain. Very severe pain (see) of any origin can cause R.

Afferent impulses reach the vomiting center through the vagus and sympathetic nerves. R., which occurs in the experiment during intestinal distension, disappears after sympathicotomy, but persists after vagotomy. R., caused by the oral administration of copper sulfate, a staphylococcal toxin, as well as R. in experimental peritonitis, persists after each of these operations, but disappears in animals in Crimea, both of these operations were performed. Efferent impulses from the vomiting center travel along the cranial nerves (V, IX, X) to the palate, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, diaphragm and through the spinal cord along the spinal nerves to the striated muscles of the chest and abdominal wall. Destruction of the chemoreceptive trigger zone does not prevent R. that occurs when copper sulfate is taken orally, but eliminates R. when administered intravenously. These observations indicate that certain chemicals. substances cause R. both with the help of impulses entering the vomiting center, bypassing the chemoreceptive zone, and with direct irritation of this zone. A number of pharmacological drugs (apomorphine), as well as endogenous poisons (for example, with uremia) act only through central mechanisms through the chemoreceptive trigger zone (see Emetics). The described mechanisms of R.'s occurrence make it possible to divide it into three main pathogenetic variants: 1) central R. (nervous, cerebral); 2) hematogenous-toxic R.; 3) visceral, or actually reflex, R. Each option is inherent in a certain type of pathology and has its own wedge and features.