Vomiting
| Vomiting | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Emesis, throwing up, puking, barfing, spewing, upchucking, heaving, hurling, ralphing, being sick, urping |
| 14th-century illustration of vomiting from the Casanatense Tacuinum Sanitatis | |
| Specialty | Gastroenterology |
| Symptoms | Nausea |
| Complications | Aspiration, electrolyte and water loss, damage to the enamel of the teeth, tear of the esophageal mucosa |
| Risk factors | History of migraine, history of PONV or motion sickness in a child's parent or sibling, better ASA physical status, intense preoperative anxiety, certain ethnicities or surgery types, decreased perioperative fluids, crystalloid versus colloid administration |
Vomiting (scientifically known as emesis, and otherwise known as puking, and throwing up) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. The substance so produced (the erstwhile contents of the stomach, now expelled) is also known as vomit or vomitus.
Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, pregnancy, motion sickness, or hangover; or it can be an after effect of diseases such as brain tumors, elevated intracranial pressure, or overexposure to ionizing radiation. The feeling that one is about to vomit is called nausea; it often precedes, but does not always lead to vomiting. Impairment due to alcohol, anesthesia, or other sedatives can cause inhalation of vomit. In severe cases, where dehydration develops, intravenous fluid may be required. Antiemetics are sometimes necessary to suppress nausea and vomiting. Self-induced vomiting can be a component of an eating disorder such as bulimia nervosa, and is itself now classified as an eating disorder on its own, purging disorder.