Speak to your GP if: you've been vomiting repeatedly for more than a day or two. you're unable to keep down any fluids because you're vomiting repeatedly. you have signs of severe dehydration, such as confusion, a rapid heartbeat, sunken eyes and passing little or no urine.
Make an appointment with your doctor if: Vomiting lasts more than two days for adults, 24 hours for children under age 2 or 12 hours for infants. You've had bouts of nausea and vomiting for longer than one month. You've experienced unexplained weight loss along with nausea and vomiting.
If the vomiting comes on suddenly or is very intense, this could be a sign that you need emergency medical attention. Sudden or intense vomiting could indicate that you have a serious condition, such as an intestinal blockage. In general, emergency rooms treat life-threatening conditions.
For the most part, if you have uncontrolled vomiting for extended periods of time where you can't keep anything down, you should go to the emergency room. This is especially true for the very young, the elderly, or those with severe underlying health conditions, Dr. Lee says.
Vomiting alone (without diarrhea) should stop within about 24 hours. If it lasts over 24 hours, you must think about more serious causes. Examples are appendicitis, a kidney infection, diabetes and head injury.
A person with gastroenteritis is most infectious from when their symptoms start until 48 hours after all their symptoms have passed, although they may also be infectious for a short time before and after this.
Hydrate with clear liquids
Make hydration your main focus after a bout of vomiting, states Dr. Goldman. Start by drinking small sips of water every 15 minutes for the first three to four hours. You can even suck on ice chips.
Gastroenteritis and food poisoning are the most common underlying causes of sudden vomiting and usually clear up without treatment in a couple of days. Vomiting can sometimes be a symptom of something serious. Recurrent vomiting or vomiting that has lasted more than 2 days should always be investigated by your doctor.
Take a break from solid food, even if you feel like eating. Stay hydrated by sucking on ice chips or frozen fruit pops. Try drinking sips of water, weak tea, clear soft drinks without carbonation, noncaffeinated sports drinks, or broth.
Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but rather are symptoms of many different conditions, such as infection ("stomach flu"), food poisoning, motion sickness, overeating, blocked intestine, illness, concussion or brain injury, appendicitis and migraines.
Allow yourself to rest. Resting propped up in a seated position with the head elevated at least twelve inches above the feet is ideal. Remain in this seated rested position for a minimum of an hour, or until you are no longer experiencing nausea. Do not lie down all the way.
Yellow or greenish-vomit is usually a sign that you are throwing up bile. Throwing up yellow bile could indicate a potentially serious medical concern like a hiatal hernia or intestinal blockage. It can also happen if you have stomach flu or food poisoning and continue to vomit after your stomach is empty.
Children who vomit or have diarrhea should remain home until they have not vomited or had diarrhea for a full 24 hours. Children should be tolerating regular meals without discomfort before returning to school.
A vomit can only remove up to about half of the calories eaten - which means that, realistically, between half to two thirds of what is eaten is absorbed by the body. This is because absorption begins in the mouth (through the saliva), continues in the oesophagus, and then in the stomach.
However, the key distinction is time: The symptoms of a stomach bug will take 12 to 48 hours to develop, while the symptoms of food poisoning typically develop much faster, usually within 6 hours of consuming an infected dish. Another common difference between the two is the length of illness.
When to seek help for dehydration. Most nausea, vomiting and diarrhea should resolve within 3 to 5 days, however, see a physician for any of the following symptoms: Signs of dehydration (see above symptoms) A fever (over 101°F) accompanied with nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
Use oral rehydration salts (ORS)
The option is great when you can keep fluids down. Mix the salt with boiled or treated water, sip it slowly, and add more as needed to keep you hydrated while replacing lost electrolytes.
Resting your stomach, sipping small amounts of fluid, and then eating foods that are "safe" for your stomach will help stop vomiting in most cases.
Strange colors: Vomit may look bright red or dark (like coffee grounds) if it contains blood. Meanwhile, bile -- a fluid made by your liver that helps with digestion -- can make vomit look bright green. Both are cause for concern. Blood could be a sign of an ulcer or an irritation in your GI tract.
Green or yellow vomit, also known as bile, is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. The release of bile occurs when an individual is vomiting on an empty stomach or is suffering from bile reflux.
While it might seem tempting to brush your teeth immediately after vomiting, we don't recommend it. That's because throwing up leaves stomach acid in your mouth, and when you brush immediately after, you are actually rubbing that highly destructive acid into your teeth.
After your vomiting stops, you may feel weak and lethargic. This is quite common and happens because you haven't eaten in a while. Vomiting may also have left you dehydrated. You also lose electrolytes and salts when vomiting.