The experience of gagging without throwing up is called dry heaving, or retching. It's often described as a feeling that you need to throw up but cannot. Fortunately, retching is usually temporary and most people find success stopping it using at-home remedies or over-the-counter treatments.
In certain instances, a lack of a gag reflex may be a symptom of a more severe medical condition, such as cranial nerve damage or brain death. Contrast this with a hypersensitive gag reflex (HGR), which may be caused by anxiety, postnatal drip, acid reflux, or oral stimulation, such as during dental treatments.
2. Retching. Retching is when the stomach contracts repeatedly in what many people describe as “dry heaving,” or the feeling of vomiting without actually losing stomach contents.
Fecal vomiting. Other names. Feculent vomiting, stercoraceous vomiting, copremesis. Fecal vomiting occurs when the bowel is obstructed for some reason, and intestinal contents cannot move normally.
Gastric Problems. Dry heaving causes damage to the stomach lining, which causes internal bleeding because it irritates or tears the lining of the esophagus causing severe stomach pains [18].
Gagging is common among babies who are learning to eat and less common among older kids and adults. Other causes of gagging include inadequate chewing, difficulty swallowing, swollen tonsils, GERD, and having an overly sensitive gag reflex. If you gag frequently, talk to a healthcare provider.
However, keep in mind that a person should not induce vomiting unless directed by a doctor, as it can be dangerous and may cause serious side effects.
Other signs that you are about to vomit include gagging, retching, choking, involuntary stomach reflexes, the mouth filling with saliva (to protect the teeth from stomach acid), and the need to move or bend over.
If belching is accompanied by nausea or heartburn—or it feels like you throw up in your mouth a little when you burp—you might actually have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux. "People sometimes feel food or fluid coming up into their chest or even into their throat," Berggreen says.
Retching (also known as dry heaving) is the reverse movement (retroperistalsis) of the stomach and esophagus without vomiting. It can be caused by bad smells or choking, or by withdrawal from certain medications, or after vomiting has completed.
Although it isn't understood why anxiety triggers the gag reflex, the American Psychological Association indicates that anxiety stimulates the nervous system, which triggers physical reactions to the stress. These reactions might include the gag reflex.
Do not eat or drink anything for several hours after vomiting. Sip small amounts of water or suck ice chips every 15 minutes for 3-4 hours. Next, sip clear liquids every 15 minutes for 3-4 hours. Examples include water, sports drinks, flat soda, clear broth, gelatin, flavored ice, popsicles or apple juice.
“Vomiting is a reflex that allows the body to rid itself of ingested toxins and poisons,” says family medicine physician Matthew Goldman, MD. After you vomit, it's important to wait a few hours before eating or drinking like normal.
Clear vomit means there is nothing left in your stomach to throw up. It may be from a stomach infection, caused by a bacteria, virus, or parasite. Or it could be from food poisoning. It should go away in a day or two but you can take anti-nausea medications or suck on a ginger lozenge if it continues.
Second, just before throwing up your body produces extra saliva, which helps protect your teeth from the strong acid. Third, the vomiting process releases chemicals in your body to make you feel better. So that “I feel better” feeling after throwing up is not just your imagination — it's your biology working.
Projectile vomiting is when your body expels vomit with more force than usual. It's one of your body's reactions to something it recognizes as toxic, but there are medical conditions that can cause projectile vomiting as well.