Vomiting Causes

Vomiting may be due to a large number of causes, and protracted vomiting has a long differential diagnosis.

Digestive tract

Causes in the digestive tract

• Gastritis (inflammation of the gastric wall, usually by viruses)
• Gastroenteritis
• Pyloric stenosis (in babies, this typically causes a very forceful "projectile vomiting" and is an indication for urgent surgery)
• Bowel obstruction
• Overeating
• Acute abdomen and/or peritonitis
• Ileus
• Food allergies (often in conjunction with hives or swelling)
• Cholecystitis, pancreatitis, appendicitis, hepatitis
• Food poisoning
• In children, it can be caused by an allergic reaction to cow's milk proteins (Milk allergy or lactose intolerance)

Sensory system and brain

Causes in the sensory system

• Movement: motion sickness (which is caused by overstimulation of the labyrinthine canals of the ear)
• Ménière's disease

Causes in the brain

• Concussion
• Cerebral hemorrhage
• Migraine
• Brain tumors, which can cause the chemoreceptors to malfunction
• Benign intracranial hypertension and hydrocephalus

Metabolic disturbances (these may irritate both the stomach and the parts of the brain that coordinate vomiting)

• Hypercalcemia (high calcium levels)
• Uremia (urea accumulation, usually due to renal failure)
• Adrenal insufficiency
• Hypoglycemia
• Hyperglycemia

Pregnancy

• Hyperemesis, Morning sickness

Drug reaction (vomiting may occur as an acute somatic response to)

• alcohol (being sick while being drunk or being sick the next morning, suffering from the after-effects, i.e., the hangover).
• opioids
• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
• many chemotherapy drugs
• some entheogens (such as peyote or ayahuasca)

Illness

• Norwalk virus
• Swine Flu

Miscellanea

• Self-induced
  • Eating disorders (anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa)
  • To eliminate an ingested poison (some poisons should not be vomited as they may be more toxic when inhaled or aspirated; it is better to ask for help before inducing vomiting)
  • Some people who are engaged in binge drinking will induce vomiting in order to make room in their stomachs for further alcohol consumption.
  • After surgery (postoperative nausea and vomiting)
  • Disagreeable sights, smells or thoughts (such as decayed matter, others' vomit, thinking of vomiting), etc.
  • Extreme pain, such as intense headache or myocardial infarction (heart attack)
  • Violent emotions
  • Cyclic vomiting syndrome (a poorly-understood condition with attacks of vomiting)
  • High doses of ionizing radiation will sometimes trigger a vomit reflex in the victim
  • Violent fits of coughing, hiccups, or asthma
  • Nervousness
  • Performing physical activity (such as swimming) shortly after a meal.
  • Being struck hard in the stomach.
  • Overexertion (doing too much strenuous exercise can lead to vomiting shortly afterwards).
  • Rumination syndrome, an underdiagnosed and poorly understood disorder that causes sufferers to regurgitate food shortly after ingestion.

Further Reading

• What is Vomiting?
• Vomiting Mechanism
• Vomit Content
• Vomiting Complications
• Vomiting Treatment
• Vomiting Social Implications

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