What is vomiting?
Vomiting or emesis is the removal of food and / or other substances from the stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting is controlled by the emetic center, which is located in the brainstem. The consumed food is then brought back by mouth, usually it is mixed with stomach acid.
What causes vomiting
Vomiting is caused by activation of chemical receptors in the brains. These receptors are located, moreover, outside the blood-brain barrier, allowing chemical substances in the blood on the display can inhibit or precipitate. When these receptors are stimulated, this will initially result in nausea, and finally to vomit.
Causes may include:
- motion sickness;
- stress;
- the concentration of a substance in the blood exceeds a certain threshold value. Often this foreign toxic substances such as alcohol;
- lack of oxygen;
- very violent coughing;
- long lasting hiccups;
- severe pain elsewhere;
- infections in the digestive or food poisoning;
- radiation sickness;
- food that is stuck in the esophagus;
- deliberately provoked (eg bulimia nervosa);
- pregnancy;
- certain smells, scenes, taste or thought associations.
Development
Vomiting can be distinguished into two phases. In the first phase is nothing but excreted announce nausea and vomiting regurgitation already on. The vomiting may still be suppressed in some cases, and sometimes avoided. When one knows which circumstance has led to nausea, and this circumstance is going out of the way, will be in some cases nausea and thus the tendency to give disappear. This phase sometimes progressing very quickly and without regurgitation causing vomiting (almost) place unannounced.
When the second phase has begun vomiting can not be restrained or avoided. The stomach muscles squeeze the stomach contents than powerful outside. The movements are involuntarily at any given time and can not be suppressed, even if it is not located in a place where one can vomit. When one attempts to suppress it by force for example by closing the mouth and hands to hold it, the stomach contents is prepared to the nose spray out.
The vomiting center will surrender at the ortho and parasympathetic nervous system and eventually drive the motor, which will lead to the next.
- Nausea, often gradual but sometimes acute rising. They sweat and heart rate increases.
- In some cases, the vomiting is preceded by one or more acid indigestion;
- Increased production of saliva to protect teeth against the acid vomit.
- Heavy breathing to avoid suffocation in their own vomit.
- Antiperistaltic movements: the stomach and esophagus muscles squeeze through reverse and powerful peristaltic movements of the stomach contents into the mouth.
- The epiglottis closes so that vomit will not run in the lungs.
- By trying to breathe closed epiglottis also creates a low pressure in the mouth so that the stomach contents come up.
Contents
Vomit usually consists of food with gastric juice. This juice is highly acidic and promotes chronic tooth decay because it affects the tooth enamel. In addition, it does not affect the wall of the esophagus and oral cavity and nose to, and therefore causes a burning sensation.
If vomiting occurs several times in succession, the stomach is empty and there is virtually nothing left out. In such cases, it can happen that one opbraakt gal. This is the violent muscle movements from the duodenum to squeezed upwards.
Blood in the vomitus (haematemesis) is almost always a sign that something is wrong. It may involve old clotted blood that is brownish and resembles coffee grounds. After throat surgery as cutting the tonsils this sometimes happens, it is then swallowed blood after surgery. When fresh (red) blood is regurgitated, it's always a medical emergency and immediate treatment is necessary.
In some very rare cases is 'relief' in the vomit, this is called faecal vomiting. This is food that comes from the small or large intestine, and which is in good state of digestion. In such cases, the food transport in the intestines is blocked by a blockage, for example, adhesion or tumor. The actual surrender of feces often symptoms such as severe abdominal pain and stool to smelly burps advance. This also applies if a medical emergency.
Aware vomiting
Vomiting may be deliberately provoked (as in anorexia / bulimia) to force through a finger or other object restive deep into the pharynx. This causes a reflex esophageal, because the body thinks here food stuck. It is sometimes done when one is not feeling well and wants to prevent it at a later time that suits less vomiting. When one consumes alcohol excessively, this can also cause vomiting. Often one feels better after vomiting and can go on again which one was working. Some people then force a finger down the throat to vomit and then on again to drink.
The ancient Romans strike at banquets sometimes feathers in their throats so they could gorge on with an empty stomach. Frequent vomiting causes damage to the infrastructure of the body. The esophageal reflex (the natural swallowing movement) will be disrupted and the gastric juice (containing the aggressive hydrochloric acid and digestive enzyme pepsin and lipase) burns the esophagus and erodes the tooth enamel. This also has to a burning sensation in the throat as a result.