Vomiting

Vomiting is when everything in your stomach comes up and comes out of your mouth at quite some speed. You will usually feel nauseous before vomiting.

When you vomit, your stomach contents come out through your mouth through the oesophagus. There can be several reasons for this, including:

• Abdominal flu.
• Concussion.
• Balance disorders.
• Stress.
• Changes in hormones in early pregnancy.
• Migraine.
• Sunstroke.

There are a number of things you can do yourself if you or your child is vomiting, such as:

• Wait calmly if you have only vomited 1 or 2 times. It’s important to allow your stomach to settle and wait a while before eating and drinking.
• Drink a sip of water every 5 to 10 minutes and drink slowly. You are at risk of becoming dehydrated if you vomit multiple times. That’s because you’re losing a lot of fluids. We recommend taking in more fluids once you can retain this more effectively again. Ultimately you should be drinking about 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day.
• Eat something light which your stomach can tolerate. Don’t worry if you can’t tolerate anything, but make sure you do try to eat small amounts.
• You can take ORS if you’re vomiting frequently. This will not stop the vomiting, but it will prevent you from becoming dehydrated. Start slowly and take a sip every 5 to 10 minutes if you’re still vomiting. ORS powder is available from your pharmacy or chemist and can be dissolved in water.
• Children can experience vomiting as scary and very unpleasant. Reassure your child and stay nearby if they’re vomiting.

Call your GP right away if:

• There’s blood in your vomit.
• You’re confused or drowsy.
• You’re at risk of fainting or you have fainted.
• You can no longer urinate and this has been going on for a day or more.
• You have severe abdominal pain.
• You vomit after a fall.

You should call your GP immediately if your child is under two years old and:

• Has severe abdominal pain.
• Behaves differently than you are used to and is very drowsy.
• Has fallen and is vomiting.
• Doesn’t or hardly drinks.
• Can’t urinate and this lasts for more than half a day.
• Vomits, has diarrhoea and a fever.