Vomiting and stomach pain are some of the symptoms which can be witnessed in many diseases but the reasons for vomiting and stomach pain still can’t be explained easily in many ways. They are the underlying cause of infection, food poisoning, motion sickness, over-eating, blocked illness, or chronic disease like migraine etc but sometimes they can be the reason for other chronic diseases like kidney or liver disease, central nervous system, brain tumours and can be found in any and every age group.

To understand the reasons for vomiting and stomach pain, it’s important to understand these points-

What is Vomiting & stomach pain?

Vomiting is an uncontrollable reflex that urges the body (stomach) to expel the food through the mouth. It is also called puking, throwing up or being sick.

Stomach pain is discomfort anywhere in the belly region between the chest and groin.

Reasons for vomiting and stomach pain

There are many reasons for vomiting and stomach pain but when it comes to suffering from both conditions it could be due to,
Acute reasons-

Indigestion-

Indigestion is also termed as an upset stomach. It can be due to eating fast or eating something that aggravates the acid level of the stomach or after consumption of alcohol, caffeine or stress.

However, indigestion is a sign of many other underlying conditions like GERD i.e., Gastrointestinal reflux disease.

In addition to this one can also experience,

• Bloating feeling
• Burping
• Gas
• Uncomfortably full feeling
• Burning feeling in the stomach or throat

Food poisoning

There are more than 250 types of food poisoning and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Other symptoms include cramps, diarrhea, fever etc.

Anxiety

Anxiety is another reason which may cause stomach-related problems, it’s because anxiety makes the body think it’s getting pain signals, which involves stomach pain. Other symptoms of anxiety include constipation and diarrhea.

Viral Gastroenteritis-

Viral gastroenteritis, also known as “stomach flu”, is an infection commonly found in the Intestines. It can transmit by sharing food or eating through utensils, touching contaminated surfaces or being in contact with the bodily fluids of someone who has it. Usually, the cases are treatable and go on their own.

Other symptoms include:

• Diarrhea
• Cramps
• Vomiting
• Fever

Norovirus

It’s a virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea with nausea and stomach. It brings inflammation which releases the symptoms

Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness and people may suffer from it through the infected person or by contaminated food or water.

Symptoms of norovirus usually develop 12 to 48 hrs after exposure and go away on their own in 1-3 days.

Gallbladder Attack

Gallbladder makes bile. Pain in gallbladder attack is sharp and knife-like and occurs after eating. Other symptoms include

• Fever
• Chills
• Light-coloured stool
• Dark urine
• Jaundice

Kidney stones

Kidney stones are formed in the kidneys when there’s less liquid left in the kidneys. It’s a possibility that they may stay in the kidney or move into the urinary tract.
Many a time kidney stones pass out without causing trouble in the body, whereas some gets stuck and can cause nausea, stomach pain and other symptoms, like-

• Cloudy appearance or foul-smelling urine
• Fever with chills
• Blood in urine
• Vomiting
• Pain in the lower back of the body

Appendicitis-

Appendicitis is when the appendix gets blocked. This usually happens because of infection but can be due to stool or tumours.

Abdominal adhesion

This is most common after any abdominal surgical procedure; it makes internal tissue and organs stick together. They can also block parts of the intestine or take the intestine out of place.

Heart attack

It usually happens when anything blocks the heart from getting enough blood, which damages the heart muscle. Chest pain is a classic sign of heart attack, but it should be noted that it should not be confused with acidity or gas, it also involves some people having stomach pain and vomiting sensation. These symptoms could be seen in women.

Chronic reasons-

Gastritis-

It happens when the stomach lining becomes inflamed, it can go away but may also last for years. Common causes involve.

• High-dose medications like ibuprofen
• Gastritis is when your stomach lining becomes inflamed. It may go away quickly but can also last for years. Common causes include:
• medications like ibuprofen
• a heavy dose of alcohol
• H. pylori bacteria
• Other symptoms of gastritis include:
• loss of appetite
• vomiting
• black stools, or stools different in colour from usual bowel movements
• Someone who is in the end-stage of kidney disease
• Someone who has recently travelled to a prone zone of Hepatitis B.

Cancer

Cancer can also cause stomach pain and nausea as a symptom. Additional symptoms include decreased appetite and weight loss.

Irritable bowel syndrome

IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder that affects how your gastrointestinal system works. The condition is not life-threatening but can affect the leading quality of life of those who have it.

Ways to prevent

Gastroenteritis and food poisoning are some of the common reasons for vomiting and stomach pain One of the most important things is the maintenance of good hygiene to tackle the health issues. Good hygiene prevents germ entry which can be the reason for stomach pain and vomiting. Some standard practices which should be followed are-

• Frequent hand washing with hand wash or soap, more importantly after using washroom and before-after handling food.
• Right storage, cleaning and preparation of food could help
• Eating completely cooked food rather than cooked food.
• Disinfection of surface
• Proper washing and cleaning of soiled clothes

Treatment

Treating vomiting and stomach pain includes-

• Increasing the drinking water frequency.
• Avoiding intake of solid food until the vomiting episode is over
• If vomiting and diarrhea last more than 24 hrs, an ORS solution should be used.
• Pregnant women who suffer from morning sickness can have crackers before getting out of bed or a high protein snack before going to bed
• Vomiting related to cancer treatments can be treated with another drug therapy. These can be prescribed or non-prescribed drugs that help in controlling vomiting associated with pregnancy, and motion sickness.

However, consulting a Gastro physician is always necessary before going for any of the treatment options with lifestyle modification. At Gastroplus hospital meet a team of expert Gastrophysicians who are well-skilled to diagnose and treat the reasons for vomiting and stomach pain