Vomiting

Vomiting in Adults

Vomiting occurs when stomach contents are thrown up and out of the mouth. Many people notice nausea before vomiting. Vomiting can make you feel weak and dehydrated. Dehydration can make you tired and thirsty, cause you to have a dry mouth, and decrease how often you urinate. Older adults and people who have other diseases or a weak immune system are at higher risk for dehydration. It is important to treat vomiting as told by your health care provider.

Follow these instructions at home:

Follow your health care provider’s instructions about how to care for yourself at home.

Eating and drinking

Follow these recommendations as told by your health care provider:

• Take an oral rehydration solution (ORS). This is a drink that is sold at pharmacies and retail stores.
• Eat bland, easy-to-digest foods in small amounts as you are able. These foods include bananas, applesauce, rice, lean meats, toast, and crackers.
• Drink clear fluids in small amounts as you are able. Clear fluids include water, ice chips, low-calorie sports drinks, and fruit juice that has water added (diluted fruit juice).
• Avoid fluids that contain a lot of sugar or caffeine.
• Avoid alcohol and foods that are spicy or fatty.

General instructions

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Make sure that everyone in your household washes their hands frequently.
• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• Watch your condition for any changes.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You have a fever.
• You are not able to keep fluids down.
• Your vomiting gets worse.
• You have new symptoms.
• You feel light-headed or dizzy.
• You have a headache.
• You have muscle cramps.

Get help right away if:

• You have pain in your chest, neck, arm, or jaw.
• You feel extremely weak or you faint.
• You have persistent vomiting.
• You have vomit that is bright red or looks like black coffee grounds.
• You have stools that are bloody or black, or stools that look like tar.
• You have severe pain, cramping, or bloating in your abdomen.
• You have a severe headache, a stiff neck, or both.
• You have a rash.
• You have trouble breathing or you are breathing very quickly.
• Your heart is beating very quickly.
• Your skin feels cold and clammy.
• You feel confused.
• You have pain while urinating.
• You have signs of dehydration, such as:
  • Dark urine, or very little or no urine.
  • Cracked lips.
  • Dry mouth.
  • Sunken eyes.
  • Sleepiness.
  • Weakness.

These symptoms may represent a serious problem that is an emergency. Do not wait to see if the symptoms will go away. Get medical help right away. Call your local emergency services . Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

Vomiting in Children

Follow these recommendations as told by your child’s health care provider:

• Give your child an oral rehydration solution (ORS). This is a drink that is sold at pharmacies and retail stores.
• Continue to breastfeed or bottle-feed your young child. Do this frequently, in small amounts. Gradually increase the amount. Do not give your infant extra water.
• Encourage your child to eat soft foods in small amounts every 3–4 hours, if your child is eating solid food. Continue your child’s regular diet, but avoid spicy or fatty foods, such as french fries and pizza.
• Encourage your child to drink clear fluids, such as water, low-calorie popsicles, and fruit juice that has water added (diluted fruit juice). Have your child drink small amounts of clear fluids slowly. Gradually increase the amount.
• Avoid giving your child fluids that contain a lot of sugar or caffeine, such as sports drinks and soda.

General instructions

• Make sure that you and your child wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Make sure that everyone in your child’s household washes their hands frequently.
• Give over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your child’s health care provider.
• Watch your child’s condition for any changes.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your child’s health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your child has a fever.
• Your child will not drink fluids or cannot keep fluids down.
• Your child is light-headed or dizzy.
• Your child has a headache.
• Your child has muscle cramps.

Get help right away if:

• You notice signs of dehydration in your child, such as:
  • No urine in 8–12 hours.
  • Cracked lips.
  • Not making tears while crying.
  • Dry mouth.
  • Sunken eyes.
  • Sleepiness.
  • Weakness.
• Your child’s vomiting lasts more than 24 hours.
• Your child’s vomit is bright red or looks like black coffee grounds.
• Your child has stools that are bloody or black, or stools that look like tar.
• Your child has a severe headache, a stiff neck, or both.
• Your child has abdominal pain.
• Your child has difficulty breathing or is breathing very quickly.
• Your child’s heart is beating very quickly.
• Your child feels cold and clammy.
• Your child seems confused.
• You are unable to wake up your child.
• Your child has pain while urinating.

Vomiting in Infants

Vomiting is when your infant’s stomach contents are thrown up and out of the mouth. Vomiting is different from spitting up. Vomiting is more forceful, and contains more than a few spoonfuls of stomach contents.

Vomiting can make your baby feel weak and cause dehydration. Dehydration can make your baby tired and thirsty, cause your baby to have a dry mouth, and decrease how often your baby urinates. Dehydration can develop very quickly in a baby, and can be very dangerous.

Vomiting caused by a virus can last up to a few days. In most cases, vomiting will go away with home care. It is important to treat your baby’s vomiting as told by your baby’s health care provider.

Follow these instructions at home:

Follow instructions from your baby’s health care provider about how to care for your baby at home.

Eating and drinking

Follow these recommendations as told by your baby’s health care provider:

• Continue to breastfeed or bottle-feed your baby. Do this frequently, in small amounts. Do not add water to the formula or breast milk.
• Give your baby an oral rehydration solution (ORS). This is a drink that is sold at pharmacies and retail stores. Do not give your baby extra water.
• Encourage your baby to eat soft foods in small amounts every few hours while he or she is awake, if he or she is eating solid food. Continue your baby’s regular diet, but avoid spicy and fatty foods. Do not give your baby new foods.
• Avoid giving your baby fluids that contain a lot of sugar, such as juice.

General instructions

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Make sure that everyone in your baby’s household washes their hands frequently.
• Give over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your baby’s health care provider.
• Watch your baby’s condition for any changes.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your baby’s health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your baby who is younger than 3 months old vomits repeatedly.
• Your baby has a fever.
• Your baby vomits and has diarrhea or other new symptoms.
• Your baby will not drink fluids or cannot keep fluids down.
• Your baby’s symptoms get worse.

Get help right away if:

• You notice signs of dehydration in your baby, such as:
  • No wet diapers in 6 hours.
  • Cracked lips.
  • Not making tears while crying.
  • Dry mouth.
  • Sunken eyes.
  • Sleepiness.
  • Weakness.
  • A sunken soft spot (fontanel) on his or her head.
  • Dry skin that does not flatten after being gently pinched.
  • Increased fussiness.
  • Your baby has forceful vomiting shortly after eating.
  • Your baby’s vomiting gets worse or is not better after 12 hours.
  • Your baby’s vomit is bright red or looks like black coffee grounds.
  • Your baby has bloody or black stools.
  • Your baby seems to be in pain or has a tender and swollen belly.
  • Your baby has trouble breathing or is breathing very quickly.
  • Your baby’s heart is beating very quickly.
  • Your baby feels cold and clammy.
  • You are unable to wake up your baby.
  • Your baby who is younger than 3 months has a temperature of 100°F (38°C) or higher.