Nausea and Vomiting: A Mom's Guide for the Family

Adventures in Vomiting
Your child's upset stomach may be caused by many things. Here's how to help ease nausea and vomiting.

Throwing up: It seems to be one of those unwavering rites of childhood, right alongside skinning your knees, and asking "Are we there yet?"

But vomiting, nausea, and stomach upsets aren't just reserved for kids. Adults deal with these issues too, though the causes may sometimes be different. So what makes kids and adults throw up? Can you prevent vomiting? And, how should you care for someone after they've been sick?
Vomiting: A Few Common Causes

There are dozens of conditions that can lead to vomiting or nausea, but there are a few more common causes.

Gastroenteritis: This is what most of us call the stomach flu (though it's not related to influenza). Gastroenteritis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites - and often leads to diarrhea and vomiting in adults and kids.

Food allergies and irritations: Although any food can provoke a reaction, several in particular tend to cause most food allergies, including eggs, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, wheat, and fish. Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain can occur within minutes or hours after ingesting the offending food.

Anxiety and stress: Worries about the new school year, tension about the big game, pressures at work -- all kinds of emotional upsets can lead to nausea and vomiting, though this tends to happen more often with adults or older children.

The flu and other illness: A few other common reasons kids or adults might have nausea or vomiting include ear infections, seasonal flu, swine flu, acid reflux, and reactions to medication.

Eating too much: Many people, especially kids, may eat too much at a holiday dinner or a fair without realizing it, and then throw up.

Food poisoning: Undercooked meats, dairy products, or foods that have been out too long can lead to food poisoning, usually caused by bacteria. Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and cramps are other common symptoms of food poisoning.

That's a lot of reasons to throw up. But "across the board the most common cause for vomiting is probably infection -- gastroenteritis," says Tanya Altmann MD, a California pediatrician and author of Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents' Top 101 Questions About Babies and Toddlers.

And you can come across those contagious gastroenteritis germs just about anywhere, from school to daycare, restaurants to movie theaters. Get gastroenteritis, and you can expect to be sick for about a week. But why exactly do we throw up when we don't feel well?

Vomiting: Why We Do It

In general, we vomit so we can eliminate potentially toxic stuff from our body, whether that's bad food or bad germs. To narrow things down to the specific reason you or your kids are vomiting you'll need to decipher symptoms.

For example, is there fever, cough, or diarrhea along with the vomiting? "Then it might be stomach virus," says Scott Cohen, MD, FAAP, an attending physician at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and a pediatrician.

When there aren't helpful symptoms as a guide "you start looking into things like timing," Cohen tells WebMD. Does the vomiting happen after you eat? It could be reflux, maybe a peptic ulcer. Did you experience nausea or vomiting eight or more hours after a meal? It might be food poisoning.

For babies less than a year old, reflux is the most common cause of vomiting says Leslie Young, MD, author of The Everything Parent's Guide To Childhood Illnesses. A "benign condition...that typically improves with time," reflux usually goes away for most infants by about eight months.
Preventing Vomiting and Nausea

Although there's nothing much you can do for many of the reasons behind vomiting, you can tackle the chief culprit: gastroenteritis, which causes inflammation in the stomach, and small and large intestines.

The viruses that cause some gastroenteritis are spread through close contact with infected people, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The viruses make their way easily from person to person and can be passed around through shared food, water, and eating utensils.

To prevent viral gastroenteritis and the vomiting that often goes with it, the CDC suggests:

* Wash your hands often, including after you use the bathroom or change diapers.
* Use alcohol-based hand rubs when soap and water aren't available.
* Disinfect contaminated surfaces with bleach-based cleaners.
* Be sure food is stored, cooked, prepared, and served hygienically.

Most of these precautions offer another benefit: They can help you and your kids avoid seasonal influenza and swine flu.
Home Care for Vomiting, Nausea, and Stomach Upsets

Intestinal blockages, appendicitis, ulcers -- some dramatic problems can be behind vomiting, nausea, or stomach upsets. So it's important to talk with your doctor about nausea and vomiting, says Young.

Still there are home-care tips that can help before -- and after -- you reach your doctor:

* The most important thing is hydration, says Cohen, author of Eat, Sleep, Poop: A Complete Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year. "After vomiting, you want to wait 30 to 60 minutes before you put anything in the stomach." After the tummy has had a little time to settle, offer a teaspoon of liquids. If that stays down, offer another teaspoon a few minutes later. "Think small amounts frequently instead of large amounts all at once," Cohen suggests.
* Hold off on solid foods until it's been six hours since the last vomiting episode. Then try bland, easily digested foods like crackers, toast, or gelatin. Once those are tolerated, move slowly to cereals, rice, and then start salty or high-protein, high-carbohydrate foods, but avoid spicy or fatty foods. The experts warn that two common mistakes parents make when caring for a child who has been vomiting is giving solids or liquids too soon, and letting the child have as much as the child wants. Go slow.
* Avoid strong odors like perfume, smoke, and cooking smells. Stuffy rooms, flickering lights, and driving can also trigger additional bouts of nausea and vomiting.
* Antihistamines can help prevent vomiting and nausea due to motion sickness, and antiemetic medicines may help relieve the nausea and vomiting sometimes caused by bacteria or stomach irritation. Cohen suggests avoiding antiemetics for treating a child's vomiting due to viral gastroenteritis, however. "Usually kids don't like the taste," he says. It's important to keep them hydrated.
* Finally, if you're dealing with tummy pain or upset, "acetaminophen (Tylenol) typically does not work," Young tells WebMD. "And ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can sometimes make stomach pain worse if the pain is caused by an ulcer."
Tips From Moms and Dads: Vomiting, Nausea, and Tummy Upsets in Kids

When the kids are sick, parents can feel helpless. But there's a lot you can do to help your little ones feel better. WebMD talked to moms and dads, who offered these quick tips for coping with the aftermath of vomiting and nausea:

Provide support. Sherri G., a Utah mom and social worker, says that her first job when caring for her sick daughter is to "make sure that she knows I'm there for her, I think that's the most important."

Understand that kids are confused. Vomiting is scary, especially for the very young. Massachusetts writer Morgan Griffin remembers the time his then 2-year-old daughter Ada vomited and "tried to run away from the whole thing to escape...It was all very heart-breaking." Now Griffin's priority for a vomiting child is to keep them calm. "And we prioritize their comfort over preserving the spotlessness of our clothing or upholstery."

Avoid triggers. "My children get an upset stomach when they have a lot of nasal drainage from allergies or a cold," says Ginger Stinnett LaRose, a Georgia graphic artist and mom of three. "When this happens we cut out all milk products until they feel better. It's a guarantee that during this time if they drink milk, eat yogurt, or ice cream, they will vomit."

Soothe them with liquids and light foods. After vomiting, Sherri offers her daughter peppermint tea and soda water. "She also likes an ice pack on her tummy." For Atlanta IT professional Angelo Tomaras, the tummy soothers for his two young girls are "good ol' TLC, that and some crackers, toast, and ginger ale." To keep his kids hydrated Griffin offers "frequent sips of liquids like Pedialyte and sometimes frozen Pedialyte pops."

Go slow as kids improve. Stinnett LaRose sticks to "bland, dry foods" when her children first begin to recover from being sick. "Rice, potatoes, bananas, and chicken are good. Nothing spicy or saucy. And we skip milk products."
Red Flags: When to See a Doctor for Vomiting

You should always talk to your pediatrician when children are hit by vomiting, nausea, or stomachaches. Symptoms that warrant going to the doctor immediately include:

* Dehydration (especially likely in children)
* Vomit with blood in it
* Vomiting with fever that's lasted more than 72 hours
* Vomiting with focal abdominal pain -- when it hurts in one spot of the belly, as may occur with appendicitis
* Chest pain
* Severe abdominal pain or cramping
* Blurred vision
* Fainting
* Confusion
* Cold, clammy, pale skin
* High fever and stiff neck
* Fecal material or fecal odor in the vomit

Remember that vomiting can quickly lead to dehydration. Because kids are less likely to recognize dehydration's symptoms, keep an eye out for its signs, including dry lips and mouth, sunken eyes, rapid breathing or pulse. In babies, look for a decrease in urination, and a sunken fontanelle (baby's soft spot).

"Finally, trust your gut feeling," says Young. "An astute parent is better than any doctor, because you spend more time with your child than doctors or nurses."

Source: HealthNews