Key facts
Vomiting is the forceful ejection of the contents of the stomach and upper digestive system through the mouth. It is sometimes known as throwing up or being sick. Show
Vomiting is a reflex that helps the body get rid of substances that may be harmful. Most people will experience vomiting at some point. This information concerns vomiting in adults and children over 12 years of age. See vomiting in children for information relating to children between 0 and 12 years. What symptoms relate to vomiting?Vomiting is accompanied by forceful contractions of the abdominal muscles. It is different from reflux or regurgitation which happen without any abdominal contractions. Vomiting can sometimes be forceful — projectile vomiting can send the stomach contents more than a metre away. Other symptoms that you may feel alongside vomiting are:
Ongoing vomiting can lead to dehydration, where your body has lost more fluid than it has taken in, and doesn't have enough water to function properly. Retching is similar to vomiting, because it involves forceful stomach contractions. However, with retching, you will not bring up anything from your stomach. CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the diarrhoea and vomiting Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help. What causes vomiting?Vomiting can be a sudden isolated bout of vomiting (acute) that usually lasts less than 2 days or it can be part of a pattern of ongoing or recurring attacks (chronic). The underlying causes of vomiting are usually categorised into acute or chronic vomiting causes. Acute vomiting causesSome causes of sudden vomiting are serious, but one of the most common causes is viral gastroenteritis, which usually clears up without any specific treatment within 2 days. The following conditions can cause acute vomiting.
Chronic vomiting causesThe following conditions can cause chronic vomiting.
When should I see my doctor?If vomiting because of a simple case of gastroenteritis, it can often be managed at home without needing to see a doctor. But some underlying causes of vomiting can be more serious. You should go to a hospital's emergency department or call triple zero (000) for an ambulance if you:
Seek immediate medical attention, either from your doctor or from the emergency department, if you are vomiting and:
Make an appointment to see your doctor if you have been vomiting and have unexplained weight loss. FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services. How is vomiting diagnosed?Ongoing or recurrent episodes of vomiting should be investigated by your doctor. They will first want to assess you for dehydration. Then, depending on your symptoms and the results of a physical examination, your doctor may suggest tests, including:
Sometimes, when it is difficult to find a cause for recurrent vomiting, investigations such as an endoscopy or a CT scan may help with diagnosis. Your doctor may suggest referring you to a gastroenterologist or neurologist. ASK YOUR DOCTOR — Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist. How is vomiting treated?Treatment for vomiting depends on the underlying cause. Some causes of vomiting will need specific treatment, depending on how serious they are. Treatments include the following: SurgerySome causes of vomiting, such as appendicitis or bowel obstruction, will need emergency surgery. Antiemetic medicinesAntiemetics are medicines that help prevent and treat nausea and vomiting. There are various types, depending on the underlying condition, and they work in different ways. Antiemetics are mostly prescription medicines. Antiemetics can be used to treat vomiting that results from various causes, including the following:
GingerGinger may help with nausea and vomiting due to several causes, including pregnancy, chemotherapy and motion sickness. Dietary changesChanges to your diet mayhelp to reduce symptoms while doctors determine the cause of your vomiting. These include eating small meals, reducing fat content and avoiding spicy food or ingredients that cause you problems. Vomiting and home careIf vomiting has an infectious cause, such as gastroenteritis or food poisoning, it can often be managed at home, as long as you stay hydrated.
What are the complications of vomiting?Dehydration is one of the most serious complications of vomiting. If you lose too many fluids, you will lose electrolytes — minerals that are essential for your body to work properly. For this reason, you should take oral rehydration solution. Sip these slowly to avoid triggering more vomiting. Ongoing vomiting may lead to weight loss. This is when a person can’t hold down their food, or the accompanying nausea results in them not wanting to eat, for a sustained period. If you vomit within 2 hours of taking your oral contraceptive pill, you may not be protected from pregnancy. Refer to the instructions since you may need to use some other form of contraception, such as condoms, for the next 7 hormone pills. A person can inhale vomit into their lungs, especially if they have ongoing vomiting. Breathing food or liquid into the lungs is referred to as aspiration and can cause pneumonia. Violent vomiting can, very rarely, tear the lining of the oesophagus (food pipe). Can vomiting be prevented?The most common cause of vomiting — viral gastroenteritis — is very infectious and is mostly spread by contact with another person who has the illness. Things you can do to stop the spread of gastroenteritis:
Eating dry crackers or ginger may help alleviate vomiting caused by some conditions such as morning sickness or motion sickness. Resources and supportIf you need advice on what to do if you are vomiting, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 to speak with a registered nurse, 24 hours, 7 days a week. For more information and support, visit The Gut Foundation For information in languages other than English:
Therapeutic Guidelines (Nausea and vomiting), Therapeutic Guidelines (Supportive management of acute gastroenteritis), Gut Foundation (Symptoms: Vomiting), Australian Family Physician (Nausea and vomiting in adults - A diagnostic approach), NSW Health (Viral gastroenteritis fact sheet), NSW Food Authority (Food poisoning), Department of Health (Epidemiology of bacterial toxin mediated foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks in Australia, 2001 to 2013), State Government of Victoria, Department of Health (Accidental poisoning in children), Australian Family Physician (Functional nausea and vomiting), Australian Prescriber (Preventing motion sickness in children), Queensland Government (Motion sickness), DrinkWise (Alcohol poisoning: when drinking turns toxic), Cancer Council Victoria (Chemotherapy), Cancer Council Victoria (Radiation therapy), Migraine & Headache Australia (Migraine - a common and distressing disorder), Coeliac Australia (Symptoms), GESA (Coeliac disease), Diabetes Australia (What you need to know about gastroparesis), AusMed (Increased intracranial pressure: a guide for nurses), The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (Meningitis), Abdominal Radiology (Abdominal imaging findings in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a scoping review), Australian Department of Health (What you need to know about coronavirus (COVID-19)), Diabetes Australia (Ketoacidosis), Kidney Health Australia (Kidney stones), SA Health (Outpatient GP referral guidelines Gastroenterology. Nausea and vomiting), Queensland Government (Spewing 101: Why am I vomiting?), Healthy WA (Diarrhoea and vomiting), Australian Prescriber (Management of acute bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract), StatPearls (Aspiration pneumonia), Australian Family Physician (Not just another sore throat), The Royal Women's Hospital, Victoria (Contraceptive pills), Australian Prescriber (Antiemetic drugs: what to prescribe and when), Integr Med Insights (The Effectiveness of Ginger in the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy and Chemotherapy), Department of Health (8.2.4 Cleaning up vomit or faeces) Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Last reviewed: June 2021 |