Peeling that one is about to vomit is called ‘Nausea’ and is most common during travelling, seasickness, pregnancy (in early, stage). The substance of food, bile, phlegm/mucus, water/liquids purged out, subsequent to Nauseating feeling, is not vomiting which can also occur due to acidity, water brash, cholera, disagreeable food, odour of gases and chemicals, seeing some unpalatable event/scene or even seeing another person vomiting, nauseating filth and foul smell; high blood pressure and head¬ache (in some cases it is relieved by vomiting). Vomiting during I trimester of pregnancy is quite common and not unnatural but if it occurs on/after 7th month and the bouts are shattering and con¬vulsing, an abortion may take place.
Vomiting and nausea can also be triggered by ingestion of drug, during/after operation, food poisoning (Ptomaine Poisoning), cold, cough etc. Certain causatives are beyond control but some can be offset by taking proper precaution and safeguards, profuse and persistent vomiting is a serious and life threatening situation, when the patient should be put on saline-glucose drip into which some anti-emetic and anti Nausea agents should be injected so as to restore saline-glucose and water level in the body and also for treating nausea and vomiting with requisite medicines.
Harrison has given following descripl details about vomiting, “Vomiting is the reflex action of ejecting the contents of the stom¬ach through the mouth. Vomiting is controlled by a special center in the brain that may be stimulated by drugs (e.g. ‘Apomorphine’) acting directly on it, or by impulses transmitted through Nervous pathways either from the stomach (e.g. after ingesting substances and in stomach disorders), the intestine (e.g., in intestinal obstruc¬tion), or from the inner ear in motion sickness. The stimulated vomiting center sets off a chain ol Nerve impulses producing co¬ordinated contractions of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, relaxation of the muscle at the entrance to the stomach etc, causing the stomach contents to be expelled.” Vomiting is also called Timesis’ in medical parlance.
Instead of going into the unnecessary details about causes, try to control vomiting and/or tone down frequency, restore sodium-water-sugar balance in the body, maintaining general resistance and strength of the patient. I (situation is too grave to be controlled at home, rush the patient to doctor or call in the doctor. Remember, even a slight delay can prove fatal or, at least, complicate the case.
Treatment: Branded tablets like ‘Avomine’/Domstal’/Drammine/ Emidoxin/’Gravol/PerinormyReglan/Siquil/stemitel/TomidA^ertin any one of the drugs can be given according to symptoms, in tablet or injection form. Normally 1-2 tablets, will suffice-given at an interval of 4-12 hours but, if an injection is given, there is hardly any need of repetition.
Some drowsiness and/or sedation may also set in, hence do not drive any vehicle or operate any machinary/ move out alone. The referred dose is for adults only. In case of infants, children, young and aged persons, lactating and pregnant ladies, consult your doctor for dosage and frequency, alongwith other instructions and guidelines.
If electral powder is not available, boil some water and put in a TBSP of sugar and 1/8-1/4 TsP of table salt in a tumblerful of water, and let the patient drink/sip the same as frequently as needed.