Vomiting after eating: what are the causes?

Vomiting after eating is not an independent pathology, but a symptom that something is wrong in the body. It can occur due to poisoning, diseases of the digestive tract, head injuries, oncological diseases, and due to a number of other reasons.

Whatever acts as an etiological factor, vomiting after eating is not a sign of health, and every person needs to be guided in what could cause it.

Mechanisms for the development of vomiting

The vomiting act is usually divided into several stages – this is nausea, the urge to vomit and the vomiting itself.

Nausea does not always precede vomiting and is expressed in an unpleasant feeling localized in the throat and abdomen. At the same time, the natural tension of the muscles of the stomach falls, and the small intestine begins to work more actively.

Gagging is accompanied by a strong and frequent contraction of the muscles of the peritoneum and diaphragm. During the actual process of vomiting, the valve of the esophagus opens, and the food in the stomach rises up, and then goes out.

The respiratory organs at this time overlap, which prevents the contents of the stomach from entering the bronchi and lungs.

As for the mechanisms of vomiting, there are two of them:

• From an organ or organ system, nerve impulses are transmitted to the vomiting center. Signals can be given by coronary arteries, gastrointestinal organs, vestibular apparatus, pharynx, etc.;

• Transmission of signals can enter the vomiting center from the chemoreceptor trigger area, which is irritated for one reason or another. This may be due to the following factors: oxygen starvation, medication, radiation therapy, infection of the body with pathogenic bacteria, etc.

Symptoms of vomiting after eating

In addition to the fact that a person is sick, vomiting after eating may be accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Salivation;

• Increased breathing;

• Weakness;

• Stomach ache;

• Violation of the stool;

• Dizziness.

Causes of vomiting after eating

Nausea and vomiting after eating are most often caused by pathologies of the digestive tract, although other etiological factors are possible.

Causes of vomiting after eating may include:

• The presence of ulcers of the stomach, esophagus, intestines;

• Oncological diseases of the digestive system;

• Inflammation of the gallbladder and its ducts;

• Inflammation of the pancreas;

• Any mild brain injury (in other cases, the person loses consciousness);

• Pathology of the central nervous system (neoplasms of the brain);

• food poisoning;

• Alcohol poisoning;

• Binge eating;

• The presence in the menu of too fatty foods in significant volumes;

• emotional shock;

• Chronic fatigue.

With gastritis and stomach ulcers, vomiting will occur precisely after eating. It is possible that a person has stenosis of the cardiac opening of the stomach and the pylorus. Stenosis of this part of the stomach can be triggered by the presence of a tumor or chronic inflammation.

If the cause of vomiting is the pathology of the gallbladder, then it can occur not only after the completion of the act of eating, but also during this process. Pancreatitis, in turn, in addition to vomiting is manifested by pain in the left hypochondrium and flatulence.

Injuries, tumors, and infections of the brain can cause vomiting after eating, however, these pathologies are accompanied by a whole range of severe symptoms.

The vomiting center, which is located in the brain, can be irritated against the background of severe emotional stress, after experiencing excitement, or with severe fatigue. Vomiting occurs after eating simply due to the fact that any contents appear in the stomach.

Vomiting an hour after eating

Vomiting that occurs after such a short period after eating can signal diseases of the digestive tract such as pancreatitis, cholecystitis, cirrhosis of the liver. These pathologies are often accompanied by bloating, belching, and lack of appetite.

Vomiting and high body temperature

Sometimes, against the background of a decrease in immunity, a person may experience vomiting after eating. But this requires a combination of several factors. For example, if a patient has an elevated body temperature and at the same time has iron deficiency anemia, this can lead to an increase in blood pressure and vomiting.

Fever and vomiting after eating can be symptoms of food poisoning. An intestinal infection is characterized by similar manifestations, but it is always accompanied by diarrhea.

Vomiting immediately after eating

Vomiting that occurs within minutes of eating may be triggered by overeating. In this case, enzymatic preparations, for example, Mezim, Festal, etc., can help.

Eating very fatty, spicy, fried and smoked foods can provoke rapid vomiting. This is due to the fact that the pancreas, stomach and liver could not cope with the digestion of such heavy food.

High blood pressure can also cause nausea and vomiting.

Regular vomiting after eating

Exacerbation of diseases of the digestive tract can cause regular vomiting after eating. Or the problem may be hiding in taking medications that are not suitable for a particular person. In any case, regular vomiting after eating is a reason to contact a specialist.

Vomiting with belching after eating

Belching is often caused by excess air entering the stomach. This happens when a person eats food in a hurry, quickly chews and swallows food, or eats while talking. An additional risk factor is the use of carbonated drinks.

It is possible that belching and vomiting after eating are associated with the use of certain foods to which the body has not previously given such a reaction. For example, as people age, they often lose the ability to digest dairy products. This is especially true for whole milk.

Drinking strong coffee on an empty stomach can cause belching and vomiting. The same applies to the intake of alcoholic beverages, mushrooms, canned food.

Vomiting with heartburn after eating

Heartburn and vomiting after eating are symptoms of gastrointestinal pathology, the most common of which is an esophageal ulcer. So, an increase in heartburn will occur when a person lies or leans forward.

Heartburn is expressed in pressure in the epigastric region, in nausea and a bitter taste in the mouth. Risk factors are snacking on the go, overeating, drinking alcohol, taking medications.

Separately, it is worth noting wearing too tight clothes and obesity.

Vomiting of bile after eating

Vomiting with bile after eating is often due to the fact that the pyloric valve does not cope with its functions and remains open. The causes of violations in his work are alcohol intoxication, pyloric stenosis, chronic inflammatory processes in the digestive tract, diseases of the central nervous system, stress, circulatory disorders, intestinal obstruction.

A separate condition that can lead to disruption of the valve is pregnancy. Therefore, during the bearing of a child, vomiting with bile may occur.

Vomiting blood after eating

The reasons for the presence of blood in the vomit may be as follows:

• Damage to the integrity of the mucous membrane of the stomach and esophagus;

• Varicose veins of the esophagus and stomach;

• advanced peptic ulcer;

• Cirrhosis of the liver;

• Exacerbation of gastritis;

• Internal bleeding.

In childhood, blood in the vomit may be present after nosebleeds, as the child has swallowed blood. Late toxicosis and high blood pressure can cause internal bleeding in pregnant women, causing them to vomit blood.

Mucous vomiting after eating

If mucus is present in the vomit, this most often indicates poisoning with food or toxic substances, or a bacterial intestinal infection. Mucus in the vomit appears due to the excessive activity of the duodenum, which is subject to inflammation. It is possible that in addition to mucus, foam and blood will be present in the vomit.

Other reasons for the appearance of mucus in vomiting are all kinds of pathologies of the digestive tract and stress factors. When mucous vomiting worries only in the morning, chronic bronchitis can be suspected, in which mucus accumulates during a night’s rest in the bronchi, and in the morning it comes out with vomit with a strong cough.

Dizziness and vomiting after eating

Dizziness and vomiting can be caused by causes that are not dangerous to human health, including motion sickness, motion sickness in transport.

Other, more dangerous etiological factors of dizziness and vomiting after eating include:

• Meniere’s disease with prolonged bouts of dizziness and vomiting, as well as hearing loss;

• Vestibular neuritis. In addition to vomiting and dizziness, the patient experiences panic fear, congestion in the ears, impaired coordination and balance;

• Migraine. With this disease, vomiting and dizziness are combined with severe headaches. In addition, a person develops photophobia, balance suffers;

• Hormonal changes in a woman’s body. Vomiting and dizziness can provoke pregnancy, menopause, regular menstruation;

• Head trauma;

• Epilepsy.

Bulimia after eating

In some cases, a person can independently provoke vomiting in himself. Often girls do this in an effort to get rid of extra pounds. To do this, after the next meal, they cause themselves to vomit. As a result, the brain, which received a satiety signal, does not require more food, and body weight is not gained. But over time, the stomach gets used to such a reaction and rejects any food, even in small quantities. This disease is called “bulimia” and poses a threat not only to health, but also to human life.

Vomiting after eating in a child

The causes of vomiting after eating in children are similar to the causes that provoke this symptom in adults. Separately, we can note congenital anomalies in the development of the gastrointestinal tract (pyloric stenosis, pylorospasm, etc.), difficult childbirth followed by hydrocephalus or high ICP, as well as physiological regurgitation, which does not pose a threat to the health of the baby and stops as he grows up.

If a person is concerned about vomiting after eating, then you should not engage in self-treatment, but you need to seek qualified medical help. A doctor who deals with the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is a gastroenterologist, but it is possible that the help of a neurologist, neuropathologist, therapist, oncologist or surgeon will be required.