I had just gotten back from school for the holidays when I felt sick, I was shivering and I began to have a pounding headache, and before I knew it I started vomiting, I spoke to my Mum about my symptoms and her eyes became wide open when she heard the word vomiting. Why are you vomiting, she asked angrily, so you are pregnant? I had never been more shocked in my life than I was on that day, I had been a very good girl and I was a virgin, so why would she ignore my feelings and just conclude I was pregnant?
We went to the hospital that morning, and while the doctor recommended other tests to be carried out, my mother insisted on having a confirmation of the pregnancy test first, already giving me the look that if it comes out positive, then I was in serious trouble. I was sad, confused, and angry at the same time.
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One of those things we had to face growing up with extremely religious parents, it was not fun at all. Thankfully, the result came out negative and that was the only time she asked about the treatment for the major sickness that triggered the vomiting, such a painful ordeal, I forgive her though, but it was very annoying.
We know that vomiting is a symptom of several conditions, which may be a simple or a complex case, there are situations when an act of vomiting should not and would not bother us probably when it comes to motion sickness for instance, we know we will get over it quite soon, but when it becomes a re-occurring act that requires medical attention, it should not be ignored.
Today, I want to talk about ''acute vomiting'', which means nausea and vomiting begin suddenly, within a short period gets very worse, and lasts for a very short time. Some of the very common causes of acute vomiting can be related to;
Food poisoning: A type of foodborne illness that people get from something they ate or drank, they can cause harmful things to beverages and food. Asides from vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach upset amongst others are accompanied symptoms of food poisoning
Gastroenteritis: This is a digestive tract infection, one of the most common causes of nausea and sudden vomiting. It is usually caused by a virus like norovirus or rotavirus. In some cases, however, it may be caused by bacteria, where there is an association with food poisoning, in this case, abdominal pain and diarrhea are usually the cause.
Concussions: Brain injury that leads to temporary loss of normal brain function, is when we have the occurrence of concussion. Medical terms describe it as a clinical syndrome that is characterized by an immediate and transient alteration to brain function.
What causes concussions when there is an occurrence of trauma to the head, like getting involved in an accident, falling, or having a strong force against the head?
Meningitis: Meningitis is a fluid inflammation, alongside the inflammation of three membranes that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis are often caused by bacterial and viral infections, they can also be caused by fungi infections, the presence of fungi, and some drug-induced reactions.
Trauma to the head: Any form of injury that affects the skull, the brain, or the scalp causes trauma to the head. It ranges from a mild case to a traumatic one, the consequences that occur and the treatments that follow vary greatly on the cause of the injury.
Metabolic disorders: Metabolic disorders are any condition that affects the aspect of metabolism. Metabolism is the biochemical process that gives room for growth, reproduction, repairs of damage, and environmental response, an impairment to any of these is when we have metabolic disorders.
Gastroparesis: Also known as delayed gastric emptying is a disorder that stops or slows down the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine, even while there is no blockage in the stomach or the small intestine. Diabetes is often the most common cause of gastroparesis, vomiting, and feeling full shortly after a meal are all symptoms of gastroparesis.
Some medications: Some drugs actually have a side effect of making the patient vomit.
** Large alcohol consumption**: Excessive intake of alcohol could result in acute vomiting too.
If left unattended to, acute nausea and vomiting could result in serious dehydration. With serious dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, we have a case of shock or coma and it could also be life-threatening. Bear in mind that, acute nausea and vomiting may also accompany other symptoms that affect the digestive system, this includes; Diarrhea, indigestion, abdominal bloating, change in bowel movements, gas, heartburn, and constipation.
Other related body symptoms include; high fever, headache, cough, chest pain, malaise, consistent vomiting with blood or a greenish look, and stiff neck.
When this acute vomiting begins depending on the cause
as stated above, it could go away on its own, but the goal of the treatment is to be able to prevent dehydration. The first thing is to allow medical experts to determine the underlying cause of the condition which may need to be tackled first, but the administration of IV fluids, medications, and a nasogastric tube in a severe situation will be administered for treatment.
When acute vomiting happens, it is advised that the patient tries to rest as much as possible to prevent making nausea worse, drink more liquid to help prevent dehydration, avoid alcohol at the time of vomiting, and eat smaller meals more often.
Conclusion.
After we got back from the hospital that day, I was really upset and I gave an attitude in the house for about a week, I couldn't believe that I was sick and the only thing she was bothered about was pregnancy because she wouldn't want to be embarrassed, she gave an excuse that didn't still sit well with me afterward and we made up, but I can never forget that experience.
Unfortunately, we still have some African parents who behave that way even till this age and time, and what if it was a case of emergency, she would have been too busy trying to protect her dignity (according to her) to save the life of her child.
Vomiting generally, may be a symptom of pregnancy, but it could also be a symptom of several other sicknesses/diseases or conditions that require medical attention, so please seek medical care when any vomiting is experienced especially when accompanied by high fever, stomach pain, and other written symptom.
References.
Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions
healthline.com/health/head-injury
https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-nausea-vomiting
Hi, I am Tobi a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. Want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my youtube channel where you can listen and watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, kindly do well to keep them coming.