Yellow Vomiting, This Is the Cause and How to Overcome It

Vomiting is a common complaint for all people. But what if the vomit is yellow, greenish, and feels bitter in the mouth? Is colored vomiting a dangerous condition? Check out the following explanation. Vomiting is a condition of the body when forcibly removing stomach contents through the mouth. Before vomiting, you will generally experience nausea which makes the body uncomfortable. In some cases, vomit contents can be yellow or greenish yellow.

Causes of Yellow Vomiting

Some possibilities that can cause complaints of vomiting are yellow, including:

• Bile reflux or bile reflux

Under normal circumstances, bile along with pancreatic enzymes are released into the duodenum to aid digestion. The cause of yellow vomiting generally occurs when the bile produced by the liver is channeled back into the stomach and esophagus, so that it is vomited with the contents of the stomach. Bile causes the vomit contents to turn greenish yellow. This condition is more common in people with acid reflux disease (GERD). This condition can also occur when the stomach does not contain food or drink during vomiting, food poisoning, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in large quantities directly.

• Blockage or obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract

This condition can occur when the intestine is blocked which causes movement of food or fluid in the digestive tract to be disturbed. When the digestive tract is blocked, the fluid and food in it can accumulate thereby increasing pressure in the digestive tract. This has become one of the causes of vomiting in adults and in children.

• Surgery history

A history of gastric and bile duct surgery can also increase the risk of yellow vomiting. The occurrence of yellow vomiting is thought to be related to inflammation of the stomach wall and postoperative bile ducts, as well as a history of previous H. pylori bacterial infections.

• Pregnancy

Morning sickness is a symptom of nausea and vomiting that occurs early in pregnancy. When vomiting complaints become more frequent, or hyperemesis gravidarum occurs, vomiting can occur when the stomach has not been filled with food so that issued is yellow vomiting that contains bile.

• Appendicitis

Conditions where vomiting is accompanied by abdominal pain that feels very severe. Appendicitis is a dangerous condition that must immediately get medical treatment.

• Repeated vomiting syndrome or cyclic vomiting syndrome

Sometimes, vomiting can also occur without a known cause. This condition is known as cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). However, there are several conditions that can trigger the emergence of this syndrome, such as allergies, colds, anxiety disorders, inflammation of the sinuses, fatigue, and hot weather.

Given the many other possibilities that can cause complaints of vomiting, you need to see a specialist in internal medicine in order to do a series of medical examinations to determine the cause of vomiting that you experience.

When You Should See A Doctor

Vomiting generally does not require serious medical treatment, as long as it has a clear cause and can be cured with simple treatment. However, if you vomit yellow accompanied by other complaints, it is advisable to see a doctor immediately to get the right treatment. Some complaints that need to watch out for if you experience yellow vomiting are:

• Pain in the chest or solar plexus.
• Vomit more than one or two days.
• Hard to breathe.
• Limp or dehydrated.
• There are bloodstains on the contents of vomit.
• Vomiting that occurs continuously, causing weight to drop dramatically.
• High fever.
• Stiff on the neck.

Whatever the cause, yellow vomiting is a condition that requires an examination and treatment from a doctor. To find the cause of yellow vomiting, the doctor will do a physical examination accompanied by supporting examinations, such as abdominal X-rays, endoscopy, and gastric acid examination.

Treatment for Yellow Vomiting

Handling of yellow vomiting varies depending on the cause. If it is caused by excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks or due to food poisoning, administration of intravenous fluids in hospitals is given to treat symptoms and prevent further complications. However, if vomiting is caused by bile reflux, the doctor will prescribe medication to treat the reflux condition. Two types of drugs commonly prescribed are:

• Ursodeoxycholic acid

Drugs that function to dissolve gallstones so that they are more easily excreted by the body. The use of this drug will usually cause side effects such as diarrhea.

• Bile acid sequestrants

This type of medication works to reduce LDL cholesterol in the body. The side effects of using this drug are digestive disorders, constipation, abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea.

Acid-lowering medications such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may also be given if yellow vomiting is accompanied by stomach acid disease. If these drugs cannot treat complaints of yellow vomiting due to bile reflux, your doctor may recommend surgery. This operation aims to remove part of the intestine or open a blockage. Usually the doctor will insert a device called a 'stent' to open the obstruction in the digestive tract and prevent the blockage from getting worse. Yellow vomiting can be a sign of a serious illness. The various accompanying symptoms described above indicate that you are experiencing a condition that requires immediate treatment. See your doctor if the yellow vomiting worsens or doesn't go away after a few days.