Symptoms

Vomiting may be gentle or violent. Gentle vomiting may result from disintension due to colic and pains in the stomach, which cease as soon as the patient vomits. Sometimes, a tender child may such too much milk. He then lies whining, is uneasy, and cannot sleep. As soon as he vomits out a little milk, he is well again and falls asleep. Similarly, older children get pain in the stomach after eating or drinking too much, and thereby vomit. Vomiting for long duration, or when it is frequent or is violent, is a serious matter, requiring proper treatment.

Treatment

The treatment for vomiting will depend upon the actual cause of the trouble in each individual case. In case of gentle vomiting, if it does not occur of its own, it should be induced by ticking of the throat with a feather dipped in oil.

If the parents cannot ascertain the cause, the child should be kept in bed. He should not be given anything but hot water to drink. Cooperative children can be given warm-water enema to cleanse the bowels. They can be given fresh fruits and liquid diet after the acute symptoms are over. Thereafter, they may be allowed gradually to embark upon a well-balanced diet, according to their age, with emphasis on fresh fruits and lightly-cooked vegetables.

In case of vomiting resulting from emotional disorders, the parents and school teachers should avoid using harsh words while speaking to the child and they should behave with him in such a manner that he looks upon them as friends. The child should be encouraged and entertained so that he forgets what has happened.

TCertain home remedies have been found beneficial in the treatment of vomiting. The most important of these is the use of lime, which is very valuable for stopping bilious vomiting. Half a teaspoon of fresh lime juice should be mixed with equal quantity of honey and licked two or three times daily in treating this condition.

Ginger is extremely useful in the treatment of vomiting resulting from dyspepsia, flatulence, colic spasms and other painful affections of the stomach and the bowels, not accompanied by fever. A quarter teaspoon or 15 drops of fresh ginger juice, mixed with half a teaspoon each of fresh lime and mint juices and a teaspoon of honey, constitutes an effective medicine for treating this condition. It should be taken twice daily.

The juice of red beet (chukandar) is another effective remedy for vomiting due to biliousness. About half a cup of the juice with equal quantity of water may be given twice daily. Adding half a teaspoon of lime juice to this juice will increase its medicinal value.

The tender coconut water is also an excellent remedy for vomiting. It has a soothing effect on the stomach and the condition caused by irritation of the stomach may be relieved by drinking half a cup of this water twice daily.

Application of ice bag over the stomach and the spine opposite to it is also an effective method in controlling this condition. Wet abdominal pack or heating compress, applied for one hour, is another valuable remedy for persistent vomiting. This is a cold compress covered in such a manner as to bring warmth. The procedure for its application has been outlined in Appendix.