Vomiting and Chinese Medicine

Vomiting is known medically as "emesis" but the common term for vomiting is "throwing up". Overall these 3 terms all refer to the forceful expulsion of the stomach contents through the oral cavity.  It is almost always accompanied by nausea (the feeling like you are about to vomit).  

Vomiting can be caused by a variety of digestive disorders which many are not serious or life threatening.  There are some causes of vomiting like intra-crainial pressure which is very serious.  Vomiting is such a common disorder that everyone will vomit throughout their lifetime.  It is very common in childhood and decrease in frequency as we age.  

Causes of Vomiting - gastritis, Stomach sphincters spasm, hepatitis, pancreatitus, febrile disease, meningitis. ... 

Acute Vomiting:

sudden vomiting with flu like symptoms.  

Cold Type:

nausea and vomiting, general sense of cold, nausea relieved by hot water bottle or warm water.  

Herbal Formula - Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San

Heat Type:

fever, chills, possible sweating, rapid pulse, sore throat, yellow phlegm, ...   vomiting is sudden and is accompanied with irritability. 

Herbal Formula - Yin Qiao San

Damp Heat Type:

fever chills, heaviness of body, sweating, fatigue, head ache, irritability, difficult yellow urination, sudden vomiting and diarhea.  

Herbal Formula: Gui Ling Gan Lu Yin

Food Stagnation:

general sense of nausea after a large meal or poor quality of food like greasy or sugary foods.  The abdomen will distend and bloat causing a stagnation of food in the stomach unable to digest properly.  The vomitting will be sour and have lots of undigested food.  There will be relief after each bout of vomiting.  

Herbal Medicine Formula: Bao He Wan

Phlegm Accumulation:

vomiting of food, fluids and thick phlegm.  There is a general sense of uneasiness or nausea.  Vomiting only mildly decreases nausea.  There is a heavines throughout the body, poor memory or cloudy mind and nausea worsens with raw vegetables, dairy products or sugary foods.  

Herbal Medicine Formula: Er Chen Tang   or  Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang

Stagnation of Liver Qi:

Vomiting worsens with emotional stress, anxiety or frustration.  There is also acid reflux, distention or pain under the rib cage, PMS, easily irritated and easily gets a red face.  There is also a sensation of something stuck in their throat.  

Herbal Medicine Formula: Ban Xia Hou Po Tang 

Spleen and Stomach Cold:

chronic nuasea and vomiting which is worse after eating cold type foods. There is also a low appetite, cold abdomen and limbs, nausea feels better with application of heat, loose stools, no smell to stool, watery bowel movements, general sense of fatigue.  

Herbal Medicine Formula: Li Zhong Wan

Natural Cures for Vomiting:

1 - ginger tea

2 - mint tea

3 - ginger ale.  This helps replenish energy if vomiting for long periods of time.

4 -stay hydrated, drink in small sips

5 - eat bland foods, stay away from spicy or over flavorfull foods.  

6 - acupuncture or acupressure.  On the bottom of each wrist about 2 inches above the wrist there is a acupuncture point.  Press hard for a few minutes at a time.