Patient's question:
For a few days, I haven't been eating formula milk. But this afternoon, I've already started dry heaving. At first, it was just dry heaving, then suddenly I vomited two or three times in a row. I tried giving water, but I vomited even after drinking it. Later, I tried feeding with milk, and I vomited again. What kind of assistance I need: I want to ask, what exactly...Doctor's answer:
Nausea during illness is one of the most common symptoms. It not only causes great distress to the child but also interferes with bowel movements, making parents very anxious. Therefore, parents should learn to make preliminary judgments about the causes of nausea. Among various reasons, the most important ones include:1. Improper feeding or defecation: Excessive diaper changes during the neonatal period, inappropriate milk formula, swallowing large amounts of air while feeding; excessive bowel movements in infants and young children, or food that is difficult to absorb.
2. Absorption disorders: Systemic infectious diseases, such as upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, and sepsis, often accompany nausea with low fever, nausea, and reduced appetite.
3. Gastrointestinal infectious diseases: Conditions like gastritis, enteritis, dysentery, and appendicitis can cause reflexive vomiting due to local irritation. These are often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, and other digestive issues.
4. Neurological diseases: Central nervous system disorders like encephalitis, meningitis, intracranial bleeding or tumors, and traumatic brain injuries can also lead to nausea, characterized by the absence of nausea before vomiting and projectile vomiting. However, they are often accompanied by other neurological symptoms, such as headaches, lethargy, loss of appetite, or even seizures and fainting.
5. Psychological factors: Some children may experience nausea due to excessive stress or anxiety caused by certain reasons. Recurrent nausea is sometimes also related to psychological factors.
6. Poisoning: Various types of poisoning, such as food poisoning, toxic animal bites, plant poisoning, and drug or pesticide poisoning, often present with nausea. However, different toxins have distinct clinical characteristics that can help in differentiation.
7. Other causes: Vomiting can be severe in cases of vestibular dysfunction or Meniere's disease (inner ear labyrinth hydrops), often accompanied by dizziness and visual disturbances. Congenital gastrointestinal malformations in children, such as gastric volvulus or hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, can also cause severe nausea. Additionally, children with intestinal nematodes or biliary nematodes may experience severe vomiting when they develop intestinal obstruction.
Once parents understand the various causes of nausea mentioned above, they can make educated guesses based on their child's symptoms, feel more confident, and remain calm when faced with vomiting.