What Causes Chronic Vomiting?
Chronic vomiting can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose chronic vomiting, we could:
- Research the topic
- Find a doctor with the time
- Use a diagnostic computer system.
Step 1: List all Possible Causes
We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "chronic vomiting" as a symptom. Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):
- Malaria
- Gastritis
- Appendicitis
- Chronic Renal Insufficiency
- Ovarian Cysts
- Aspartame/Neotame Side-Effects
- Rapid Stomach Emptying
- Zinc Toxicity
Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist
We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:
confirmed gastric dumping
bulimia
occasional odd skin sensations
meal-induced pain for 1-4 weeks
frequent unexplained nausea
regular unexplained vomiting
severe epigastric pain
gastritis
regular unexplained nausea
numb/burning/tingling extremities
constant abdominal fullness
blood transfusions
confirmed gastric dumping bulimia occasional odd skin sensations meal-induced pain for 1-4 weeks frequent unexplained nausea regular unexplained vomiting severe epigastric pain gastritis regular unexplained nausea numb/burning/tingling extremities constant abdominal fullness blood transfusions... and more than 60 others
Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause
A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of chronic vomiting:
| Cause | Probability | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid Stomach Emptying | 90% | Confirm |
| Aspartame/Neotame Side-Effects | 30% | Unlikely |
| Chronic Renal Insufficiency | 22% | Unlikely |
| Gastritis | 4% | Ruled out |
| Appendicitis | 4% | Ruled out |
| Ovarian Cysts | 3% | Ruled out |
| Malaria | 1% | Ruled out |
| Zinc Toxicity | 1% | Ruled out |
* This is a simple example to illustrate the process
Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis
The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.
In the Gastrointestinal Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about duration of current vomiting episodes:
|
If you suffer significantly from unexplained vomiting (at least once per week), for how long has this been a problem?
Possible responses:
→ It is not a problem / don't know→ It started within the last week → It started within the last month → I've had it for 1 to 3 months → I've had it for over 3 months |
Ovarian Cysts
There are three different ways in which ovarian cysts can cause chronic vomiting: 1) When an ovarian cyst ruptures, fluid and sometimes blood are released into the ovary or surrounding tissues; 2) In some women the cause can be severe pain from a cyst; 3) Irritation of tissues in the abdomen.
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Last updated: Apr 02, 2022