Surely every person at least once in his life has experienced all the “delights” of food poisoning, accompanied by vomiting. But pregnant women, especially in the first trimester, often experience toxicosis and vomiting as a consequence.
But sometimes the situation becomes much more complicated when a person discovers black vomit. What is it? Why does it occur? Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to answer this question remotely. Here you need to be examined by a gastroenterologist.
Causes of black vomit, why does black vomit appear?
Black vomiting (hematemesis) is often accompanied by a change in the color, consistency and composition of feces: they acquire viscosity, as well as a characteristic black or dark brown tint. If you look closely, you can see foreign inclusions in the substance released during defecation - an admixture of fresh blood or clots of coagulated blood (melena). Most often, such changes are observed with gastrointestinal bleeding: if it has opened in the esophagus or stomach, then the vomit, as a rule, has a reddish or brown tint; if in the intestines, then the vomit and feces take on a shade close to black.
The following can also cause vomit and stool to turn black:
1 consumption of products containing natural dyes of dark shades (chocolate, natural coffee, chokeberry, beets, etc.);
2 uncontrolled use of medications with high iron content;
3 systematic use of alcohol and/or drugs;
4 injury to the organs of the gastrointestinal tract by foreign objects that entered the body along with food (fragments of bones, oyster shells, mussels, crayfish shells, lobsters, crabs, fragments of glass, porcelain (if there are cracks and chips on the dishes), small pebbles, fruit and berry seeds, etc.).
If vomit is mixed with foam, then the possibility of pulmonary hemorrhage should not be ruled out. In this case, it is necessary to call emergency help: if the diagnosis is confirmed, the victim will be hospitalized to provide the necessary assistance.
How can vomiting be dangerous for a cancer patient at stage 4?
If the vomiting does not contain blood in the masses, urgent specialist intervention is not required; it is enough to take special antiemetics and provide rest to the patient. However, in some cases, vomiting can lead to the death of the patient.
So, urgent intervention is required if you find blood clots in the masses, or the vomit has turned black. In this case, we can talk about internal bleeding, which, in the absence of timely medical intervention, can lead to death.
Black vomit in infants and children under one year of age
Infants and children under one year of age may gag several times a day, usually after feeding. Air swallowed when sucking a breast or pacifier provokes bloating and a gag reflex, which disappears after regurgitation of a small amount of previously consumed food. If after vomiting the child feels good, alert and active, then there is no reason to worry. If vomiting is accompanied by fever, stool upset, abdominal pain, lethargy, chills, pale skin, rapid pulse, breathing problems, and foreign inclusions (mucus, bile or blood) are observed in the vomit and feces, you should call emergency help: even slight blood loss can provoke a sharp deterioration in the baby’s condition, followed by death. While waiting for the doctors to arrive, the child must be given warm boiled water periodically to avoid dehydration.
It should be noted that black vomiting is often observed in newborns: it occurs due to involuntary swallowing of blood during the process of moving along the birth canal. If a woman gives birth in the presence of qualified obstetricians, then bloody vomiting does not pose a danger to the child, since specialists take timely measures to stabilize the baby’s condition and eliminate the potential threat to his life and health.
Additional treatments
There are also alternative therapies that help control nausea and are used as an adjunct to primary treatment. Such activities include acupuncture, massage, hypnosis and relaxation. Doctors do not advise using herbal remedies and biological supplements, as they can cause a decrease in the effect of antiemetic treatment.
Note! Be sure to drink enough fluids during therapy to reduce the risk of dehydration. All medications must be taken on a full stomach.
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What other reasons could there be for vomiting black vomit?
During the process of vomiting, some of the contents in the digestive tract are released through the mouth or nose (rarely). Vomit of a dark red color (almost black) is a consequence of the formation of hydrochloric acid hematin due to the interaction of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice with the blood.
Vomiting with black discharge may indicate the following pathologies:
- stomach or intestinal bleeding,
- neoplasms in the gastrointestinal tract,
- damage to the walls of the gastrointestinal tract of the ulcerative type,
- injuries to internal organs,
- alcoholism.
In addition to the above reasons, vomiting can be provoked by medications that are taken without measure simultaneously with drugs or potent herbs. Sometimes the black color of vomit depends on the amount of foods consumed the day before or the content of coloring substances in them (dark berries, chocolate, etc.).
Often, vomiting of black masses is accompanied by other signs, namely: weakness, indifference to everything that is happening, pale skin color, dizziness, a blue tint to the mucous membranes, and black-colored bowel movements. In case of intestinal obstruction, vomit changes color. At the first stages, they contain foods that have not been digested by the stomach. Over time, the vomit turns yellow-green in color due to the presence of bile. It then turns dark green and eventually brown-black with a fecal odor.
First aid rules
If brown or black masses of vomit appear, caused by mild food poisoning, a person usually does not need an emergency call to the doctors. The pathology can be dealt with at home. However, it is still necessary to provide first aid to the victim:
- The patient is placed in a horizontal position with a container for vomit.
- Provide a comfortable position for the head so that it is lower than the lying body.
- They do not interfere with the emetic process - the body is freed from toxic toxins.
- After making sure that the stomach is empty, you can offer the patient activated carbon tablets or a solution of mint drops. The dose of the medicine depends on the person’s weight.
- In case of severe vomiting attacks, taking the antipsychotic drug “Aminazine” helps.
- For obvious pain in the epigastric region, you can give any painkiller.
Diagnosis, how to determine the cause of black vomit?
If black vomiting occurs, the victim is urgently examined by a gastroenterologist. Such an unpleasant procedure as FGDS (gastroscopy), carried out as part of the examination, will determine the degree of damage to the organs of the gastrointestinal tract: if vomiting is caused by injury or disease of the digestive organs, the device will identify the source of the problem in a matter of minutes.
The next stage of the examination includes laboratory analysis of vomit and feces for smell, color, consistency, and foreign inclusions (blood, bile, mucus, pus). Ultrasound and radiography of the abdominal cavity and chest, and an electrocardiogram can be used as additional diagnostic measures.
How often can a gastroscopy procedure be performed?
Gastroscopy is one of the most informative methods for studying the condition of the gastrointestinal tract (its upper section), since this procedure allows you to visually assess the presence of damage to the gastric mucosa, the presence of polyps, erosions, ulcers, bleeding and other pathologies of the walls of the stomach and duodenum. Many patients are interested in the question of how safe this generally unpleasant procedure is, and how often gastroscopy can be done in the presence of various pathologies of the digestive tract.
The frequency of gastroscopy is determined by the attending physician.
However, this study is also prescribed for many other diseases. For example, cardiovascular: before performing a coronography, an endovascular cardiologist must ensure that there are no gastric erosions or ulcers. Otherwise, the operation will be postponed, since the patient on the eve of surgery must take strong antithrombotic drugs that thin the blood and promote bleeding.
- 1 Indications for gastroscopy
- 2 How is gastroscopy performed?
- 3 Duration of the procedure
- 4 Decoding the results
- 5 How often can gastroscopy be done
- 6 Conclusion
Indications for gastroscopy
General symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting do not always indicate the presence of diseases of the digestive tract, but if the patient complains, he will most likely be prescribed a series of tests that should confirm or refute suspicions of gastritis, duodenitis or other gastric pathologies.
Other indications for prescribing gastroscopy include the following:
- suspicion of the presence of malignant neoplasms in the stomach/esophagus;
- the need for constant monitoring of the condition of the gastric epithelium in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases;
- symptoms of gastric bleeding;
- if a foreign object enters the stomach;
- if the patient often experiences pain in the epigastric region;
- difficulties experienced by the patient when eating;
- to clarify the diagnosis for a number of diseases not related to gastrointestinal pathologies.
FGDS should be prescribed with caution to children under six years of age, if there is a history of severe mental disorders, if the patient is diagnosed with exacerbation of chronic gastritis or gastric ulcer, or if there is a respiratory tract infection. In any case, the appointment of this procedure can occur repeatedly, and not knowing in what cases and how often gastroscopy of the stomach can be done is very worrying for many patients.
As for contraindications to the appointment of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (the official medical name for gastroscopy), there are few of them:
- some heart diseases;
- narrow compared to the standard entrance to the stomach;
- obesity 2 – 3 degrees;
- hypertension;
- kyphosis/scoliosis;
- a history of stroke/heart attack;
- congenital/acquired blood diseases.
How is gastroscopy performed?
An instrument that allows you to examine the condition of the inner walls of the stomach (and, if necessary, the duodenum) is a type of endoscope. A gastroscope consists of a hollow elastic tube containing a fiber-optic cable with an optical and illuminating device at the end. Through the mouth and esophagus, the hose is inserted into the stomach cavity for a thorough examination. Through the cable, the image is transmitted to the eyepiece or monitor screen, and the doctor conducting the study has the opportunity to study the condition of the epithelium in different parts of the stomach by turning and moving the tube in the desired direction.
Is gastroscopy harmful from the point of view of the condition of the esophagus and stomach walls in contact with a solid foreign object? Before the procedure, the gastroscope is thoroughly disinfected, so the likelihood of external infection is extremely low (no more than when eating fruits, bread or vegetables). The possibility of damaging the walls of the esophagus, stomach or duodenum is also close to zero, since the device in its basic form does not have sharp protrusions.
But the procedure itself requires compliance with certain restrictions on the part of the patient. First of all, it should be done on an empty stomach: the presence of food mass makes it very difficult to examine the mucous membrane, so it is very important not to eat 10 - 12 hours before gastroscopy. Approximately 100–120 minutes before the procedure, you should drink about 200 grams of liquid (weak tea or boiled water), which will clear the stomach walls of food debris and mucus. It is highly recommended to refrain from smoking the day before, as this provokes the secretion of gastric juice.
Immediately before insertion of the probe, the pharynx and upper part of the esophagus are anesthetized with a spray, and excessive anxiety is relieved with a subcutaneous injection of a mild sedative - the patient’s calm during the manipulation is very important, since fear can lead to involuntary sudden movements, which will make it difficult to examine the walls of the stomach.
Important: the shelf life of gastroscopy before surgery is one month, after which you will have to do a second examination (in a month, significant changes can occur in the stomach cavity, which can affect the result of the operation or be a direct contraindication to its implementation).
The gastroscopy itself is carried out in the following sequence:
- the patient undresses to the waist; if he has glasses or removable dentures that do not adhere well, they must also be removed;
- manipulation is carried out only in a lying position with a straight back, usually on the right side;
- a special mouthpiece is inserted into the mouth, which must be held firmly in order to prevent reflexive clenching of the teeth;
- after instructions to take a few sips and completely relax the larynx, the endoscope is inserted and lowered until it reaches the entrance to the stomach (the most unpleasant moment is the transition from the oral cavity to the esophagus, during which a natural urge to vomit occurs);
- then the doctor begins to turn the gastroscope, which allows you to examine the condition of the gastric cavities from all sides (the viewing angle of the device, as a rule, does not exceed 150 degrees).
Duration of the procedure
When performing a gastroscopy for diagnostic purposes, an experienced doctor only needs 12 to 15 minutes to examine the entire inner surface of the stomach, however, in some cases, a biopsy (taking a sample of epithelial tissue for laboratory testing) or other therapeutic manipulations (for example, administering medications) may be necessary. Such a comprehensive study can last up to 25–40 minutes.
For some time after the manipulation, the patient should be in a supine position; eating during gastroscopy without a biopsy is allowed after 60 minutes. If the procedure was carried out with a biopsy taken, the first meal of non-hot food is allowed after 180 - 240 minutes. If the procedure is performed on a child under 6 years of age or a patient with a history of mental disorders, gastroscopy can be performed under general anesthesia.
Decoding the results
The uninitiated will probably not be able to interpret the resulting images, since the resulting picture will more likely resemble some kind of fantastic landscape. But an experienced doctor is able to make an accurate diagnosis, guided by the method of comparison with mucous membranes without pathologies.
It looks like this:
- the color of the mucous membrane ranges from red to pale pink;
- even with an empty stomach, there is always a little mucus on the surface of the walls;
- the front wall looks smooth and shiny, and the back wall is covered with folds.
With gastritis, ulcers, and stomach cancer, deviations from the norm appear that neither x-rays nor ultrasound can detect. But gastroscopy will definitely reveal them: with gastritis, the disease will be indicated by an increased amount of mucus, swelling and redness of the epithelium, and local minor hemorrhages are possible. With an ulcer, the surface of the walls is covered with red spots, the edges of which have a whitish coating, indicating the presence of pus. With stomach cancer, the back wall of the stomach becomes smooth, and the color of the mucous membrane changes to light gray.
How often can a gastroscopy be done?
In life, there are often situations when we do not attach importance to certain symptoms that indicate the presence of pathology, and when a diagnosis is made, we begin to intensively look for ways to get rid of it, undergoing consultations and examinations with different specialists. In the case of gastritis, no doctor will undertake treatment without receiving accurate information about the condition of the mucous membrane. And there are often cases when, after undergoing a gastroscopy, a new specialist may refer the patient for a re-examination to make sure that no significant changes have occurred over time. Therefore, many patients are interested in how long it will take to repeat gastroscopy.
In principle, in the absence of contraindications, the number of such manipulations is not limited, but in practice they try not to prescribe a test more than once a month - this is the shelf life of the results of the previous study. In the chronic course of the disease, in order to prevent complications (peptic ulcer, oncology), this study is prescribed 2–3 times a year. In the process of treating gastritis, if the actual effect of drug therapy does not coincide with the expected one, gastroscopy can be performed more often.
Diagnosis, how to determine the causes of black vomit?
Dark brown (almost black) vomit can be caused by various reasons. In this regard, if blood impurities are detected in them, it is imperative to consult with a gastroenterologist, who, during the examination of the patient, will perform an initial examination of the vomit. The smell, color, quantity, consistency and nature of the inclusions are taken into account. A gastroscopy of the digestive tract is urgently prescribed to identify the defective area. Without this procedure, no doctor will be able to diagnose and eliminate the cause of the pathology.
Black vomit caused by a bleeding open ulcer requires surgical intervention.
In addition to gastroscopy, the doctor may prescribe the following diagnostic measures:
- ultrasound examination of the peritoneal cavity,
- X-ray examination of the abdominal region and sternum,
- electrocardiography,
- blood testing in laboratory conditions.
After collecting all the patient’s examination indicators, the doctor makes a diagnosis.
Symptoms and treatment of stage 4 stomach cancer
Stage 4 cancer is considered the most dangerous due to the difficulty of predicting the outcome due to large internal lesions from tumor formations and metastases. It is impossible to achieve a radical result in such a situation, so death is inevitable. According to statistics, no more than 15% of patients survive for 5 years with this diagnosis. A positive attitude, adherence to treatment recommendations, and gentle nutrition that does not burden the gastrointestinal tract help improve the prognosis and live as long as possible.
What to do if black vomit occurs?
If black vomiting occurs due to the use of medications, you should stop taking them and consult a doctor. Experts recommend placing some of the vomit in a container and taking it to the hospital for laboratory analysis: this measure will help identify the cause of the change in color of the vomit as quickly as possible.
If black vomit is caused by food or alcohol poisoning, the victim should rinse the stomach. To do this, you need to drink warm boiled water and press on the root of the tongue with your fingers, causing artificial vomiting. The procedure must be repeated until the stomach is completely cleared of previously eaten foods or liquids drunk.
If the appearance of black vomit is not associated with alcohol/food/drug poisoning or the use of medications, then the victim should call an ambulance. Before doctors arrive, the patient must be laid on a flat, hard surface, his head turned to the side to prevent vomit from entering the respiratory tract, and the belt of his trousers or dress should be loosened in order to reduce pressure on the abdominal cavity.
In case of black vomit of unknown etiology, the victim is prohibited from:
1 drink and eat (swallowed food and drunk liquid can increase bleeding, and certain drinks and foods can even cause death);
2 bend over (a change in body position is fraught with a sharp deterioration in the condition and loss of consciousness);
3 apply a heating pad with hot water to your stomach;
4 rinse the stomach or give cleansing enemas;
5 take any medications.
Antiemetic therapy
Your doctor will tell you what to do if negative symptoms that affect your quality of life appear. Today, oncology uses a large number of antiemetic medications in the form of solutions, tablets, suppositories, syrups and injections. The doctor selects the most effective drug in each specific case. In case of brain cancer, antiemetics are powerless; in this case, a high dose of hormones and diuretics are prescribed. Fluid intake is limited during treatment. For stomach and intestinal cancer, a special diet is prescribed along with medications. If a person develops vomiting due to metastasis of cancer cells from leukemia (leukemia), he is prescribed a high dose of hormones and peripheral anti-nausea and vomiting medications, such as Motilium.
Note! Nausea and vomiting cannot always be controlled, and 70% of people who receive radiation therapy are at risk.
Today, various methods and recipes are used to treat and prevent vomiting in cancer pathologies. But the most effective are serotonin receptor antagonists, which include Ondansetron and Zofran. They help improve the quality of life of patients. They also provide the opportunity to undergo chemotherapy at home. They are taken half an hour before using the cytostatic drug.
Stopping methods
To control the gag reflex, special antiemetic medications and other aids are used.
Medicines
Selected depending on the cause of the side effect:
- in case of excessive production of the vagus nerve stimulator (5-HT3), partial obstruction of the stomach or esophagus, consequences of chemotherapy or radiation, Metoclopramide, Ondasetron, Granisetron, Tropisetron are prescribed;
- in case of adverse effects of the tumor itself, peripheral drugs “Cerukal”, “Reglan”, “Domperidone”, “Motilium”, “Dimetpramide”;
- for cancer with metastases - glucocorticoid hormone "Dexamethasone" or "Cortisone", antipsychotics "Amitriptyline", "Risperidone", "Olanzapine", "Quetiapine";
- for hypercalcemia - selective medication "Haloperidol";
- to act directly on the emetic.
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What to do without using medications?
What to do to reduce the number of gags? Recommended:
- rest and peace;
- small-portion fractional meals;
- light food;
- taking restorative fluids.
After an attack, it is important to drink 25 ml of light broth, water, juices and jelly.
After an attack, in the first hour it is important to drink 25 ml of light broth, water, weak non-acidic juices, liquid jelly every 15 minutes. The consumption of soda and other “spicy” drinks is prohibited. If a person cannot drink liquid, frozen juices, broths, and water in the form of chips are allowed. If intestinal blockage has developed, it is recommended to install a tube to remove vomit.
Other supporting measures:
- acupuncture, acupressure;
- breathing relaxation techniques;
- homeopathy.
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Traditional methods
You can fight vomiting with the help of proven folk remedies, such as:
- ginger powder: tea is brewed with it, cookies are made, food is seasoned with it;
- chamomile tea;
- mint in the form of teas, tablets, capsules.
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