Difference Between Vomit and Spit Up

The basic difference between vomit and spit up is that when a person vomits, matter is ejected from the stomach through the mouth, while spit up means to give reluctantly or to cough up.

During a vomit a person feels sick and cannot keep food or any fluid inside his or her stomach which eventually comes out from the mouth with a sudden gush. Meanwhile, spitting up is common in babies, especially after nursing. During feeding, air slips through the mouth inside the babies and consequently they spit up some milk etc. While vomiting can be dangerous and it is better to see a doctor, a spit up is a common thing for infants and should not to be taken too seriously. Keep reading this article to learn more about vomit and spit up.

Instructions

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    Vomit

    The inability to keep food down in the stomach and ejecting it with a sudden force from the mouth is known as vomiting. The forceful expulsion of materials from the stomach can be caused due to gastritis or food poisoning.

    Nonetheless, there can be several other reasons behind this which need proper medical care. If a person continues to vomit and is unable to hold food down then the intake of strong medication becomes inevitable.

    The feeling before vomiting is called nausea; however, this may not always lead to vomiting. Nonetheless, it will make you feel sick right down to the gut.

    Vomiting can make the patient feel weak and dehydrated and if this is the situation then intravenous fluids may also be required in order to cure the patient and stop the vomiting.

    Usually the gag reflex and coughing prevent the content from the stomach from enter the respiratory tract during a vomit. Nonetheless, it can become dangerous if material enters the respiratory tube.

    Recurring vomiting will leave the patient with a bad breath and could also damage the tooth enamel.

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    Spit Up

    New born babies often spit up during the first few months, as they taken in air while feeding which results in burps. Some portion of the food which goes in comes out in these burps, which are commonly known as spit ups. Spit ups are not dangerous, so parents should not be alarmed. Just remember to have a fresh stock of clothes ready or at least use a bib on the baby during and after feeding.

    Image Courtesy: troublesometots.com

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