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Vomiting is the physical outcome of nausea. In cases of food poisoning or gastroenteritis caused by bacteria which inflame the lining of the stomach and intestines, vomiting is the body’s response to the condition by ridding itself of harmful substances. A similar response may follow heavy drinking or ingestion of other toxic substances. Other gastrointestinal disorders such as peptic ulcers and appendicitis can cause vomiting.

Vomiting may also indicate serious disorders which are not associated with digestion. Following a blow to the head, vomiting may indicate swelling of the brain or bleeding within the skull. Heart attacks may present with chest pains and vomiting.

In children vomiting is also a symptom of fevers, middle ear infections, tonsillitis and meningitis. It is quite normal for young babies to vomit small quantities of milk after feeding and is of no concern unless the child appears ill or does not gain weight.

During early pregnancy vomiting is a common symptom of morning sickness. Both ginger and raspberry leaf are recommended by herbalists to relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy.

Bulimia is an eating disorder in which the sufferer overeats, then induces vomiting to rid the body of the food which has been consumed. When bulimia is chronic this practice can result in ulceration of the oesophagus, damage to the teeth caused by stomach acids and dietary deficiencies.

Inducing vomiting is sometimes a first aid teatment for poisoning. Vomiting should not be induced in the case of corrosive, petroleum based or unknown substances which have been swallowed. When a medicinal or general substance such as detergent, mushrooms or medicine have been swallowed vomiting should be induced by giving Syrup of Ipecac to drink, following the instructions on the bottle. Salty or soapy water should not be given to induce vomiting.

Vomiting of blood requires immediate medical advice. Tiny flecks of blood in the vomitus following extensive vomiting may come from small tears in the lining of the digestive system and are not in themselves cause for alarm.

Prolonged vomiting may result in dehydration. This requires treatment by a practitioner.

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Tags: General health
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People often confuse clinical depression with sadness. That’s a mistake. You can be sad without being clinically depressed, and vice versa. Let’s say, for example, that you have been rejected by a person you love, have been made redundant or have suffered some major setback in some project in which you have invested a lot of time and energy. It would be strange not to experience some feelings of sadness in the days or even weeks following such a reversal of fortune. But if such normal sadness is short-lived and not accompanied by some of the tell-tale signs of depression listed below, no doctor would diagnose you as being clinically depressed. You would expect to see the feelings of sadness diminish over days or weeks and be replaced by other feelings – elements of relief, hopefulness or even happiness and, together with those feelings, optimistic thoughts. Maybe it wasn’t such a great relationship and you’re better off out of it. And the job wasn’t necessarily that terrific, now that you think of it; some other job may suit you better. And as for the reversal of fortune, it hurt, no question about it, but it wasn’t critical. You take your knocks, learn your lessons and move on.

As you will see in the pages of this book, a capacity to get on with things is not a hallmark of depression. When you are depressed, you feel trapped and stuck. Solutions do not present themselves to you. It can seem as though there is no way out. So sadness by itself does not mean you are depressed, even though sadness is certainly one of the cardinal symptoms of depression. Often this is not an ordinary sadness, focused on a single situation or event. Rather it is a pervasive sadness that seems to settle on everything. The sadness can take over all other feelings, leaving little room for happiness, contentment, good humour or even anger. But even though sadness is one of the most common symptoms of depression, it is also one of the easiest to connect with the condition. In our everyday language, a person might say T feel sad’ or T feel depressed’ interchangeably. In contrast, there are other symptoms that may be less obviously associated with depression, but are nevertheless cardinal symptoms and signs of the condition. I have called them the seven tell-tale signs of depression. It is easy to attribute these signs, incorrectly, to conditions other than depression. But when they are present, depression is one condition that should always be considered.

The Seven Tell-Tale Signs of Depression

Running on empty

Nothing seems like fun anymore; life seems dreary

Putting yourself down

Failure – at work and in relationships

Biological disturbances: sleeping, eating, weight and sex drive

The future looks bleak

Life seems not worth living

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Tags: Anti Depressants
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