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The color of vomit can be an indicator of an underlying condition. Let’s see what is behind the color of these episodes.
Vomiting is the involuntary or self-induced expulsion of stomach contents. It is often due to a self-protective reaction of the body when detecting abnormalities in the food it is processing. However, you can also develop these episodes due to an underlying condition. In the following lines we show you the meaning of vomiting according to color.
An isolated vomiting associated with food issues may not be important, but when there are several episodes it is possible that there is an underlying condition that is causing an emergency. So that you do not get to this point, we will guide you on how to identify vomiting according to color.
What is the meaning of vomiting according to color
The information that we present to you shortly is only for reference. You must take it as a guide to be able to join loose ends, and never as a substitute for a professional diagnosis. In general, it is not possible to identify the real meaning of these episodes based on their color.
This is because it varies according to your eating patterns and the progression of vomiting. Indeed, the color of these changes naturally as the hours and days go by. With this in mind as a warning, we leave you with the meaning of vomiting by color.
Meaning of white or clear vomit
Since the color of your vomit is determined by the nature of your food, your vomit is likely to be white due to having ingested milk, yogurt, and so on. If it has a foamy texture, it is a sign that there is excess gas in your stomach.
Gas usually enters the body when you eat or drink because you swallow incipient amounts of air in the process. Consuming sugar substitutes, high-fiber foods (fruits, beans, and whole grains), and carbonated beverages can also provide you with gas.
Medical disorders such as Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, colitis, food intolerance, constipation, gastritis, and gastroesophageal reflux can also cause gas. All these variables combine to produce white vomiting episodes.
Meaning of green vomit
In accordance with the researchers, the green vomit is an indicator of bile. Bile is a substance produced by the liver and used during the digestion process to convert complex fats into fatty acids. Bile is usually the last thing to come out when you have an empty stomach.
With this in mind, your vomit will turn green as you empty your stomach with these episodes. If you have an empty stomach then the first or second vomit will be this color. Morning sickness may fit the latter description.. Researchers warn that poisonings can also cause vomiting with a greenish hue.
Meaning of yellow vomit
The bile can also acquire a yellowish tone, so that the vomit of this color responds to the same explanations described for the previous case. Gastric juices tend to turn yellow, so these can combine with bile in these episodes. Foods of this color can further promote a yellowish appearance.
Meaning of orange vomit
Foods turn orange when partially digested, so episodes will be orange when the most proximal portions of the small intestine are in the middle of the digestion process. Other possible explanations for this color are food poisoning, stomach gastroenteritis, influenza, migraines, and morning sickness. We leave you with other conditions that may affect here:
- Appendicitis.
- Side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
- Intake of some medications that have vomiting as a side effect.
Meaning of red vomit
Red vomit usually points in two directions: recent intake of red-colored food, or the presence of blood in the vomit. The tone can be close to pink, also brown or burgundy. In any case, blood in vomit is never a good sign. We leave you with some conditions that may be behind it:
- Damage to the lining of the esophagus, pharynx, or mouth.
- Peptic ulcers.
- Liver failure.
- Benign tumors in the stomach.
- Duodenitis
- Gastric varicose veins.
- Pancreatitis
- Portal hypertension.
- Esophagitis
In practice there are dozens of conditions that can explain vomiting blood, so you should seek medical help when the episodes are repetitive.
Meaning of brown or black vomit
The brown or black vomit actually has traces of blood that has oxidized. Think, for example, of the color of blood from a wound that has healed. In most cases, this happens because the bleeding has originated in the more distal portions of the digestive tract. Therefore, they are the consequence of an underlying problem, and the causes are those that we have stipulated in the previous section.
In any case, vomiting (regardless of color) can lead to a real emergency situation. You can go to an emergency service or, if they present in an isolated but recurrent way, to a gastroenterology consultation.
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