Food poisoning due to excessive alcohol consumption is not uncommon. Some people simply forget the limit in company, as a result of which they drink more alcohol than their body can tolerate. The cause of this will most likely be vomiting. You will be very lucky if this is a standard process of ridding the body of excess, since black vomiting is a common occurrence after excessive alcohol intake. A person may not attach any importance to this, but in fact, everything is quite serious: black vomit after alcohol does not appear without a reason and does not disappear without a trace.
The meaning of vomit of different colors
Vomiting is a reflex act and a human defense mechanism. The eruption of gastric contents occurs due to stimulation of the vomiting center, which is located in the posterior part of the brain. Dark-colored vomit sometimes occurs after consuming coloring foods:
- chocolate;
- beets in any form;
- dark colored berries;
- carbonated drinks with dyes.
The cause may be the intake of activated carbon, as well as medications containing iron. In these cases, vomiting occurs once and does not worsen the person’s condition.
Vomiting blood of a bright red color indicates its origin from the lower respiratory tract. Then blood appears simultaneously in the sputum. A severe cough to the point of vomiting can lead to rupture of blood vessels in the inflamed throat. In this case, a small amount of blood is released immediately after the attack.
With toxicosis, strong vomiting in pregnant women can disrupt the capillaries of the esophagus. The released blood mixes with the vomit.
Professional help
If you are vomiting blood after drinking alcohol, the patient is carefully examined to accurately determine the cause. In most cases it is a stomach ulcer. Alcohol destroys mucus barrier functions and blood vessels. Hydrochloric acid enters the stomach, corroding its walls. An abdominal x-ray , pH-metry, and an analysis for the presence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria will help establish the diagnosis
Uncontrolled drinking provokes the development of Mallory-Weiss syndrome. Blood transfusions (crystalloid and colloid) are used for treatment. Additionally, medications are prescribed to stop vomiting. To cope with severe bleeding, they resort to using a Blackmore probe . With its help, bleeding vessels are compressed.
They also do a local blockade with adrenaline, which helps to narrow the blood vessels. Bleeding caused by gastric varicose veins is fraught with cirrhosis. In such cases, regular checks of the condition of the veins are carried out. At the slightest suspicion of bleeding, you need to reduce portal pressure .
Special drugs (vasodilators and vasoconstrictors), balloon tamponade with two types of probes are used as therapy. Endoscopic and surgical methods are also used.
Causes of black vomit
Vomiting “coffee grounds” is a sign of bleeding from the digestive organs. When blood accumulates in the stomach, hemoglobin is oxidized. The contents become dark brown.
The release of fresh or digested blood during vomiting always requires consultation with a doctor.
This symptom is caused by various diseases; in addition, it can be provoked by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Alcohol poisoning
A person experiences brown vomiting after regular drinking. Alcohol causes alcohol poisoning, which in the first stage of alcoholism is accompanied by Mallory-Weiss syndrome. Signs of the disease:
- vomiting with blackness;
- chills;
- weakness;
- fever.
In Mallory-Weiss syndrome, ethanol damages the gastric mucosa and the small blood vessels located in it. Under the influence of vomiting, the pressure in the stomach increases. This provokes the occurrence of tears and cracks in the mucous membrane, from which blood oozes. Its accumulation is the cause of vomiting with brown streaks. Subsequently, scars form at the site of the tears, requiring surgery.
The cause of black vomiting is regular binges in alcoholics. Alcohol abuse provokes the development of diseases of the digestive system:
- Gastric ulcer is observed. Bleeding from an ulcer or its perforation is a serious complication that requires emergency care.
- Alcohol intake is also a trigger for exacerbation of gastritis with high acidity. Bleeding erosions cause black vomiting.
- A rupture of the lining of the esophagus is the cause of brown vomit after consuming excessive amounts of alcohol or drugs.
- Almost all drinkers suffer from alcoholic hepatitis. Their liver is enlarged due to impaired bile flow. After another dose of ethanol, a person vomits black contents.
Doctors prohibit patients with chronic stomach diseases from drinking alcohol in any quantity. However, few drinkers take the warning seriously. Most of them continue to drink until black vomit appears after drinking, which is life-threatening. This is a sign of bleeding from a stomach ulcer or a tear in its inner lining.
Pathologies
Black or dark brown vomit can also occur in a person who drinks little. There are many diseases of the digestive system that occur with this symptom.
Stomach cancer
A person who is vomiting black liquid should not forget about oncology. The vomit takes on the appearance of coffee grounds. Specific signs of stomach cancer:
- At a later stage, bursting pain appears in the epigastrium.
- Strong weight loss.
- Fetid belching.
- When the tumor spreads to the esophagus, difficulty swallowing is noted.
When stomach cancer is complicated by bleeding from the tumor, weakness, vomiting blood, tarry stools, and dizziness appear.
Cirrhosis of the liver
This irreversible disease develops in people after systematic alcohol consumption for 5 or more years. Only identified cirrhosis and approaching death makes the alcoholic think that it is time to quit the addiction.
The disease is characterized by the replacement of liver cells with scar tissue, which is unable to cleanse the body of toxins. Changes in the liver are accompanied by an increase in the load on the veins. This leads to esophageal varicose veins. Any solid food, injuring the vessel, can cause profuse bloody vomiting with clots.
Pancreatitis
The pancreas produces enzymes that digest food. The organ also produces the hormone insulin. Frequent consumption of alcohol causes an irreparable blow to the gland, disrupting its secretory function.
By the way! According to statistics from narcologists, chronic pancreatitis develops in 80% of drinkers.
If you vomit black liquid, the cause may indicate acute inflammation of the gland. The next dose of alcohol provokes vomiting of blood.
Vomiting in children
Brown vomiting in a child indicates a serious pathology:
- Damage to the stomach or esophagus by a foreign body.
- Intestinal obstruction.
- Stomach ulcer (vomit contains brown specks).
- Vomiting scarlet blood in children is sometimes a sign of a viral respiratory tract infection. Its cause in acute respiratory viral infections and intestinal flu is nosebleeds. Discharge from the nasopharynx is swallowed, and then vomiting occurs. Rotavirus infection occurs with fever up to 38.0 °C and diarrhea.
If vomiting blood appears in the morning after breakfast, this indicates a congenital pathology of the organs, varicose veins of the esophagus or stomach.
Whatever the reason for the appearance of blood from the stomach, the child must be taken to the surgical department.
What are the consequences of lack of treatment?
Vomiting blood after alcohol is most often caused by disorders in the digestive system. If you ignore the symptoms and do not visit a medical facility, this may result in suffocation due to large amounts of vomit entering the respiratory tract. Also, blood loss will first cause anemia, followed by shock and death.
After discharge, the patient must follow a diet, avoid alcoholic beverages, and undergo examinations by a gastroenterologist at least once a year. This will prevent relapse and allow timely detection of the development of complications or other pathological conditions.
Symptoms of black vomit
Each of these diseases is characterized by specific symptoms. But there are general signs of diseases of the digestive system, accompanied by the development of bleeding in one or another part of the gastrointestinal tract:
- black vomit;
- belching food or air;
- severe pain in the epigastrium on an empty stomach (sometimes of a pinpoint nature);
- frequent heartburn;
- nausea;
- heaviness in the stomach after eating.
With all these diseases, hypovitaminosis develops and working capacity decreases. Some people are assigned a disability group.
Stages of alcoholism and gag reflex
There are three stages of alcoholism in total (psychiatrists distinguish them regardless of gender and age):
- The first stage is characterized by relatively rare consumption of alcoholic beverages, but in each case to the point of severe intoxication. During this period there are still no memory lapses, behavior is more or less adequate, the patient does not suffer from alcoholic psychosis or delirium. Nausea and vomiting regularly occur after drinking alcohol, since the metabolism and liver are still functioning normally.
- The second stage is characterized by a complete loss of control over the amount of drinking. The patient always wants more, he experiences memory lapses and begins to do things and do things that he later horrifies himself. At this stage, the body's tolerance to ethanol increases and vomiting goes away. Patients usually rejoice at this symptom: if they don’t feel sick, then everything is fine. This is fundamentally wrong: ethanol is simply integrated into the metabolism and the body no longer perceives it as a poison. The state of intoxication is desirable and familiar.
- The third stage is practically untreatable. The patient has constant memory loss, he loses his job and the respect of loved ones. But that doesn't stop him. At the third stage, irreversible damage to internal organs develops at the physical level, which naturally leads to black vomiting after drinking alcohol. Often, blood clots and pieces of the esophagus and stomach mucosa can be found in the vomit.
First aid for black vomit
At the first sign of bleeding, immediately call an ambulance.
While doctors are on the road, take first aid measures:
- Do not hold back or force vomiting.
- Place the patient on the sofa; Place a cushion under his head, turned to one side.
- Elevate the patient's legs above heart level to promote blood flow to the brain.
- Give him only cold water or pieces of ice.
- Place the cold on your stomach.
Collect vomit to show to your doctor. This will help determine the location of the bleeding.
Mallory-Weiss syndrome
This pathology most often occurs in men over forty years of age. A characteristic sign is black vomit after drinking alcohol. What becomes the catalyst for this process?
With strong and prolonged vomiting (which often occurs after alcohol abuse in the first stage of alcoholism), the pressure in the stomach increases. For this reason, cracks or tears appear on the mucous membrane and walls of the esophagus, as well as the stomach. At first they are tiny - about a centimeter in length. But if nausea is repeated regularly, quite large scars and tears will form over time. This is a serious pathology that requires surgical intervention.
Treatment for black vomit
Therapeutic measures are associated with one of the following diseases:
- In case of heavy bleeding caused by cirrhosis of the liver or peptic ulcer, drug treatment or surgery is carried out only in the surgical department. During fibrogastroscopy, it is possible to stop bleeding using thermocoagulation. If the fluid loss is not fatal, conservative treatment is carried out.
- Therapy for peptic ulcer disease is carried out according to several schemes, depending on the stage and severity of the disease. Proton pump inhibitors are used; antibiotics; products containing bismuth.
If black vomiting in an elderly person is associated with cancer, complex drug treatment is used:
- Emetron, Ondansetron and other drugs that block the vomiting center of the brain;
- Quetiapine, Olanzapine (neuroleptics with antiemetic effect);
- Dexamethasone;
- in case of intoxication, Polysorb, Sorbex and other sorbents are used.
In case of bleeding, a gentle diet is prescribed. Fatty, spicy and hot foods are prohibited. Small meals are recommended (5–6 times a day). Preferred are puree soups, liquid porridges, boiled or steamed vegetables.
Chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic necrosis
The role of the pancreas in a person’s well-being is difficult to overestimate. This organ produces enzymes for successful digestion of food and produces the most important hormone for the human body - insulin.
Unfortunately, frequent abuse of alcoholic beverages causes an irreparable blow to the pancreas. Any narcologist will confirm that 80% of people who drink regularly (both men and women) suffer from chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). This is another common reason why a patient vomits black after drinking alcohol. As a treatment, you need to take Festal and go on a strict diet that completely excludes fatty and high-calorie foods. Under no circumstances should you get hungover and drink alcoholic beverages again, even in the smallest quantities.
Prevention
Black vomiting associated with alcohol consumption can only be prevented by abstaining from alcoholic beverages. If a person cannot cope with the problem on his own, there are private drug treatment services where you can contact him anonymously. Psychoneurological clinics also treat people dependent on alcohol. But they do not guarantee anonymity.
For illnesses not related to alcohol, you must be constantly monitored by your doctor. Treatment of the underlying disease will relieve black vomit.
Liver diseases
Almost all people who drink regularly have an enlarged liver. Many are diagnosed with toxic hepatitis. These diagnoses are often accompanied by a violation of the outflow of bile. And they can also provoke the appearance of black vomit after drinking. In rare cases, the color of the vomit is yellowish, this indicates a violation of the outflow of bile and its release into the stomach cavity.
People with impaired functioning of the gallbladder and liver are prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages in any quantity. Even one can of beer can become a critical point and be a catalyst for fatty liver degeneration or the development of the first stage of cirrhotic disease.
Black vomiting after alcohol is a dangerous syndrome that can portend the development of several diseases at once. But with a high degree of probability it can be argued that irreversible changes and pathologies of internal organs have already occurred or are in the process of development. Once the hangover has passed, you can no longer drink alcoholic beverages. You should definitely undergo a full body examination.
