An asthma inhaler.
While vomiting is not a classic symptom of asthma, the severe coughing episodes experienced by people with asthma can sometimes trigger vomiting. Vomiting and asthma are related, as the muscle contractions in the chest caused by coughing can affect the stomach to the point that the person vomits. Young children who may not be able to describe the classic symptoms of asthma, such as wheezing or chest tightness, may show more signs of asthmatic vomiting than is normal for a child of this age.
An illustration of the pathology of asthma.
The classic symptoms of asthma are located mainly in the chest. Wheezing, which is an abnormal sound that a person with asthma may make when exhaling, is a sign, although it may not be present in all people. The person may also feel tightness or pain in the chest. The inability to breathe is another indication that a person has asthma. The repeated coughing that affects asthma patients has the potential to cause vomiting as an additional symptom.
Asthma can cause severe coughing, which can lead to vomiting.
Basically, when a person with asthma coughs uncontrollably, the chest muscles contract to the point of affecting the stomach. The diaphragm is a layer of flat muscle that allows the lungs to expand when you inhale and contract when you exhale. Coughing is a way of breathing, and if the coughing fit becomes too strong, the diaphragm presses on the stomach to the point that the contents go back up the throat and out as vomit.
Repeated vomiting of a person with asthma should be diagnosed by a professional.
Adults can usually describe the abnormalities they feel when breathing, so children are more likely to have repeated bouts of vomiting as a subtle sign of asthma. The medical term for vomiting after coughing is “post-cough vomiting.” Children whose parents take them to the doctor for unexplained vomiting and who also have a history of many respiratory infections or gastroesophageal reflux disease are more likely than other children to have asthma.
Asthma and vomiting are not necessarily related.
However, vomiting and asthma are not necessarily related. Children or adults with unusual vomiting, or vomiting episodes that occur repeatedly, need medical attention if other conditions are present. Even babies can have asthma and vomiting after a coughing fit. Other medical problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease or sleep apnea, where breathing stops during sleep, also appear to be related to vomiting and asthma. These conditions are the result of the same mechanism as vomiting and asthma, but the contents of the stomach, instead of leaving the body as vomit, only reach the esophagus and cause irritation.
