Throwing up foam can be an alarming sign to anyone who hasn’t experienced it before. Most people can safely assume that if they’re vomiting food or drink, the body has responded badly to it and wants to get rid of it. But when you’re throwing up white foam, what could be the reason?
It’s important to note that vomiting on its own is not an illness. Rather, it’s the body’s natural way of getting rid of foreign substances that may be harmful or irritating to the stomach. But if you’re vomiting or retching constantly, there may be another gastrointestinal issue present.
Why Am I Throwing Up Foam?
Throwup, for which the medical term is vomitus, contains the contents of the stomach. For example, if you’ve recently had something to eat or drink, you might see these in partially-digested form. But if you’ve been throwing up repeatedly, eventually, your stomach becomes empty of food.
When this happens, your throwup is likely to contain little more than stomach acid, mucus, and saliva. This may give it a clear, foamy appearance.
Alternatively, if you’ve eaten something white, such as milk or ice cream, it could also cause your vomitus to be white.
There are, however, other causes for throwing up foam, which we’ll explore below.
Causes for Throwing Up Foam
Anything that irritates the stomach can cause you to vomit. Alcohol, in particular, can irritate the lining of the stomach, especially if you’re drinking on an empty stomach. Consuming too much alcohol can lead to indigestion, nausea, and stomach pains or cramps. Even if you don’t throw up immediately, a hangover the next morning might be accompanied by headache, nausea, and throwing up foam.
Bacterial infections such as giardiasis, candidiasis, and H. pylori infections can also cause you to throw up foam. The yellow or white foamy vomitus might contain stomach acid, mucus, saliva, and foreign substances that the body is trying to get rid of.
Next, conditions such as acid reflux can cause frequent vomiting, such that you may end up throwing up foam. Morning sickness due to pregnancy can also cause the same, especially because your stomach is empty when you wake up in the morning.
Treatment and Conclusion
Vomiting is not a regular part of daily life, even if it is one of the body’s natural responses to stomach problems. That’s why your best bet is to contact a qualified healthcare professional who specializes in internal medicine. If your vomiting is frequent, has lasted longer than 48 hours, or is beginning to cause dehydration, you should see a doctor as soon as you can. They will examine your symptoms and give you the appropriate treatment based on your condition.
Aqeeq Internal Medicine offers the best primary care in Houston. We aim to give you personalized, compassionate, high-quality care, and our focus is always to put your health first. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation or diagnosis, please give us a call at (832) 786-8195.
We look forward to seeing you.