Top 5 Reasons to Visit an Emergency Room: Vomiting / Diarrhea
Vomiting and diarrhea are conditions that most of us have experienced at one time or the other, and they can be quite common. Vomiting can be defined as the condition that leads to the forceful ejection of the stomach’s contents, and is common referred to as “getting sick”, while diarrhea is the condition involving the frequent and uncontrollable passing of watery and loose stool. From the above definitions, it is clear why most people don’t like talking about this conditions, let alone admitting they have any of them or both. However, as much as we may want to shy away from them, diarrhea and vomiting can be quite serious especially in severe cases and as such it is a topic very much worth broaching. Both of these conditions can be due to a number of different causes from bacterial infections to protozoa and viral infections and in most instances one can be treated at the hospital or by heading over to their doctor and have medication prescribed to deal with the cause. However, there are instances where diarrhea or vomiting can be quite serious and requires immediate medical attention hence requires one to head over to an emergency room, with FrontlineER.com being the best one to visit. That is where this article comes in as it will look to highlight top 5 reasons that should ensure you do just that.
One of the top reasons to ensure that you head over to the emergency room as soon as possible for vomiting is if you are experiencing symptoms consistent with appendicitis to go along with the vomiting. As is covered in detail over at FrontlineER.com, appendicitis can be life-threatening, especially if the inflamed appendix bursts and should therefore always be taken very seriously. The red flags to look out for here include stomach pain that starts near the navel and then radiates towards the lower right side, or the upper right side in pregnant women. If one is experiencing any of these symptoms to go along with the vomiting, they should head over to an emergency room as soon as they can to be attended to.
A top reason to visit an emergency room for diarrhea is if the diarrhea is accompanied by blood in the stool. The same should apply for diarrhea that is accompanied by pus or mucus in the stool. This should always be taken very seriously as this is a sign that the diarrhea is due to a bacterial infection and as such should be attended to as soon as possible to avoid the infection from spreading to other parts of the body. Speaking of infection, if the diarrhea is accompanied by stool that is black and tarry, that should also lead to a visit to an emergency room as it is another sign of an infection that should be addressed as soon as possible.
Yet another top reason to visit an emergency room for vomiting or diarrhea is if you are experiencing one or both of them persistently. This means that you are experiencing vomiting or diarrhea or both persistently for 2 days or more, without any respite and the situation appears to be worsening. This, as per the gurus over at FrontlineER.com, should always be taken seriously as, apart from being a sign of a serious underlying condition, could also lead to one suffering from severe dehydration, which is potentially life-threatening if not taken seriously. Therefore, a visit to an emergency room here not only helps one receive treatment for whatever is behind the vomiting and/or diarrhea, it also deals with the dehydration treat, allowing you to receive fluids.
Another top reason to visit an emergency room for vomiting is if the vomiting is accompanied by chest pain as well as breathing difficulties. Sudden onset and unexplained vomiting accompanied by equally sudden and unexplained breathing difficulties and chest pain are classic signs of a heart attack, which should always be taken seriously as it needs no telling that this is a life-threatening condition. If you begin to experience vomiting as well as these other symptoms, as well as other classic symptoms of a heart attack such as pain in the jaw, arm among others, you should call 911, and should not drive yourself to an emergency room, as soon as possible.
The age of the person presenting with the vomiting and diarrhea also matters and here, as per the subject matter experts over at FrontlineER.com, it is important to note that any cases of diarrhea and/or vomiting in newborns and babies under the age of 3 months should always lead to an immediate visit to an emergency room. While in adults and older children, one can wait and see if the condition persists for a couple of days, except if one is presenting with other serious symptoms, in infants and newborns, diarrhea and vomiting should always lead to an immediate visit to an emergency room and one should never wait.
The above are some of the top reasons to visit an emergency room for diarrhea and vomiting, with FrontlineER.com being the best place of them all to visit, and we hope this article will be of great help.