Why Do Humans Vomit So Much?

In an effort to protect us from getting killed by something we’ve ingested, our brain’s vomit control center processes a lot of information from several different places … and sometimes is a little overly cautious.

 

LEARN MORE

To learn more about this topic, start your googling with these keywords: 

• Emesis: The act of vomiting
• Vomiting: The oral eviction of gastrointestinal contents due to contractions in the gut and stomach.
• Nausea: A diffuse sensation of uneasiness and discomfort often felt as the need to vomit.
• Vomiting Center: An area in the brain’s medulla oblongata that initiates and controls emesis.
• Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone: An area in the area postrema of the medulla oblongata that is sensitive to certain toxic chemicals in the blood. 
• Nucleus Tractus Solitarius: A region in the medulla oblongata that receives input from the cardiovascular, respiratory and GI systems. 
• Vagus Nerve: A cranial nerve that regulates internal organ functions, including vomiting. 
• Vestibular System: A Sensory system that provides our brain with information about motion, head position, and spatial positioning for balance.
  

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REFERENCES

Singh P, Yoon SS, Kuo B. Nausea: a review of pathophysiology and therapeutics. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2016;9(1):98-112. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4699282/

Hasler, W. (2013). Pathology of emesis: its autonomic basis. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Vol. 117 (3rd series) Autonomic Nervous System. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24095137/

Zhong W, Shahbaz O, Teskey G, Beever A, Kachour N, Venketaraman V, Darmani NA. Mechanisms of Nausea and Vomiting: Current Knowledge and Recent Advances in Intracellular Emetic Signaling Systems. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 May 28;22(11):5797. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34071460/

Kowalski A, Rapps N, Enck P. Functional cortical imaging of nausea and vomiting: a possible approach. Auton Neurosci. 2006 Oct 30;129(1-2):28-35. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16945593/

Hornby, PJ. Central neurocircuitry associated with emesis. Am J Med. 2001 Dec 3;111 Suppl 8A:106S-112S. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11749934/

Kuo, Braden. (2022). Personal Communication. Director of the Center for Neurointestinal Health at Mass General. https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/17189/brad-kuo