Vomiting is a reflex action in which food and/or fluid are brought up from the stomach through the mouth. Vomiting occurs when the vomiting center of the brain called the chemoreceptor trigger zone, located in the medulla, is stimulated by specific nerve impulses from the body. Diseases and certain situations such as a car ride can stimulate the nerves leading to the vomiting center, resulting in nausea and vomiting. Many anti-vomiting medications actually work by blocking the signals from reaching the chemoreceptor trigger zone.
Complications of vomiting may include dehydration, weight loss, and aspiration pneumonia, which occurs when vomitus is inhaled into the lungs causing pneumonia.
