What Is the Connection between Vomiting and Asthma?
Although vomiting is not a classic symptom of asthma, the severe coughing fits that people with asthma suffer can sometimes trigger vomiting. Vomiting and asthma are linked, as muscle contractions in the chest from coughing can affect the stomach to the extent that the person throws up. Young children who may not be able to describe classic asthma symptoms like wheezing or chest tightness may display signs of the asthma by vomiting more than is usual for a child of that age.
Classic symptoms of asthma are primarily located in the chest. Wheezing, which is an abnormal sound that a person with asthma may make when breathing out, is one sign, although this may not be present in all people. The person may also feel a tightness or pain in the chest. Being unable to catch a breath is another indication a person has asthma. The repeated coughing that strikes asthma patients then has the potential to cause vomiting as an additional symptom.
Basically, when a person with asthma coughs uncontrollably, the muscles in the chest contract to the point where the stomach is affected. The diaphragm is a sheet of flat muscle that allows the lungs to expand while taking in air, and then contract when letting out breath. Coughing is a form of breathing, and if the coughing fit becomes too strong, the diaphragm presses the stomach to the point where the contents go back up into the throat and out as vomit.
Adults are generally able to describe abnormalities they feel when breathing, so children may be more likely to suffer repeated vomiting fits as a subtle sign of asthma. The medical term for throwing up after coughing is "posttussive emesis." Kids whose parents bring them to a doctor for unexplained vomiting, and who also have a history of many respiratory infections or gastroesophageal reflux, are more likely than other children to have asthma.
Vomiting and asthma are not necessarily related, however. Kids or adults with unusual vomiting, or vomiting fits that happen over and over, require medical advice in case other conditions are present. Even babies can have asthma, and display vomiting after coughing fits. Other medical problems like gastroesophageal reflux or sleep apnea, where breathing is interrupted during sleep, also appear to be related to vomiting and asthma. These conditions result from the same mechanism as vomiting and asthma, but the stomach contents, instead of making it out of the body as vomit, instead only reach up into the esophagus and cause irritation.
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![An asthma inhaler.]()
By: alctxphotoAn asthma inhaler. -
![An illustration of the pathology of asthma.]()
By: AlilaAn illustration of the pathology of asthma. -
![Asthma can cause severe coughing, which might trigger vomiting.]()
By: Lisa F. YoungAsthma can cause severe coughing, which might trigger vomiting. -
![Repeated vomiting by someone with asthma should be diagnosed by a professional.]()
By: Lars ZahnerRepeated vomiting by someone with asthma should be diagnosed by a professional. -
![Asthma and vomiting are not necessarily related.]()
By: pathdocAsthma and vomiting are not necessarily related. -
![Young children who cannot describe the symptoms of asthma may vomit more frequently than their non-asthmatic peers.]()
By: uwimagesYoung children who cannot describe the symptoms of asthma may vomit more frequently than their non-asthmatic peers. -
![Excessive consumption of alcohol may cause vomiting and asthma-like respiratory difficulties.]()
By: BlueSkyImagesExcessive consumption of alcohol may cause vomiting and asthma-like respiratory difficulties. -
![Tightness or pain in the chest is common with asthma.]()
By: Lisa F. YoungTightness or pain in the chest is common with asthma. -
![Patients suffering from asthma may not necessarily respond well to oxygen therapy.]()
By: sudok1Patients suffering from asthma may not necessarily respond well to oxygen therapy.
Discussion Comments
When I have an asthma attack, it feels like the whole room is spinning, and it makes me feel like puking, almost like twirling in a bunch of circles.
My daughter has asthma, but not the wheezing kind; it's the coughing kind. We go through this every time she has an episode. It's almost like she needs to vomit to feel better.
Her asthma is linked to allergies, so when she is draining, it's bound to happen. She is 4 and was diagnosed at 1. We battle every fall/winter. I wish there was something else that helps. Xopenex and Symbicort are all we depend on, along with Allegra and an occasional Nasonex.
@sunnySkys - That makes sense. After all, the vomiting is caused by the coughing, and the coughing is caused by asthma. But asthma doesn't directly cause vomiting. So I'm not surprised you can experience vomiting due to coughing from another reason too.
I have actually experienced this coughing so hard you throw up phenomenon, although not from asthma. I had a terrible case of bronchitis a couple of years ago, and I actually threw up after having a coughing fit.
I had forgotten to take my cough medicine that morning, and I definitely paid the price for it. Now, if I ever get any kind of illness that involves coughing, I'm very vigilant about taking my cough medicine. I do not want to experience that again.
@Ted41 - I actually have a friend who went through this with her son. She thought he had something wrong with his stomach, but he ended up having asthma. When she explained to the doctor that his episodes of vomiting were always preceded by a bad coughing fit, the doctor quickly figured out what was going on.
This is really good information to know, especially if you have children or spend a significant amount of time around them. I'm actually an asthmatic, and I have been since I was a kid. However, I had never heard of any connection between vomiting and asthma until I read this article.
When I was a kid, I was diagnosed with asthma because of wheezing and a tight feeling in my chest. However, I was diagnosed soon enough that I didn't have too many coughing fits that went untreated. Maybe if I did, I might have vomited, but who knows.
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