Eli5 What happens in our bodies when we throw up that makes us feel so weak?
In: Biology
There are three main reasons. The initial weakness is because vomiting is a very physical act that uses up energy. If you went from sitting still to suddenly doing 10 jumping jacks your body wouldn’t be prepared for the rapid increase in oxygen demand and you could get light headed. The second reason is caused by the dehydration and loss of electrolytes that vomiting causes. This doesn’t happen if you vomit once, but repeated vomiting depletes the body of resources it needs. It begins a domino chain of events that overall weakens you and can cause various problems depending on individual electrolyte levels. The third reason is that whatever is causing you to vomit is also, likely, weakening you. The two most common reasons people vomit is infection or alcohol use. Both of these causes have their own negative effects on the body.
Latest Answers