You've been up all night sick and throwing up. As if this isn't concerning enough, you may notice spots on face after vomiting. You wonder first what made you so sick. Was it something you ate? Is it a virus? There are a number of things that can make you sick to your stomach, and also cause spots or a rash on your face. This article will tell you if this is normal or not, take you through some of the causes, and what you can do about it.
Is It Normal?
Most of the time there is no reason to worry if you get spots on face after vomiting. These are most likely ruptured small blood vessels due to straining during throwing up. They are known as petechiae, and are common with vomiting, straining during bowel movements, crying, and fits of coughing.
Some spots on your face after vomiting may appear like a rash. This may be a little more concerning since you may have an infection in your bloodstream, your heart, or a serious viral infection going on. When this happens, you may need to call and check with your doctor if it is anything to be concerned about.
General Causes of You Should Know
When you vomit for any reason, your immune system kicks in to fight off whatever is offending your body. This can happen with viruses and food sensitivities. Common causes include:
1. Broken Blood Vessels
When you vomit, you can break the tiny blood vessels in your face. This causes red marks to appear. You may even notice tiny red lines coming off the spots. It is even possible for this to appear on the whites of your eyes.
2. Viral Ulcers/Cold Sores
The same virus that causes cold sores and other viruses can cause spots on face after vomiting and even before you vomit. This is the virus forming ulcers on your skin. This often happens with measles and chicken pox.
3. Infections
Some infections make toxins that can cause a red rash on your face and all over your body. The infections may cause initial symptoms like vomiting, cough, sore throat, fevers, and body aches. After the initial phase, the toxins will begin to come out of your body via your skin. For instance, you may have been vomiting for a few days, then notice spots on your face. These types of spots can spread over the next few days to the rest of your body or trunk.
4. Allergic "Type" Food Poisoning
If you get food poisoning from fish that is left out too long, the fish develops histamine. If you find you have spots and/or a rash with vomiting, you could have scombroid food poisoning that behaves like an allergic reaction due to the histamine being released from the food. This can happen even if you are not allergic to fish.
Serious Causes That Require Medical Attention
When you notice spots on face after vomiting in the following cases, you may need to contact your doctor. Some spots along with vomiting could signal a serious condition like:
1. Strep Infection/Scarlet Fever
A strep infection is a bacterial infection that can cause a rash and spots all over the body including the face. This is the actual infection spreading and needs to be treated right away before it gets into the bloodstream. The later stages of a strep infection can cause vomiting so these two things could possibly show up at the same time. Other symptoms include high fever, sore throat, general fatigue, and weakness.
2. Infective Endocarditis
A number of bacteria can cause an infection inside the heart and the heart valves. The symptoms often start with a fever and severe fatigue. The spots appear as blood vessels begin to rupture. This condition needs to be treated quickly or it can lead to heart failure and possible death.
3. Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis is a viral infection that comes on suddenly and can last up to 8 weeks. It is transmitted by infected saliva, so it was given the name “kissing disease.” However, it can be transmitted by anything that has touched infected body fluids and is highly contagious.
With severe mono, you may develop vomiting with a rash as your lymph nodes become overwhelmed with the infection. This could also be the result of a secondary bacterial infection due to mono affecting your immune system.
Other symptoms are high fever, severe fatigue, rash, joint pain, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The treatment is bed rest until your body recovers. This condition can be serious due to possible spleen rupture.
4. Sepsis
Severe vomiting and a rash could signal sepsis. This is a life threatening infection that has entered your bloodstream. This is a medical emergency that needs to be treated immediately. The symptoms of sepsis are high fever over 101°F, rapid heart rate over 90 bpm, fast breathing, confusion, no urination, and severe abdominal pain.
How to Deal with Spots on Face after Vomiting
1. Treat the Vomiting
If vomiting is causing broken blood vessels/petechiae then do something to treat the vomiting. Try sipping some ginger and chamomile tea to settle your stomach. Suck on mints, or call your doctor for anti-nausea medication.
2. Use a Cold Compress
Wrap a bag of frozen veggies in a towel and apply it to the area for 20 minutes. You can also use cold washcloths soaked in witch hazel solution to help relieve any inflammation.
3. Keep Skin Clean and Dry
If you have a viral rash, it will just have to clear up as the virus clears your body. Keep your face clean and dry and don't use astringents or heavy creams for a while. This is your body clearing the virus.
4. Use Calamine Lotion
For viral spots that itch, dab a little bit of calamine lotion on them. This will relieve the itching and help the spots dry and heal.
5. Try an Antihistamine
If you ate fish recently and are throwing up with spots on your face you might try an over-the-counter antihistamine with your doctor's okay. Actually, antihistamines actually help calm vomiting and may help the rash. Check with your doctor because sometimes vomiting is your body's way of clearing the toxin.