Vomit Color Chart: Meaning of Yellow, Green, Red, Black Vomit Colors

What Is Vomiting?

Vomiting occurs when the stomach forcefully empties its contents up through the esophagus and out the mouth. It is commonly preceded by nausea and retching.

Vomiting serves as a protective function to rid the body of harmful ingested substances or infectious agents. It can also be triggered by various medical conditions, motion sickness, intense pain, emotional stress, gallbladder disease, and infections.

Occasional vomiting is normal, but prolonged, severe vomiting requires medical attention. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and tears in the esophagus can occur if excessive vomiting persists.

What Does the Color of Vomit Mean?

Vomit is usually different shades of yellow, green, or brown. This has to do with your digestive process and the timing of the last meal. However, certain colors may be indicative of health problems.

Here is what different vomit colors mean:

Yellow Vomit

Yellow vomit typically means the vomit is composed of bile from your stomach. Yellow vomit may occur if your stomach is empty and no food is present to give the vomit color.

Possible causes of yellow vomit include:

• Emptying stomach - Common cause, especially if vomiting occurs in the morning after not eating overnight
• Gallbladder disease - Blocked bile ducts prevent bile from entering small intestine
• Gastritis - Inflammation of the stomach lining
• Stomach ulcer - Lesions in the stomach lining
• Overconsumption of alcohol - Toxic to the stomach

Green Vomit

Green vomit is caused by bile mixing with food in the stomach. Green vomit typically occurs when vomiting happens about an hour after a meal.

Possible causes of green vomit include:

• Consuming green foods - Spinach, kale, green drinks
• Intestinal infection
• Food poisoning
• Overeating
• Pregnancy morning sickness
• Stomach flu
• Motion sickness

Brown Vomit

Brown vomit is the result of digested blood mixing with stomach contents. The blood can be from swallowing blood from a mouth injury or nosebleed. However, vomiting bloody brown material may signal bleeding in the stomach or esophagus.

Causes of brown vomit include:

• Swallowed blood from mouth, nose, throat
• Gastrointestinal bleeding - Ulcers, cancer, overuse of NSAIDs
• Intestinal blockage
• Foods high in fiber - Brown liquid mixed with fiber particles

Red or Pink Vomit

Red or pink vomit indicates the presence of fresh, unaltered blood, as opposed to the darker brown digestive blood. Red vomit warrants prompt medical attention.

Causes of red vomit include:

• Tears or bleeding in the esophagus
• Stomach ulcer
• Throat, lung, or stomach cancer
• Gastrointestinal bleeding from medication
• Blood clotting disorder
• Physical trauma to the head or stomach

Black Vomit

Black vomit typically looks like coffee grounds. It signifies the presence of digested blood, usually originating in the stomach or esophagus.

Possible causes of black vomit include:

• Bleeding stomach ulcer
• Stomach cancer
• Gastroesophageal varices - Dilated veins in the esophagus from liver cirrhosis
• Mallory-weiss tear - Tear in the esophagus from prolonged vomiting
• Swallowed blood from a nosebleed mixing with stomach acid

Blue or Blue-Green Vomit

Blue or blue-green vomit is uncommon but may happen if you've consumed blue beverages or foods colored with blue dye. Possible causes include:

• Drinking or eating something blue (sports drinks, slushies, popsicles, candy, blueberries)
• Bile duct obstruction (blue-green)
• Pseudomonas lung infection (blue-green; very rare)

Orange Vomit

Orange vomit usually results from eating foods colored with orange dye. Carrots, pumpkin, and squash can also give vomit an orange hue. Evaluate if any orange foods were recently consumed.

White Vomit

White vomit may occur if you've been vomiting frequently and your stomach is empty. Bile, stomach acids, and digestive enzymes can make vomit look white.

Possible causes of white vomit include:

• Empty stomach
• acid reflux
• Pancreatitis
• Gallbladder disease
• Pyloric stenosis (infants)

Foamy Vomit

A frothy and foamy vomit may happen from excess gas and mucus in the stomach. Acid reflux and bile can also create a foamy vomit consistency.

Causes of foamy vomit include:

• Acid reflux
• Excess stomach gas
• Gastritis
• Bile reflux
• Postnasal drip

Chunky Vomit

Chunky vomit contains partially digested pieces of food. This indicates your body forcefully ejected stomach contents before the food was adequately broken down.

Causes of chunky vomit include:

• Poor chewing of food
• Sudden onset of vomiting
• Drinking alcohol
• Overeating
• Severe stomach flu
• Food poisoning
• Intestinal blockage

When to Seek Medical Care for Vomiting

Occasional vomiting that improves on its own is usually not a major concern. However, seek prompt medical attention if vomiting is accompanied by:

• Blood in vomit
• Sever abdominal pain, cramps or swelling
• Confusion
• High fever
• Signs of dehydration - Excessive thirst, dry lips, little to no urination
• Inability to keep fluids down for 8 hours or more
• Head injury or blow to the abdomen
• Persistent projectile, forceful vomiting

Babies under 3 months with vomiting should see a doctor right away. Seniors and people with weak immune systems are also at higher risk.

Treatments for Vomiting

Home Treatments

To treat vomiting at home:

• Stop eating solid foods until vomiting resolves
• Drink small amounts of clear liquids to prevent dehydration - water, broth, sports drinks, popsicles
• Rest until symptoms improve
• Ease back into normal diet once vomiting ends
• Avoid irritants like smoking, acidic foods, coughing, and gagging

Over-the-counter medications that may help include:

• Antacids - For acid reflux-related nausea
• Antihistamines - Prevent vomiting from motion sickness
• Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) - Protects and soothes stomach lining
• Ginger - Helps calm nausea and vomiting

Medical Treatments

If home treatments don't help, doctors have several medical therapies for vomiting, depending on the cause:

• Medications - Ondansetron, promethazine, steroids, antibiotics
• IV fluids - Reverse dehydration and electrolyte problems
• Tube feeding - Temporarily bypass the digestive tract
• Surgery - Repair hernias, tumors, bowel obstructions, ulcers

When to Call a Doctor

Contact your doctor if any of the following apply:

• You've vomited more than 2 times in 24 hours
• You vomit and aren't able to keep fluids down
• You have signs of dehydration - Excessive thirst, little to no urination, dizziness
• Your vomit contains blood or has a strange color
• You have a fever over 101 F (38.3 C)
• You have abdominal pain, bloating, swelling, or tenderness
• You have a headache, stiff neck, or light sensitivity
• You show signs of confusion
• You have recently injured your head or abdomen
• You have diarrhea that lasts more than 2 days
• Your symptoms don't improve within 24 hours

Seek emergency care if you experience any of the following:

• Vomit that looks like coffee grounds
• Bright red vomit or vomit resembling grape juice
• Projectile vomiting across the room
• Severe chest or abdominal pain
• Fever over 103 F (39.4 C)
• Confusion, fainting, seizures
• Uncontrollable vomiting lasting more than 24 hours

Preventing Vomiting

You can reduce episodes of vomiting by:

• Practicing good hygiene - Wash hands, sterilize food prep areas
• Cooking foods thoroughly - Prevent bacterial contamination
• Avoiding foodborne illness risks - Contaminated water, raw shellfish, raw eggs
• Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly
• Not overeating
• Refraining from excessive alcohol intake
• Managing motion sickness - Sit near the front of planes, trains and car, take motion sickness medicine
• Quitting smoking - Can reduce acid reflux-related vomiting
• Monitoring medications - Some can cause nausea as a side effect

When Vomiting May Indicate a Serious Problem

While periodic vomiting is normal, recurrent episodes may signal an underlying health issue needing evaluation. See your doctor if you experience persistent vomiting along with:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Blood present
• Severe abdominal pain
• Fever or headache
• Vision changes or eye pain
• Swallowing difficulties
• Chest pain or palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Confusion
• Unusual bowel changes

Conclusion:

Vomiting is the forceful ejection of stomach contents through the mouth. The color of vomit can provide clues as to what is going on in the digestive system. Yellow, green, and brown are common, but red, black, orange, blue, and other colors may appear under certain circumstances.

While periodic vomiting generally isn't concerning, recurrent projectile vomiting or vomiting with blood, severe pain, dehydration, or other symptoms merits medical evaluation. Seeking prompt treatment can identify and resolve any underlying illness.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.