Often, vomiting is a natural response that our bodies experience when trying to expel harmful substances and microorganisms from the stomach. However, if you find that your vomiting episodes are persistent with a specific colour, you may suffer from an underlying medical condition.
In this guide, the Centre for Gastrointestinal Health breaks down the different colours of vomit, their meanings and what they could signal about your health.
What Does the Colour of Vomit Mean?
Commonly, the colour of your vomit comes from food or beverages consumed before you start feeling ill. Additionally, the distinct shade of your vomit depends on other factors such as:
- The digestive phase of the ingested substance.
- If it has been mixed with other digestive juices such as bile or blood.
Although not a decisive factor, the colour of your vomit can also provide insight into the potential cause of your illness or the specific stage of an underlying medical condition. From gut infections such as food poisoning to internal bleeding in the digestive tract, various health complications can also influence the colour of our vomit.
Therefore, it is important to take note of our vomit colour to understand what is happening inside our bodies.
What Are the Different Types of Vomit Colours?
You may notice that your vomit can come in varying shades, colours and forms. Such colours can include:
- Black or coffee-ground vomit
- Brown vomit
- Red or pink vomit
- Green or yellow vomit
- Clear vomit
- Foamy white vomit
Below is a colour chart explaining the different medical conditions that could influence your vomit’s specific appearance.
Black Vomit or Coffee Ground Vomit
Black vomit, also known as coffee ground emesis or coffee ground vomitus, is a colour that signals several underlying medical causes. The dark colour is due to partially digested blood which causes the vomit to appear black or similar to coffee grounds.
Therefore, black vomit typically suggests some form of internal bleeding.
Why is My Vomit Black?
Some causes of black vomit include:
- Gastrointestinal bleeding: occurs due to internal bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, causing both your vomit and the colour of your stool to darken.
- Gastritis: the inflammation and irritation of your stomach lining, which can cause bleeding and the formation of gastric ulcers that darken the colour of your vomit.
- Oesophagitis: the irritation of your oesophageal lining due to chronic acid reflux (GORD), which can cause bleeding and, subsequently, blackened vomit.
- Peptic ulcers: sores or lesions that arise in the stomach lining, small intestine or oesophagus. When bleeding, they can change your vomit colour to appear darker.
- Variceal haemorrhage: caused by enlarged blood vessels flowing from the liver into the oesophagus, which can burst and influence the colour of your vomit.
- Stomach cancer: occurs in extreme cases, with common symptoms including the appearance of blood in your vomit or stool.
People who are at particular risk of these conditions include those who take Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) or suffer from late stages of kidney disease, liver disease, and certain blood clotting disorders.
Furthermore, people who struggle with alcohol abuse that may suffer from liver failure are also at risk. This is particularly relevant if you vomit black after drinking alcohol.
Is Black Vomit Serious?
As black vomit is connected to several serious conditions, we consider the colour a cause for concern and, therefore, will require medical intervention.
Before alarming yourself, it is first important to reflect on what you consumed before feeling ill, as this could be a logical explanation behind the abnormal colour.
However, you should seek immediate medical attention if you’re frequently vomiting and experiencing symptoms such as severe chest pain, abdominal pain and fainting. ‘
Treatments
Treatments will vary depending on the specific underlying cause of your black vomiting. During the diagnosis, a doctor will need to assess the location of the internal bleeding through an upper endoscopy or stool sample.
Following this, doctors may prescribe medication such as proton pump inhibitors which minimises the production of digestive fluids like stomach acid. In extreme cases of internal bleeding, you may need to undergo surgery.
Brown Vomit
Similar to black vomit, brown vomit can look like a lighter shade of coffee grounds with a slightly lumpy texture.
Brown vomit is often no cause for concern, with many cases coming from people eating too many chocolate-based foods. However, if you are vomiting brown on an empty stomach, it could indicate a cause for concern.
Why is My Vomit Brown?
Aside from an excessive intake of food coloured brown, there are two potential causes for this type of vomit:
- Internal bleeding: If your vomit is particularly dark brown, you may be experiencing minor internal bleeding in the digestive tract or oesophagus. A common internal bleeding indicator is whether your stool has any blood or appears dark and tar-like.
- Severe constipation: this occurs when you cannot pass stool for extended periods, which can cause your vomit to turn brown and smell similar to faecal matter.
Common symptoms of these two conditions include severe abdominal pain, bloating and stomach cramping.
Treatments
You should consult a medical professional if you are experiencing symptoms similar to severe constipation or internal bleeding.
Similar to treatment for black vomit, you will need to undergo a range of examinations to confirm the location of internal bleeding (if present). Following this, you may be prescribed medications or be required to undergo surgery.
In the case of extreme constipation, a doctor may advise you to increase your fluid intake, eat fibrous foods, and prescribe laxatives to help promote bowel movements.
Red or Pink Vomit
Where black or dark brown vomit indicates partially digested blood, red and pink vomit flags the presence of fresh blood.
If you have found yourself vomiting large amounts of red or pink vomit, you must seek medical attention urgently, as this could be a life-threatening emergency.
Why is My Vomit Pink or Red?
Some common causes that could be causing your bloody vomit include:
- Liver failure: this is a life-threatening emergency where the liver cannot perform up to its usual standard, causing yellowed skin, severe pain in the stomach and blood-stained vomit.
- Peptic ulcers: depending on the location of small lesions in your upper-gastrointestinal tract, they could present fresh blood when throwing up and influence the vomit colour.
- Oesophageal tear: commonly caused by frequent vomiting, a tear in the oesophageal lining can result in internal bleeding and therefore change the colour of your sick.
- Ulcers or lesions in the mouth: common if you find specks of blood in your vomit, normally caused by the irritation of your gums and mouth through repeated vomiting.
Like always, you must reflect on your recent meals within a 24-hour window to assess if any substances could influence your red or pink coloured vomit.
Treatments
If you believe your red vomit results from the conditions listed above, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. An emergency hospital assessment will confirm a diagnosis and ensure proper personalised treatment for your ill health.
Green or Yellow Vomit
If you are vomiting a green or yellow substance, there is no cause for alarm. This is because green or yellow vomit indicates short-term illnesses that are not considered medical emergencies.
Depending on the specific cause, yellow or green vomit lasts for less than 48 hours unless you suffer from chronic conditions such as cyclic vomiting disorder or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Why is My Vomit Green or Yellow?
You may notice your vomit is green or yellow if you have an empty stomach. This is because there is no partially digested food mixed with liquids such as bile.
Bile is a greenish-yellow type of special digestive liquid that causes your vomit to change colour when there is no presence of food in the stomach. Therefore, this causes your vomit to present as a green or yellow colour.
Some common causes where this process occurs include:
- Food poisoning: occurs when you eat contaminated foods that host harmful bacteria, viruses, toxins or parasites, which consequently causes cyclic vomiting for 12 to 48 hours. When no food particles are left to mix with the bile, you will notice that your vomit turns green on yellow.
- Gastroenteritis: a type of infection that causes severe cramping, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever. During the infection, your body will expel all its contents for a short period. When there are no more stomach contents to expel, your body will vomit the green or yellow bile.
- Bile reflux: occurs when bile refluxes back from the liver into your digestive system, causing nausea and vomiting. When you vomit bile, it may include stomach acid and feel particularly acidic and sour-tasting when throwing up.
- Intestinal obstruction: this occurs in your bowel, which pushes food and other digestive materials back into your stomach. Consequently, this can force you to vomit a dark green colour.
While most of these conditions are not life-threatening, it is still important to seek medical assistance if your symptoms persist for more than 48 hours.
Treatments
Depending on the cause, you can expect several treatments to help manage your yellow or green vomit. For instance, if you’re suffering from food poisoning, your doctor may recommend maintaining a high fluid intake to help your body recover naturally.
In the instance where you’re suffering from gastroenteritis, your doctor may prescribe a series of antibiotics or antacids to help overcome the infection. Meanwhile, treatment for bile reflux may include a few lifestyle changes, and bowel obstruction may require a more hands-on approach.
Clear Vomit
Clear vomiting is most common when the stomach has no contents to expel, including bile. Therefore, with minimal contents to regurgitate, your vomit will appear clear with no specific colouring.
Why is My Vomit Clear?
Your vomit may be clear if you have been experiencing a severe episode of throwing up, consequently leaving your body with no more contents to regurgitate.
This is common in people who have:
- Morning sickness: frequent vomiting in pregnancy due to hormonal changes can lead the body to regurgitate a clear liquid, particularly when the stomach is empty.
- Food poisoning, viral infections and stomach viruses: causes intensive bouts of vomiting that can make it impossible to hold anything down, including water. Consequently, when there is nothing but water left in the stomach, you may experience clear-looking vomit.
These illnesses shouldn’t last for more than a couple of days. However, you should consult a doctor if your vomiting persists for more than 48 hours and you are experiencing symptoms such as fever, weight loss, bloating or other flu-like symptoms.
Treatments
Your doctor may prescribe you a series of antibiotics or anti-nausea pills to help you keep food and liquids down. In the meantime, if you find that your clear vomit occurs after drinking water, try taking small sips and stick to bland-tasting foods.
We recommend that you always talk to a doctor before taking over-the-counter medications, especially if you are pregnant and experiencing morning sickness.
White Foamy Vomit
A foamy or white vomit is most common among patients who have excess gas or are experiencing acid reflux. It is important to note what food or drinks you consumed before throwing up a foamy white liquid, as dairy products or fizzy drinks can produce a similar consistency.
Why is My Vomit White and Foamy?
Your white and foamy vomit may be a result of:
- Acid reflux: occurs when stomach acid flows upwards into your oesophagus, causing irritation and regurgitation. These symptoms are particularly worse at night and are often caused by either gastroesophageal reflux disease or a hiatal hernia.
- Gastritis: the inflammation of your stomach lining could cause bile production to mix with salvia, producing a white foamy vomit.
If you believe that your white foamy vomit results from either of these conditions, we suggest you consult a doctor for treatment.
Treatments
Treatment is essential for both these conditions to avoid further damage to your body. In the case where gastritis or GORD is causing your white foamy vomit, a doctor may recommend lifestyle changes such as reducing alcohol intake and avoiding spicy foods. Your doctor may also prescribe proton-pump inhibitors to neutralise your stomach acid if you are experiencing chronic reflux.
Meanwhile, if your white foamy vomit results from a hernia, you will require non-invasive surgery. Head to our service page for more information on our hernia surgery options.
When to See a Gastroenterologist
If you are vomiting an abnormal colour for more than 48 hours, we recommend consulting a gastroenterologist for an examination. At the Centre for Gastrointestinal Health, we are experts in determining the underlying causes of your vomiting to ensure personalised and targeted treatment.
For more information on our services, call us today at 1300 580 239 or book an appointment online by filling out our contact form.