United States – It’s a little-known health condition that can become a nightmare: Episodic attacks of moderate to severe vomiting without obvious cause and at fixed intervals, as reported by HealthDay.
However, recent clinical advice encourages individuals to jot down information and voice concerns about CVS if they suspect they have the disease.
New Clinical Advice
CVS is estimated to affect 1-2% of the general population; however, a correct diagnosis can be very delayed, sometimes taking up to years, according to the new guidelines published by the American Gastroenterological Association.
“A diagnosis is a powerful tool. Not only does it help patients make sense of debilitating symptoms, but it allows healthcare providers to create an effective treatment plan,” according to Dr. David Levinthal, the author of the guidelines and director of the Neurogastroenterology & Motility Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre.
Specialists mentioned that CVS consists of nausea, vomiting, and retching, which can take days in severe forms and can be followed by time intervals without a forceful episode.
Symptoms and Severity of CVS
Cyclic vomiting syndrome of mild severity can have fewer than four episodes in a year, each not exceeding 48 hours.
People with severe CVS may have many protracted conditions in any given year, which may or may not necessitate a hospital stay or a visit to the ER, according to the researchers.
Approximately half of all CVS patients require an ER visit once a year, and one-third of patients are disabled due to the condition.
Intermittently, patients are not vomiting continuously; they may be feeling nauseous or having indigestive episodes, the researchers said.
CVS can occur in anyone; however, it is more frequently noted in women and younger persons, as stated by the authors. It is also more prevalent in people who have a personal or family history of migraines.
People should provide a list of their past vomiting episodes since it is very important to receive a diagnosis, they added.
Who is Affected by CVS?
Many times, patients are given wrong diagnoses, including stomach flu and food poisoning. As patients who have CVS are often rejected by insurance providers, it can be useful to prove that these symptoms are part of a pattern, the researchers said.
Increasing Awareness and Access to Treatment
“Our goal with this Clinical Practice Update is to increase awareness of cyclical vomiting syndrome to reduce the diagnostic delay and increase patient’s access to treatment,” Levinthal said in an association news release. ”We hope to reach primary care, ER, and urgent care providers, who are on the frontlines interacting with CVS patients seeking care, especially during an attack.”
Patients with cyclic vomiting syndrome require sleep, stress management, and specific medications according to the guidance, as reported by HealthDay.
Science has not identified the cause of cyclic vomiting syndrome, as defined by the National Institutes of Health.
They suggest that it might be an issue with messages between the brain and the gut or how the brain and the body’s hormone system reply to stress, the NIH points out. Genes also might influence risk.