Puke, How and Why You Throw Up! 

Ugh! Ever wonder what causes you to throw up? Well actually there is a vomiting center inside of your brain! It gets turned on automatically when various events occur. Spinning around and around, or smelling something really gross, like someone else's puke, EWWW! Or an overstuffed stomach, several types of germs, fear, pain or touching the back of your throat will alert that part of your brain and switch your puke pump on. 

    Once the vomit center is switched on, there is just about no stopping it. It starts the programmed sequence of a stomach dump. Usually this starts with some sweating and heavy salivating, (lots of extra spit in your mouth) and nausea. Puking usually begins with a large gasp of air and then shuts off your breathing tube. (Good thing, you wouldn't want all that puke in your lungs!) Then the muscles in the back of your mouth lift up and the muscles at the opening of your stomach loosen. Finally the muscles of your belly and chest contract so strongly that it squashes your stomach. The puke flies up your esophagus and out your mouth, (Hopefully into the toilet!) Your muscles continue to contract several more times until it has emptied out your stomach and sometimes part of your small intestine too! 

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