Stop Vomiting

Though vomiting might be necessary — if you have food poisoning, for example — it can often be discomforting and unpleasant when there's no good reason for you to vomit. Unfortunately, seeing other humans vomit will often trick your brain into wanting to vomit, a mechanism called the mirror neuron system. If you want to keep yourself from vomiting, whether because of upset stomach or general nausea, here are some simple methods to stop the sensation and help you feel better in no time.

Steps

Stopping the Sensation Using Relaxation Techniques

1. Place a cool, damp cloth on your forehead or back of your neck. Never use an ice pack. Especially if your head is throbbing and you feel the sudden onset of heat, this technique might help prevent emesis.
2. Go outside to get fresh air. Take a short walk around the yard or on the sidewalk, but don't go too far. Breathe a little deeper than normal but nothing out of the ordinary. Fresh air can feel soothing to your lungs and body.
3. Keep your feet at a higher level than your body. Put pillows under your feet to prop them up.
4. Activate your sense of touch. It may be because it distracts your body from fixating on the nausea, or it may be something else entirely. But touching things around you actually helps.To generate a very little bit of pain — nothing serious.
   • Try pinching your arm
   • Tap your balled-up fist on your thigh
   • Pull a little bit of your hair
   • Bite your lower lip
   • Dig your fingernails into your forearm
5. Use acupressure. Acupressure is the manipulation of pressure points on your body in order to relieve pain. The wrists are what many acupressurists tend to target when nausea and vomiting occur.
   • Face your palm up towards your face. Then, place your thumb gently in the middle of your wrist and push to begin gently massaging the area. Slowly pushing on this pressure point will help relieve nausea.
   • Put the inner parts of both wrists together and press them into one another. You should be activating the same pressure point as in the example above.

Stopping the Sensation with Solids

1. Try digesting something bland, like crackers. Dry crackers in small amounts may decrease nausea. That's because foods high in starch, such as crackers or toast, can help absorb stomach acids. If eating crackers works, you may have been hungry, not ill.
2. Start simple and ramp your way up. Remember that, when you begin to eat again, you should start with some simple carbohydrates, such as gelatin. Slowly work your way up to proteins like chicken noodle soup. Save fats for last, as fat is toughest to digest and can disrupt your already weakened stomach.
3. Suck on a mint or chew gum to jump-start your intestines in the right direction. Fresh-tasting mints are great as a palate-cleanser and may help reduce nausea. As mentioned earlier, candied ginger is also a good solution to keep the vomiting sensation away.
4. Avoid acidic, spicy, fatty, or fibrous foods. These foods make your stomach work overtime, meaning that the chance you feel you need to vomit increases. Acidic, spicy, and fatty foods are all self-explanatory. Fibrous foods include many vegetables, meats, and coarse grains.
   • If diarrhea accompanied your vomiting, avoid dairy products as well. Like other foods mentioned above, dairy can be hard for the stomach to process.
   • Avoid very hot or very cold food. Your stomach has to work overtime to make very cold food warm enough to process, and very hot food cool enough to process.

Stopping the Sensation with Liquids

1. Stick with water in the beginning. If you've been vomiting a lot recently, drink only small amounts of water at a time. Too much water processed too quickly can cause you to begin to throw up.
   • If you want, try sucking on an ice cube. The cool water feels good going down your throat and it's nearly impossible to drink too much water by melting the ice cube in your mouth.
2. After you've had water, stick with clear liquids, and preferably something with electrolytes. Clear liquids aside from water are helpful in replacing certain essential vitamins that you may have lost while previously vomiting.
   • If you can, try to drink liquids that are high in potassium and sodium. These are among the body's most important electrolytes. They are often lost when the body goes through the vomiting process.
   • Acceptable "clear" liquids include:
     • Weak tea
     • Bouillon
     • Apple juice
     • Sugar free sports drinks
3. Use syrups and tonics to help calm your stomach. Coke syrup (the kind used in soda machines) may work in soothing your upset stomach, as might over the counter syrups like Emetrol. Children should have 1-2 teaspoons while adults should have 1-2 tablespoons.
   • While there is little science to back up the claim that coke syrup works, it has been used for generations in order to soothe upset stomachs. In fact, it was originally used as a stomach tonic.
   • Syrups like Emetrol can be safely used by children. Although it is often used by women who are pregnant, the manufacturer's guidelines recommend checking with your doctor before taking.
4. Avoid liquids with caffeine, carbonation, and high amounts of acidity. This includes many sodas and coffee, as well as fruit juices like orange juice, grapefruit juice, or lemonade.
5. Try to drink a little ginger tea in order to quell your nausea. Ginger has been a renowned nausea-buster for quite some time now, beating out dramamine in effectiveness in one particularly noteworthy study. You can purchase bagged ginger tea or brew your own ginger tea with honey, also called Tisane.
   • If you don't want warm tea but still want the soothing benefits of ginger, try drinking ginger ale. Pop open a can and let the carbonation die off first; remember that carbonation can upset an already fragile stomach, causing vomiting.
   • Another option to try if you want ginger but can't stomach any fluids is to try candied ginger. Try nibbling on a small amount of candied ginger once every 45 minutes.

Stopping the Sensation Using Drugs

1. Try Dramamine if your vomiting is induced by nausea. Dramamine, or "dimenhydrinate", is used to cure nausea, an upset stomach and vomiting. It should not be taken by children under 2 years of age. If you suspect that a certain activity is going to make you nauseous or might induce vomiting, take Dramamine 30 to 60 minutes before starting the activity.
2. If pain is accompanying your illness or vomiting, take acetaminophen. Unlike NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen, acetaminophen will relieve pain without making your nausea any worse.
3. Get a prescription for a scopolamine patch. Scopolamine patches prevent nausea and vomiting and are applied as a patch to the skin directly behind the ear. Be advised, however, that scopolamine patches carry a long list of side-effects that may outweigh the troubling but tolerable existence of nausea.
4. If your vomiting hasn't stopped after two days for adults, or one day for children, see a doctor. You could be dangerously low on fluids and may need to be hooked up to an IV.

Tips

• Relax and take slow deep breaths. Sometimes the anxiety or fear of being sick may increase the nausea and make it worse.
• Don't drink while you're lying down — that makes it too easy for the liquid to come back up.
• Stay near a toilet or trash can and don't go seeking for more food because that will just make your illness worse.... Just relax and keep yourself preoccupied!
• Breathe. Always remember to take deep breaths - in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Generally when you are about to vomit, you salivate or accumulate quite a bit of fluid in your mouth beforehand and that should be the cue to find somewhere to vomit, pronto!
• Relax and sit on a couch or lie in a warm bed. Wrap a blanket around yourself and fresh air is a good idea. If you have a stomach flu try to only use one bathroom with all your germs in it and don't let anyone else in because they could easily catch it.
• Take sips of liquids you can see through, they are easier on your stomach, no spicy, chewy or junk meals.
• Always keep a bag or trash can near by, and if you feel the urge to vomit, just stand up and take deep breaths.
• Don't go hyper or you will regret it. Make sure you get plenty of rest so your body can fight the illness.
• A good food option when you start eating again is Popsicles and applesauce. They are bland enough to eat when you're sick.
• Try not to drink too much water or other liquids, otherwise your nausea could get worse.
• Move to a cooler and breezier environment, crowded areas may decrease the available oxygen and cause claustrophobia.
• If vomiting or nausea is because of a migraine, you might want to stay away from bright light, loud noise or any strong aroma. Avoid chocolate and dairy too.
• If you feel like you're going to throw up, and absolutely can't help it, take deep breathes and relax. Let it just come out, and you'll avoid a whole lot of pain. Remember, sometimes your stomach just can't handle certain foods. However, remember to aim for a bag or a trash can - you don't want to end up making a disgusting mess on the floor or on yourself!
• If you are starting to get the hiccups,the best thing to do is go near to bathroom and wait because hiccups may cause vomiting.
• Try brushing your teeth to make you feel fresher and get rid of any bad tastes in your mouth!
• Don't think about being sick because this will only make you want to vomit more. Watching TV may help to take your mind off it.
• Drink ginger ale (that is made using real ginger, not artificial flavours); it helps relieve stomach aches.
• Eat breads or crackers-these will help your stomach but don't eat to much or you'll just get worse.
• If feeling sick or starving stay by the trash can and don't walk around looking for food or water. You never know when you'll miss the trash can.
• Know the causes of your nausea, if this has happened before you may be able to fix or avoid the feeling.
• Positions that are supposed to help with menstruation cramps can often help with nausea too. For example sit on your knees, bend forward and relax your head against your forearms.
• Medicate before you have over whelming nausea, so the medicines stay down and have a chance to work.
• Don't do something stupid, such as eating a hot dog and then going on 10 rides at the county fair. You can hold it in, but only if you've got a really strong stomach.
• Walk and get deep breaths. Fresh air is very helpful.
• Vomiting causes you to lose a huge amount of liquids your body needs. Dehydration can also be the trigger for vomiting. Drink small amounts of water at a time. Drinking too much water will upset your stomach and cause vomiting.
• When you feel sick, don't put your head lower than the rest of your body, because it may cause you to throw up.
• If you feel like you are going to vomit, go ahead and go to a toilet or a trash can even if you're not sure if you really are going to throw up.
• Try distracting yourself, such as playing games on your phone or watch some tv.
• Distract your self from the nausea. Read a book while listening to some soft music or watch a quiet show on TV.
• If you are laying down and feel the urge to throw up sit up slowly or it will hurt you stomach and make you easily throw up also drink lots of fluids and take deep breaths to relax your self so you can slowly fall asleep a little sleep is better than none!
• Eat slow and drink small sips of water.
• Taking small sips of water or ginger ale can help, too.
• If you feel nauseous, don't think that you'll puke. Think about something that makes you happy. This can help relieve nausea in some cases.
• Lay on your left side and try to restrict movement.

Warnings

• If you eat fast, your stomach may not have time to keep it all down; resulting in it all coming back up.
• Throwing up isn't supposed to be used to make yourself thinner. Bulimia is a disorder, and is very unhealthy. Seek medical advice.
• If you can't help yourself from throwing up, and are doing it regularly, go see a doctor immediately.
• Don't eat last minute meals.
• Diabetics should consult with their doctor before consuming sugary syrups.
• In terms of medication, take any Prochlorperazine to stop the vomiting. These include Stematil, Compazine, Phenotil, Stemzine or Buccastem.

Things You'll Need

• The right mentality
• Mints, dry crackers or toast
• Ginger ale or other clear liquids
• Tea, juices, or sports drinks
• Bucket to vomit in
• Wet towel or wet tissues
• Distractions such as TV, books, or games

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Diagnose Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome
• Stop Retching After Vomiting
• Clean Up Vomit
• Vomit While Driving
• Induce Vomiting
• Cure Nausea
• Avoid Throwing Up
• Prevent Yourself from Vomiting
• Deal With Chronic Unexplained Nausea
• Throw up As Comfortably As Possible

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