Throw up As Comfortably As Possible

No one likes throwing up, but sometimes it's inevitable. Vomiting is the body's natural reaction to the introduction of substances or irritation in the gut. In most cases, the vomiting will be irregular and harmless. Follow this guide to help make sure you have an easier time tossing your cookies.

Steps

Vomiting Comfortably

1. Find somewhere to vomit. If you're at home, toilets, sinks and buckets will be your best bet. Sinks aren't really great because if your vomit comes out chunky, you'll probably have to fish your own vomit out of the drain.
   • If you're outside, try to get away from people and their belongings. Nothing makes you more ticked off when some random drunk comes and spews all over your car. Try to find a forest or an empty lot. You can throw up on the open ground in one of those areas.
2. Make sure you need to vomit. Some people are assaulted with waves of nausea, and aren't really sure that they need to throw up. In this case, vomiting might not be all that comfortable because it's unnecessary. Other people know that they're going to vomit — perhaps they've had too much to drink — and purging is an inevitability. Look for these telltale signs that you or someone else is going to vomit:
   • Lips turn pale, lose all color.
   • Start sweating, feeling excessively hot.
   • Start salivating a saltier-than-usual spit.
   • Extreme discomfort in the stomach.
   • Dizziness, an aversion to movement.
3. Try to prevent nausea and vomiting before it's too late. There are a few things that you can try to do to prevent your body's vomiting response. Try these before you force yourself to vomit:
   • Drink small amounts of clear, sweetened liquids such as soda or fruit juices (orange and grapefruit juices are not advised because these are too acidic).
   • Rest either in a sitting position or in a propped lying position. Activity may make feelings of nausea even worse, leading to vomiting.
4. Let your body vomit or induce vomiting yourself. Your body will do the trick itself if you give it enough time, or if you just want to get it all over with as soon as possible, use the following emetics:
   • Medications, such as syrup of ipecac, or salt- or mustard-water, can be taken orally to induce vomiting.
   • Use your fingers to stimulate the uvula. Take one or two fingers, place them in back of your mouth, and try to touch the uvula, which is the little dangling flap of skin at the back of the throat.
   • Watch another person vomit. Seeing another person throw up can increase your likelihood to vomit. While it's difficult to spontaneously will nausea on someone else just to induce vomiting, it is possible to watch videos online.
5. Try to hit where you're aiming. Now that you're sure you need to vomit, accuracy will be the next objective. When the vomiting feeling comes over you, get your mouth close to the toilet bowl or container, preventing spray or spillage. If you're outside, the closer you are to the ground the less splatter you'll produce.
6. Drink something. When you're done, drink some water. It will wash away the acidic taste. Also, if you have to vomit again, your stomach isn't empty; vomiting with an empty stomach can be very painful.

Signs of Danger

1. Know that most vomiting is normal, but some vomiting could present larger medical problems. A very common cause of vomiting is gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract which, while painful, is not a serious medical condition.
2. Call a doctor or nurse about your condition if:
   • The nausea lasts for more than a few days or there is a possibility of pregnancy.
   • Personal treatments are not effective, you suspect dehydration, or a known injury has occurred, causing vomiting.
   • Vomiting lasts for more than a day, or accompanying diarrhea lasts for more than 24 hours.
   • For infants, vomiting lasts more than a few hours, diarrhea and signs of dehydration are present, there is a fever higher than {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, or if the child hasn't urinated for six hours.
   • For children over age six, vomiting lasts more than 24 hours, diarrhea combined with vomiting lasts for more than 24 hours, there are signs of dehydration, there is a fever higher than {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} or the child hasn't urinated for six hours.
3. Seek immediate medical attention if:
   • You see blood in the vomit (bright red or "coffee grounds" in appearance).
   • You have severe headaches or a stiff neck.
   • You experience lethargy, confusion, or a decreased alertness.
   • You experience severe abdominal pain.
   • You count a fever over {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}.
   • You measure rapid breathing or pulse.
4. Consult with a specialist if you think you may have an eating disorder such as Bulimia. Bulimia is the urge to vomit after eating in order to control weight. People with Bulimia eat large amounts of food in a short time (binge) and then find a way to get rid of the food (purge). Bulimia is treated with psychological counseling, but is curable.

Preventing Nausea

1. Eat foods carefully, consistently, and in proportion. We all know that eating the wrong thing, or eating too much of it, can cause vomiting. But how we eat food also plays a part in preventing nausea in the first place.
   • Eat small meals throughout the day instead of a couple big meals at long intervals.
   • Eat slowly and chew your food before you swallow it.
   • Avoid foods that are hard-to-digest, such as dairy, spicy, acidic, fatty, or fried foods.
   • Eat foods that are cold or at room temperature instead of foods that are warm or hot if you find them distasteful.
2. Drink enough and rest properly after a meal. Giving your body the proper time and adequate position to digest food may help keep you from feeling nauseated in the first place.
   • Drink liquids (preferably water) in between instead of during meals, and stay on pace to consume between 6-8 8-ounce glasses of water per day.
   • Keep your head at least a foot above your feet if you decide to rest or sit down after a meal.
   • Activity may worsen the nausea. Don't overexert yourself or engage in strenuous physical activity if you think it may lead to vomiting.

Tips

• If you have long hair, it's probably a good idea to put it up with a hair tie or clip so that you don't end up getting vomit in your hair. If you don't have a hair tie or clip handy, hold your hair back or get someone to hold your hair back for you.
• If you're outside, try to throw up in the grass instead of the pavement. Smaller splash zone.
• When you vomit for the first time in a long time, pay attention to what happens before you hurl. That way, the next time you puke, it won't be such a surprise because you know what would happen before.
• If you're going to vomit, lean forward and take deep breaths. Try not to panic as you won't be comfortable.
• Plug your nose when you vomit. It will prevent the vomit and acid from going up your nose and into your sinuses.
• Have a trash bag(s) like a grocery store bag next to you just in case you don't make it to the restroom in time.
• Some people like having a person with them when they're throwing up, some people don't, if you like it, ask a friend, family member, or spouse to come and lay a hand on you and help you out. However, this may not be a good idea because some people have 'sympathy vomiting', where seeing/hearing others vomit causes them to vomit as well.
• Throwing up is a good thing (most of the time; it probably means you should not have eaten that extra marshmallow, had that extra drink or ran the extra kilometer)!
• If you don't plug your nose and it comes out your nose, blow your nose really hard to get it out.
• Alert those around you that you are going to throw up so it won't be an unpleasant and bad smelling surprise.
• If you used a bucket, pour it in the toilet and simply flush. It's much easier.
• 45° downward is a good angle if you're throwing up outside because, the vomit goes farther away before it splatters and you aren't propelling it toward the ground.
• When you vomit around people, don't be embarrassed, everyone's done it.
• If you are sick from a bug or any other illnesses, drink lukewarm water. This can help flush it out (induce vomiting).
• If possible, wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the vomit and remember to wash your hands afterwards.
• If you sleep while sick, sleep in the bathroom or have something at your bedside in case you wake up to throw up.
• Take deep breaths and calm down. Do not think of vomiting and don't hold the vomit in. As soon as its over, you will feel a whole lot better.
• Brush your teeth immediately afterwards, or use a mint & drink water.
• Just stay calm!
• When you have just vomited, try and drink water to get the horrible taste out of your mouth.
• Don't toss and turn (this will make you want to throw up more) every 10 minutes switch between your right side and your back.

Warnings

• If you have long hair, tie it up if you can, to prevent vomit from getting in your hair.
• Avoid vomiting on rugs, carpet, or furniture as these surfaces are likely to stain.
• If you are pregnant or taking medication and the feeling of vomiting occurs, contact your primary care doctor or obstetrician.

Related Articles

• Stop Nausea With Acupressure
• Get Rid of Vomit Smell
• Get Rid of Your Motion Sickness
• Prevent Motion Sickness in Toddlers
• Throw Up Without Being Embarrassed

Sources and Citations

See also

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

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