How to Stop Throwing Up

1) Let Your Stomach Rest

If you've been vomiting, the first step is to let your stomach rest. After you stop throwing up, don't try to eat or drink anything for 15 to 20 minutes so you can allow your stomach time to recover.

Sit quietly and avoid lying down when you are having a vomiting episode; moving around can make nausea worse. Giving the muscles in your stomach time to rest will lower the chances that you will vomit once you start eating and drinking again.

Letting your stomach rest can help you stop throwing up after food poisoning. Food poisoning often just needs to run its course. While you're recovering, replace lost electrolytes and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Water, fruit juices diluted with water, sports drinks, and broth are all good choices.

Severe cases of food poisoning should be taken seriously. See a healthcare provider if you have bloody diarrhea, diarrhea lasting for more than 3 days, a fever of over 102°F, vomiting to the point where you can't keep fluids down, or signs of dehydration.

2) Drink Fluids Before Trying Food

If you have not vomited again after a period of rest, try to take small sips of liquid every five to 10 minutes. While it's important not to overtax your stomach, it's also important to avoid becoming dehydrated as a result of vomiting.

The best fluids to try include:

• Water
• Sports drinks (such as Gatorade)
• Electrolyte-replacement drinks (such as Pedialyte) for children

Drinks such as carbonated sodas and milk should be avoided until you are able to begin eating your normal diet.

If you are caring for a small child who is sick, be careful not to let them drink a lot of fluid all at once. It may be easier to keep an eye on those amounts by using a syringe or a spoon to give liquid, rather than a cup or baby bottle.

If vomiting begins again after starting fluids, go back to step 1. If you or your child can keep down small amounts, slowly drink more with each sip.

3) Start on the BRAT Diet

If you or your child is able to keep clear liquids down for eight to 12 hours, try to start eating. Start with small amounts of bland, starchy foods (e.g, plain pasta, crackers, etc.) Foods that are heavy, fatty, or acidic should be avoided until you are better.

The BRAT diet is a good option, as it includes bland foods that are easy to digest. These include bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast, though the diet can be modified with the addition of similar foods as well.

If you start throwing up again after you try these foods, go back to step 1.

4) Start a Normal Diet

If you are able to keep both clear liquids and bland foods down, you may be ready to move toward your normal diet. It will likely be a day or two after you have stopped throwing up before you fully return to it, though.

Once you decide you can eat again, take it slowly even if you feel better. If you start to feel sick after eating but do not vomit again, go back to the BRAT diet. If you do start throwing up again, go back to step 1 and call your healthcare provider.

5) Try Natural Remedies

In addition to following the recommended steps, you may want to try some natural remedies for vomiting. Herbal remedies that are thought to relieve nausea and/or vomiting include:

• Ginger tea, root, or candies
• Peppermint tea or candies
• Cinnamon tea

Acupressure can be used for nausea and vomiting as well:

1. Place the first three fingers of your hand horizontally across your other wrist.
2. Locate the two large tendons under your thumb.
3. Using your thumb and forefinger, put pressure on this point for two to three minutes.
   

Aromatherapy seems to have an effect on reducing the sense of nausea for people after surgery. Essential oils that may have some benefit include peppermint, ginger, spearmint, fennel, and lavender.

Lemon essential oil can likewise prevent against vomiting after surgery. Cardamom may help prevent nausea related to a C-section. Certain blends of peppermint, ginger, cardamom, spearmint, and lavender may also offer relief.

The major component in clove extracts, eugenol essential oil (EEO), is also known to help control nausea and vomiting. In addition, it can aid in other gastrointestinal complaints and has antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Another scent worth trying is chamomile essential oil. Chamomile is known to help reduce vomiting and has other beneficial properties as well.

6) Take Prescribed Medication

There are prescription drugs that can help control vomiting. Depending on the case, a healthcare provider may decide that one of them will help you feel better:

• Phenergan (promethazine) is an antihistamine that can also be used to control nausea and vomiting. It is not usually used in children.
• Zofran (ondansetron) was first used to treat severe nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy. It has fewer side effects than Phenergan and is often used to treat vomiting from other illnesses as well.

Prevention

Preventing nausea and vomiting may be as easy as changing a few habits. These suggestions may help you stop throwing up:

• Avoid hard-to-digest foods: Foods high in fat tend to be hard for your body to process. Those low in fat are easier to digest and move through your gut faster.
• Eat smaller portions: Eating smaller amounts at one time may give you relief from feeling like you have to throw up. To get your calorie and protein needs, you may have to eat more often.
• Eat meals slowly: Take your time to chew your food and don't rush the next bite.
• Drink clear, cool beverages: Take sips slowly, especially when sipping through a straw, and drink only as much as you can tolerate.
  
• Avoid trigger smells: The smell of cooking food, especially greasy foods, can induce nausea. Switch to cold foods, like dairy products, sandwiches, and fruits instead. Have someone else cook if smells make you nauseated.
• Avoid liquids when eating: Take liquids 30 to 60 minutes before and after eating.
• Maintain an upright posture after eating: Avoid lying down flat for at least two hours after you eat.

You may have certain times when you know you'll have nausea or vomiting. If you know you're going to be sick, avoid your favorite foods. You could turn yourself off to foods you really like if you eat them before this happens.

Vomiting in Children

The risk of dehydration is greater in infants and children who have been vomiting, especially if they are also have a fever of diarrhea. This is because their bodies are less efficient at conserving water than adults. Also, it takes less fluid loss to lead to dehydration due to their smaller size.

Children can follow the same steps to relieve vomiting as adults. Breastfeeding infants can be given breast milk as part of the liquids-only step.

But caretakers should be on the lookout for signs of dehydration in children, such as:

• Crying without tears
• Dry mouth
• Less urination/fewer or no wet diapers
• Irritability
• Tiredness
• Sunken abdomen, eyes, cheeks, or fontanel (an infant's "soft spot")

If you notice them, contact your child's healthcare provider right away.

Constant Vomiting: When to Worry

Call a healthcare provider if:

• You've been vomiting for more than two days
• Your child is 1 to 2 years old and has been vomiting for more than 24 hours
• Your baby has been vomiting for more than 12 hours
• You've been vomiting off and on for more than one month
• You're experiencing ongoing nausea and vomiting with weight loss

Most illnesses that cause vomiting resolve on their own. In some cases, however, vomiting can be a sign of something more serious. See a healthcare provider at once if:

• You have symptoms of dehydration such as dry mouth, dark urine, and dizziness 
• You're throwing up blood or your vomit looks like coffee grounds
• You have a severe headache
• You are pregnant and have been vomiting three or four times per day. (This can be a symptom of a rare but potentially dangerous pregnancy complication known as hyperemesis gravidarum.)

Call 911 for severe symptoms such as seizures, confusion, or difficulty remaining conscious. These can be signs of alcohol poisoning in someone who is vomiting due to excessive alcohol intake.