What Causes Vomiting?
Vomiting is a symptom of many ailments. It is not a disease in itself. Here are the different reasons you could be experiencing this symptom:
- Motion sickness
- Being seasick
- Pregnancy (especially during the early stages)
- Food poisoning
- Overeating
- Infections, especially of the stomach
- Due to some medications
- Intense pain
- Stress and fear
- Gallbladder disease
- Ulcers
- In response to certain smells
- Gastroparesis (slow stomach emptying)
- Toxin ingestion
- Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
Home remedies
In cases of food poisoning or infection, vomiting is often the body’s way of ridding itself of harmful substances.
However, there are steps a person can take to reduce the feelings of nausea and stomach discomfort that often accompany vomiting. These include:
- Drinking 1 to 2 ounces of clear liquids about 30 minutes after the last vomiting episode occurred. Examples of possible fluids include water, broth, or herbal tea.
- Avoiding alcohol and carbonated beverages when vomiting, as they will only worsen nausea and lead to further dehydration.
- Sucking on hard candies, such as lemon drops or mints, to eliminate unpleasant tastes.
- Drinking a ginger tea, ginger ale, or sucking on hard ginger candies. Ginger has antinausea properties that can help a person feel better.
- Using aromatherapy, or smelling certain scents, may reduce the incidence of nausea. Scents that have antinausea properties include lavender, chamomile, lemon oil, peppermint, rose, and clove.
- Using acupressure to relieve nausea. According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, applying pressure to point P-6 (on the inner wrist, below the index finger) can help to relieve nausea.
Getting plenty of rest is also an important step for giving the body time it needs to heal after a vomiting episode.
Cinnamon
You Will Need
- 1 small piece cinnamon stick
- A cup of hot water
- Honey (as per your taste)
What You Have To Do
- Steep the cinnamon stick in a cup of boiling water for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the stick and sweeten the cinnamon tea with some honey.
- Sip the tea slowly.
How Often You Should Do This
Drink at least three times a day to cure vomiting.
Why This Works
Cinnamon is known to be an effective home remedy for vomiting and nausea. That is why it is often given to women who are in their first trimester when morning sickness can hit hard. Ayurveda attributes cinnamon’s effectiveness to its antiemetic and stimulating properties
Vinegar
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
What You Have To Do
- Dilute the ACV with water.
- Use this solution to rinse your mouth.
How Often You Should Do This
Use this remedy as and when required.
Why This Works
This might sound strange, but vinegar can surely ease vomiting. It prevents you from throwing up and also gets rid of that stale taste in your mouth due to its antibacterial nature
Caution
Make sure to avoid smelling it as the overwhelming odor of vinegar will force you to rush to the bathroom to give respite to your heaving stomach.
Mint Leaves
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
- A cup of boiling water
What You Have To Do
- Steep the mint leaves in hot water for half an hour or so.
- Strain and sip on it.
Alternatively, you can chew on fresh mint leaves to ease vomiting.
How Often You Should Do This
Have a cup or two of mint tea in a day.
Why This Works
Mint has a relaxing effect on the stomach muscles. It also exerts antimicrobial effects when ingested
Baking Soda
You Will Need
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ glass water
What You Have To Do
Add baking soda to the water and rinse your mouth with it.
How Often You Should Do This
Use this solution to reduce the after taste in your mouth after vomiting.
Why This Works
Baking soda neutralizes the acids that have risen during vomiting and are present in your mouth. Apart from getting rid of the horrible taste in your mouth, this remedy will also help to protect your teeth from getting damaged
Lemon For Vomiting
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
What You Have To Do
- Mix the lemon juice and honey.
- Slowly ingest this mixture.
How Often You Should Do This
Use this remedy to bring down nausea and eventually stop the vomiting.
Why This Works
Try this remedy every time you feel queasy. Lemon juice, with its antioxidants, has a cleansing action on the stomach. Its vitamin C can boost the immune system and eliminate the stomach bug that may be causing these symptoms
Ginger Ale For Vomiting
You Will Need
A can of ginger ale (with real ginger extracts)
What You Have To Do
- Let the ginger ale sit out until it becomes flat and comes down to room temperature.
- Sip on this slowly.
How Often You Should Do This
Continue taking a few sips throughout the day.
Why This Works
Asian cultures discovered the healing properties of ginger centuries ago and have been using it to ease digestive problems. It is a natural antiemetic that contains gingerols and shogaols that enhance gastric emptying and stimulate gastric contractions.
Caution
Do not drink ginger ale right after you have vomited. Rest for a while and sip only on some water.
Essential Oil For Vomiting
You Will Need
- 1-2 drops peppermint essential oil OR lemon essential oil
- A tissue or handkerchief
What You Have To Do
- Pour a few drops of the essential oil on the tissue and simply inhale the aroma.
- Continue inhaling for a few minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
Repeat as and when you feel nauseous.
Why This Works
Both peppermint oil and lemon oil have antiemetic effects, which means that their aromas can alleviate the feeling of nausea and stop vomiting. Studies have proved their efficacy in treating vomiting in different scenarios
Activated Charcoal
You Will Need
Activated charcoal capsules
What You Have To Do
Take two capsules every hour or so with a glass of water.
How Often You Should Do This
Depending on how your body responds, continue taking the capsules throughout the day. Do not exceed the maximum dosage for adults, which is 5g per day.
Why This Works
Activated charcoal can easily bind to the toxins built up in the gastrointestinal system and eliminate them from the body. At times, it can also eliminate the infection-causing bacteria that cause the vomiting and nausea.
Caution
Activated charcoal can interfere with the absorption of nutrients and many medications. In the case of supplements, take them before or after an hour of taking activated charcoal. And if you are on any medication, check with your doctor before giving this remedy a try.
MIMI (Multi ion mask insert)
- Can be worn with any facemask and provides additional heavy-duty protection.
- Adult & Youth Sizes Available
Rice Water
You Will Need
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 ½ cups water
What You Have To Do
- Wash the rice and boil it in the given amount of water.
- Once the rice is cooked, strain and preserve the water.
- Sip this water slowly, and you will notice your vomiting has stopped almost instantaneously.
How Often You Should Do This
This remedy usually shows instant effects. Repeat if required.
Why This Works
If you are suffering from gastritis or some other stomach infection, your body will lose a lot of water due to vomiting and diarrhea. To replenish the body with essential nutrients, a simple solution like rice water works really well. It also exerts a gastroprotective effect on the irritated stomach lining.
Onion Juice
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon onion juice
- ½ teaspoon honey
What You Have To Do
- Squeeze out the juice from freshly grated onion and mix it with some honey.
- Ingest this.
Follow this up with some cold peppermint tea. The onion and peppermint together will soothe your heaving stomach.
How Often You Should Do This
Repeat this once or twice a day.
Why This Works
Turn your nose as much as you want, but this ancient home remedy for vomiting is quite effective. It can stop vomiting and also ease the accompanying nausea
Cumin Seeds
You Will Need
- 1 ½ tablespoons cumin powder
- A glass of water
What You Have To Do
- Add the cumin powder to the water and stir well.
- Drink this.
If possible, grind the cumin seeds and use the fresh cumin powder.
How Often You Should Do This
You will notice the effects immediately and be glad that you opted for this home remedy.
Why This Works
Cumin is often used to treat digestive problems like diarrhea, morning sickness, etc. Its therapeutic effects are because of its stimulant, carminative, and astringent properties
Fennel Seeds
You Will Need
- 1 tablespoon crushed fennel seeds
- 1 cup hot water
What You Have To Do
- Brew fennel tea by steeping the crushed seeds in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes.
- Strain and drink it.
How Often You Should Do This
Have 1-2 cups in a day.
Why This Works
Aniseed has many medicinal properties, and one of them is curing vomiting as it is an antiemetic. It stimulates digestion and can also relieve the pain and convulsions that sometimes accompany vomiting.
Vomiting can be triggered by multiple conditions, including food poisoning, alcohol hangover, overeating, pregnancy, motion sickness, stress, and anxiety. Vomiting can quickly deplete electrolytes and dehydrate you, so it is important to arrest vomiting and keep yourself hydrated. To stop vomiting or tackle associated issues, you can use appropriate home remedies like activated charcoal pills, ginger ale, peppermint or lemon essential oil, mint tea, cinnamon tea, apple cider vinegar, and rice water. However, in case the home remedies don’t work for you and your vomiting has not stopped after 24 hours, you need to contact your healthcare provider as dehydration resulting from vomiting can be fatal.
When to see a doctor
- vomiting that lasts more than one week
- if there is a possibility of pregnancy
- if home remedies do not relieve the vomiting
- if a person has signs of severe dehydration, such as extreme thirst, dark-colored urine, very little urine, and dizziness
- if a person is experiencing vomiting after a head injury
- vomiting blood or vomit that looks like “coffee grounds,” which is often dried or old blood
Infants and children are not able to express the symptoms of dehydration as well as adults, so parents should be aware of symptoms that may require medical attention.
These include:
- diarrhea and vomiting that lasts more than 24 hours and is not improving
- fever higher than 104°F if the child is older than 2 years; fever higher than 100.4°F in a child younger than 2 years
- blood in the stool or vomit
- a swollen stomach or signs of bad belly pain
- dark urine or no urine produced for 8 hours
- inability to produce tears when crying, a dry mouth, and sunken eyes
- cannot be soothed and continues to fuss
Bottom Line
Acute nausea and vomiting can typically be treated at home. Vomiting due to the stomach flu or food poisoning may require medical attention, especially if you’ve been throwing up for more than one day.
Remember to drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration and to stick with a bland diet once you reintroduce solid foods.
If you’re concerned about persistent or recurring nausea or vomiting or any symptoms of dehydration, consider seeing a doctor for further treatment.
Depending on the underlying causes, a doctor may recommend medications as well as IV fluids to help treat dehydration.
