Discover 7 ways to stop yourself from vomiting.
Throwing up isn’t fun and can happen for various reasons like food poisoning, early pregnancy signs, or a hangover. Stress, anxiety, or a bad experience can also trigger it.
Your body throws up to get rid of harmful or undigested substances. But sometimes, you might feel like vomiting more than you need to. Knowing ways to reduce this feeling can be really useful.
Why You Might Throw Up
Before figuring out how to stop vomiting, it’s important to know why you’re throwing up. This can help you understand if there’s an underlying issue causing it.
Common reasons for vomiting include:
- – Food poisoning
- – Pain
- – Early signs of pregnancy
- – Motion sickness
- – Indigestion
- – Stress or anxiety
- – Drinking alcohol
- – Viral infections
- – Side effects from medication
If you’re vomiting and experiencing other symptoms like headaches, pain, or tremors, it could be due to:
- – Migraine
- – Concussion
- – Meningitis
- – Head injury
- – Brain tumor
- – Intestinal blockage
How to Prevent Throwing Up
If you’re feeling like you might vomit, it’s usually best to do so in a safe place, especially if it’s due to food poisoning or drinking too much alcohol.
Here are some tips to help you avoid throwing up, especially if you’re in public or it’s inconvenient:
Relax
Sit down and try to stay calm. Moving around too much can make the nausea worse. If you were standing, try sitting or lying down flat.
Try a Sweet Drink
Sipping on something sweet like Gatorade or ginger ale can sometimes help ease nausea and prevent vomiting.
Drink Ginger Tea
Ginger can help with nausea. A study from 2014 found that ginger can effectively reduce nausea, especially in early pregnancy. If you don’t have ginger tea, you can peel some fresh ginger, put it in warm water, and sip it.
Chew Ice
Chewing on ice chips can ease nausea and prevent vomiting. If you don’t have ice chips, sipping on cold water or a non-acidic drink can also help.
Avoid Spicy or Oily Foods
If you’re feeling like you might vomit, be cautious about what you eat. It’s best to avoid eating until you feel better. If you need to eat something, stick to bland foods like toast and avoid spicy or oily foods.
Take Deep Breaths
If you feel like you might vomit because you’re stressed or anxious, try taking deep breaths. This can help calm you down and prevent vomiting. It’s also useful for people who get motion sickness.
Find Fresh Air
Sometimes, feeling nauseous is more about your surroundings than how you feel physically. If you’re in a stuffy or crowded place and feel like you might throw up, stepping outside for some fresh air can help.
What to Do After You Vomit
If you’ve vomited but still need relief, here’s what you can do:
Stay Hydrated
Even though you might not feel like drinking after vomiting, it’s important to stay hydrated. Wait until you’ve stopped vomiting before you drink water to avoid making yourself sick again.
Avoid Strong Smells
Strong or unpleasant smells can make you feel nauseous. Try to stay away from them until you start feeling better.
Eat Slowly
If you decide to eat, go for bland foods and eat slowly. Eating too quickly or choosing spicy or rich foods can upset your stomach and make you vomit again.
Keep in Mind
Feeling nauseous or vomiting usually isn’t a big concern and often goes away on its own. But if you have other serious symptoms like headaches, severe pain, weakness, feeling faint, or trouble breathing, it’s important to see a doctor.
While it might be tempting to try and stop vomiting, sometimes it’s best to let it happen naturally. If you can’t figure out why you’re vomiting or it’s persistent, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor.
