Nausea and Vomiting – Everything You Need To Know

Nausea and Vomiting – Everything You Need To Know

Almost everyone knows what nausea feels like – but actually describing it is a little bit more difficult.

People experience nausea as an uneasy and unpleasant feeling in the stomach, very often leading to vomiting. Vomiting, or throwing up, is when the contents of the stomach are expelled through the mouth, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

There are many, many different conditions and illnesses that cause nausea and vomiting. Here are a few:

more: 15 Effective Home Remedies for Nausea And Morning Sickness

The Most Common Causes Of Nausea And Vomiting

  • Viral or bacterial illnesses (like the flu)
  • Food poisoning
  • Intense reaction to an unpleasant odor or sight
  • Seasickness
  • The beginning stages of pregnancy (morning sickness)
  • Certain types of medication
  • Drinking to excess
  • Motion sickness
  • Overeating
  • Intense fear or other emotional stressors
  • Extreme pain
  • Some different kinds of cancer
  • Brain injury (like a concussion)
  • Issues with the gallbladder
  • Brain tumors
  • Gastroparesis
  • Heart attack
  • Stomach ulcers
  • Psychological disorders like bulimia
  • Gastritis

nausea and vomiting

How Do You Treat Nausea And Vomiting

Generally, people are treated for nausea and vomiting in a way that also treats the underlying condition that caused the nausea or vomiting in the first place.

However, there are several treatment strategies that are commonly used to treat nausea and vomiting. People are generally told to avoid eating solid food until they’re completely done vomiting.

more: 8 Simple Home Remedies For Stomach Aches And Cramps

In addition, hydration is extremely important with nausea and vomiting, as the body loses a lot of liquid from vomiting. Drinking lots of clear liquids is important when treating both nausea and vomiting. Make sure to start small, so as to not induce more vomiting, and gradually increase the amount of liquid drank until you’re feeling better.

Women who are suffering from morning sickness have a couple of different treatment options available. Some women do well eating a bland food like dry toast or crackers before getting out of bed. In addition, eating a snack that’s high in protein right before going to bed can help prevent some kinds of morning sickness.

As stated before, vomiting strips your body of vital nutrients and liquids, and your body requires rehydration afterwards. If vomiting lasts for more than 24 hours, it’s often a good idea to take pedialyte or another rehydrating solution to replenish your body’s vital fluids.

more: 17 Effective Home Remedies To Relieve Constipation

For those who experience vomiting due to medication or other medical treatments like chemotherapy, there are often medications that help them deal with the nausea and vomiting that accompanies those treatments. Talk to your doctor about whether a medication that helps to control nausea might be right for you.

How Do You Stop Yourself From Throwing Up If You’re Feeling Nauseous?

While vomiting is by no means a pleasant experience, many people feel relief from awful nausea symptoms after vomiting.

However, if you’re definitely trying not to vomit and you’re feeling very nauseous, there are a few things you can do to try to stop yourself from vomiting.

Sitting down and resting can help if you’re feeling overwhelmed by nausea. Try lying down with your head and torso propped up or sitting down in a quiet spot and limiting the amount that you move so as to avoid making your nausea worse.

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In addition, drinking small amounts of liquid can help deal with nausea. The best liquids to drink are clear and sweet, so try drinking small sips of soda or fruit juice to deal with nausea. Ginger ale and other ginger drinks are often effective at reducing nausea symptoms.

For children, there are several ways to prevent nausea and vomiting. If a child routinely gets sick in the car form motion sickness, make sure they’re not doing anything that worsens motion sickness, like reading, playing a video game, or looking at a phone. Facing them towards the front of the car can also help reduce the nausea and motion sickness that children sometimes experience in a car.

more: The 24 Most Effective Natural Sore Throat Remedies

When Should You Talk To The Doctor About Nausea Or Vomiting?

There are several situations in which it’s advisable to talk to a doctor if you’re experiencing nausea and vomiting.

If you know that a recent injury (especially a head injury) is causing your nausea and vomiting, it’s extremely important to talk to a doctor right away. In addition, if you feel you’re suffering from dehydration and unable to keep hydrated, talking to a doctor is important.

If you’re experiencing diarrhea and vomiting together and they last for more than 24 hours, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor about relief and getting help.

more: The 17 Quickest Natural Remedies For Heartburn And Acid Reflux

In addition, if you’re feeling nauseous (but not vomiting) for more than a few days, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. Definitely go see a doctor if you suspect you might be pregnant.

Adults and children should seek a doctor immediately if they’re also experiencing severe pain in the abdomen. Severe headaches and stiff necks also mean that you should go see the doctor right away.

Other symptoms that mean an immediate visit to the doctor is necessary include feeling confused, lethargic, or un-alert. If you see blood in your vomit (whether it’s red or your vomit looks like “coffee grounds”, go see a doctor right away. Finally, if you’re also experiencing diarrhea or your pulse or breathing has increased a lot, talk to your doctor right away to get medical care.

more: 14 Natural Remedies To Get Rid Of Gas And Bloating

If a child’s vomiting lasts for more than a few hours and they’re also experiencing diarrhea, fever, dehydration, or if they haven’t urinated in more than 4 hours, it’s important to talk to a doctor.

For children over the age of 6, if their vomiting symptoms last more than a day, or they’re feeling dehydrated, or they haven’t urinated in more than 6 hours or they’re running a fever over 101 degrees, take them to see a doctor.

more: Nausea And Vomiting Symptoms And Remedies

How Can You Stop Yourself From Getting Nauseous?

The best way to avoid nausea is to know the things that generally make you feel nauseous and avoid them. For instance, if you know the smell of a certain type of alcohol or a certain food makes you feel nauseous, avoid that food.

In addition, there are several catch all strategies that can help you avoid feeling nauseous. If overeating is at the root of your nausea, try eating smaller meals throughout the day rather than 3 big meals. In addition, hard to digest foods can trigger nausea, so try to eat foods that are easy for your stomach to digest.

Eating slowly and drinking before or after meals rather than during them have also been proven to be effective strategies for some people. If you feel nauseated after meals, try lying down with your head and torso slightly elevated in order to rest and recover.

more: What Is Vomiting?

Is Vomiting Bad For You?

When taken in isolation, vomiting usually isn’t bad for you or harmful to your body at all. However, vomiting is sometimes a symptom of a serious medical condition that requires medical attention immediately.

Conditions like meningitis, appendicitis, concussions, heart attacks, brain tumors, and intestinal blockage can all sometimes cause nausea and vomiting – so make sure to talk to a doctor immediately if your vomiting occurs with other symptoms that are also caused by any of those conditions.

Pregnancy can lead to repetitive vomiting that can put the health of the child and mother in danger, due to the minerals and fluids lost through vomiting.

more: Vomiting And Nausea Guide

Excessive vomiting can also take its toll on the body. Excessive vomiting can damage the enamel and health of your teeth and gums. In addition, rarely excessive vomiting can cause a tear in your esophagus – which is an extremely dangerous medical situation that needs to be addressed immediately.

By far, the most common danger of vomiting is dehydration – especially in younger children. The signs of dehydration are sunken eyes, rapid breathing or pulse, and dry lips and mouth. If you notice any of those symptoms in an infant, child, or in yourself, take steps immediately to rehydrate.

30 comments… add one
  • ziana May 16, 2018, 6:41 pm

    i’m thankful i found this article online. it provides information i didn’t know and i think they’re helpful.

  • ivy May 17, 2018, 6:18 pm

    feeling nauseous and vomiting during pregnancy is a normal thing but anything in excess is bad. it is very important to consult a doctor should it happen to you.

  • marni May 18, 2018, 8:33 pm

    so relieved to have found this article. i badly needed it now i’m feeling a lot better. thanks to you!

  • elena May 21, 2018, 7:13 pm

    excessive vomiting is really bad for us. it is good to know the signs of any underlying conditions so you can talk to your doctor in case you experience excessive vomiting.

  • gianna May 22, 2018, 3:58 pm

    i hate feeling nauseated and vomiting, it’s just the worst! i’m glad i read this post, now i know what could be causing it.

  • eliza May 24, 2018, 2:20 am

    i had a viral infection a few months back and my doctor gave me antibiotics but i became nauseous shortly afterwards. i took yogurt as probiotic and it helped.

  • sarah May 24, 2018, 10:46 pm

    this is a good read for me. i can’t stand nausea and vomiting. for me, it’s just the worst feeling ever when your world just literally feel twirling.

  • violet May 25, 2018, 5:50 pm

    i had ongoing nausea as a symptom of b12 deficiency. what i do is chew a gum whenever i feel nauseous and i also make sure to drink lots of water.

  • carrie May 29, 2018, 8:26 pm

    i once ate too much and it gave me the worst feeling ever! nausea and vomiting just kept me up all night, i don’t ever wanna feel that again!

  • belle May 30, 2018, 5:26 pm

    it is good to know the main causes of nausea and morning sickness. i would like to say thank you as well for the advice on when to talk to a doctor and ways i could stop myself from feeling nauseous. this post is really helpful.

  • nina May 31, 2018, 6:20 pm

    can excessive vomiting really damage the enamel and health of my teeth and gums? i didn’t know that…

  • jasmine June 4, 2018, 8:54 pm

    stress and anxiety can also cause nausea because they can cause the body to function abnormally. a good tip to avoid this is to take a time out, have a positive mindset and healthy lifestyle.

  • abi June 6, 2018, 7:56 pm

    what i do is drink plenty of water, sometimes fruit juices whenever i feel nauseous. i also stay away from fried and greasy foods.

  • heather June 7, 2018, 6:59 pm

    now i know when to talk to a doctor about nausea and vomiting. anything about this article makes a lot sense. thank you very much for sharing it.

  • alexa June 8, 2018, 8:12 pm

    all smell of scented lotions and perfumes makes me feel nauseous. i don’t like them so i always avoid them.

  • rosy June 11, 2018, 8:27 pm

    nausea is just the worst! it is definitely not cool! glad there are ways to make it stop or go away.

  • janet June 12, 2018, 8:56 pm

    if you are pregnant and you want to get rid of morning sickness, i recommend adding ginger to your diet and drink lots of water. tried those and they always do the magic.

  • trinity June 14, 2018, 3:13 am

    i drink clear or ice cold beverages to ease nausea.if you can’t cope with morning sickness or nausea anymore, you should try this trick too.

  • maricar June 15, 2018, 3:35 am

    yes it is very hard to describe how painful it is to have nausea but one thing is for sure, – i really hate it!!!

  • charity June 16, 2018, 4:32 am

    thanks a lot for this wonderful article. now i know how to manage morning sickness. these are really helpful tips.

  • amethyst June 19, 2018, 5:13 am

    i experienced nausea due to food poisoning and it was really hard. now i am more cautious of the foods i eat because i don’t want to have that painful experience again.

  • nora June 20, 2018, 2:04 am

    motion sickness always affects me. what i do is get plenty of fresh air to make me feel better.

  • elise June 21, 2018, 2:44 am

    this article covers all i needed to know about nausea and vomiting! now i have to determine the things that make me feel nauseous. glad i was able to read this.

  • valentina June 22, 2018, 3:08 am

    oh yeah, morning sickness and nausea really sucks! but these should not make our life a living hell. thanks for this helpful article!

  • shiloh June 22, 2018, 6:16 pm

    i used lemon and peppermint throughout my pregnancy to help get rid of morning sickness symptoms. they are really effective remedies.

  • cecilia June 27, 2018, 2:51 am

    what i do to make nausea go away is drink water and fruit juices in small amounts throughout the day. it really helps relieve the pain.

  • evelyn July 3, 2018, 1:57 am

    i get nauseous when i have a migraine. the worst thing is i have no appetite to eat. i can’t find relief so i just suffer through the pain. i am thankful i found this article. it is very useful.

  • lila July 3, 2018, 10:02 pm

    water and sports drinks are really good for nausea and vomiting. i try to avoid sodas and juices whenever i feel nauseous because they really upset my stomach.

  • clara July 4, 2018, 9:43 pm

    i suffer from motion sickness and it drives me crazy! i am taking medications for it. i also do breathing exercises which is a huge help.

  • charmie July 6, 2018, 3:53 am

    thanks for this information. i never knew most of them. i will follow your tips so i could stop getting nauseous.

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