Vomiting — Causes, Quick Home Care, and When to Get Help
Ever thrown up and wondered whether you should wait it out or call a doctor? Vomiting is your body's fast way of clearing the stomach. It can come from a stomach bug, food poisoning, motion sickness, medicine, migraines, pregnancy, or acid reflux. Most of the time it stops in a day or two, but some signs mean you need medical help.
Quick home care tips
Start with fluids. Take small sips of water, clear broth, or an oral rehydration drink every few minutes. If you drink a lot at once you might trigger more vomiting. Try ice chips or a few teaspoons at a time until you can tolerate more.
Wait to eat solid food. After vomiting, stick to bland items — toast, crackers, bananas, rice (the BRAT approach) — and start slowly. Avoid greasy, spicy, or very sweet foods for 24 hours.
Try ginger or peppermint. A small amount of ginger tea or peppermint candy can calm nausea for some people. Over-the-counter options like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) help motion sickness. If nausea is stronger, doctors often use ondansetron (Zofran) or metoclopramide, but these require professional advice.
Rest and position. Sit up or lie with your head raised; lying flat can make reflux or nausea worse. Fresh air and deep, slow breaths often reduce queasiness.
If medications might be the cause, check side effects and talk to your doctor before stopping anything. For reflux-related vomiting, articles on Aciphex and H2 blocker vs PPI choices can help you understand options: Aciphex: Uses, Side Effects, Dosage and H2 Blockers vs PPIs. If you used Zantac in the past, read about the recall and safer alternatives: Zantac: Side Effects, Recall, and Safe Alternatives.
When to call a doctor
Get help right away if vomiting is bloody, looks like coffee grounds, or if you have severe belly pain or a high fever. Also call if you can't keep fluids down for 24 hours, show signs of dehydration (very dry mouth, almost no urine, dizziness), or if a child vomits repeatedly or becomes lethargic.
Seek urgent care for chest pain, fainting, severe headache, or if vomiting follows a head injury. Pregnant people who vomit so much they can't eat or drink may have hyperemesis gravidarum and should contact their provider.
If vomiting follows a medication change or a new prescription, contact the prescriber. For persistent or unexplained vomiting, doctors may order blood tests, imaging, or refer you to a GI specialist.
If you want practical reads on causes and treatments around nausea and reflux, check the linked articles above or search this site for "vomiting" to find more guides and tips.
The connection between food cravings and vomiting during pregnancy
In my recent exploration on pregnancy symptoms, I've stumbled upon an interesting connection between food cravings and vomiting. It appears that hormonal changes during pregnancy can trigger both unusual food cravings and episodes of nausea or vomiting, often known as morning sickness. Some experts suggest that these cravings may be the body's way of signaling a need for certain nutrients. However, it's also worth noting that overindulging in these cravings can contribute to the nausea. So, while it's okay to give in to these cravings, moderation is certainly key to keeping morning sickness at bay.
- June 28 2023
- Tony Newman
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- pregnancy food cravings vomiting connection
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