Nausea and Vomiting : Why It Happens and The Best Way of Treatment

Some surprising facts about nausea and vomiting you never knew

• As per a study, it is hard to discriminate between the smell of parmesan cheese and vomit.
• People think vomiting is a result of some viral flu, but the fact is that it is a result of migraine, strep throat, and acid reflux.
• The color of the vomit matters to a great extent. If the vomit is bright red or black in color, there are high chances that your blood is mixed with it and you need to seek medical attention.
• Sometimes, vomiting is good for health as it eliminates unwanted infections from your body.
• Emetophobia is a phobia related to the fear of vomiting or even watching someone else doing so which can result in panic attacks.
• If one is suffering from continuous and intense vomiting, one should look for medical treatment as it can result in dehydration leading to failure of an organ.
• Cyclic vomiting syndrome is a condition in which an individual suffers from recurring nausea and vomiting episodes without any result.
• Vomiting is also a result of depression and anxiety which takes place when the brain suffers from any chemical changes.

Nausea and Vomiting – An Irritating Throw-Up

Vomiting and nausea come with a feeling which surely no one would like to experience in their life. The squeezy feel you have in the stomach, the reverse condition of the digestive system, and all your swallowed meal comes out is definitely not something fun to enjoy.

But did you know, it’s your brain that alarms you about the vomit or nausea? Yes, that’s a fact. Through vomiting, the body eliminates all the contaminated food substances from the body that is disturbing the body system. At first, the individual feels queasy after which he might or might not vomit. However, once the individual vomits, he no longer suffers from nausea.

Both nausea and vomiting come with a feel of despondent and uneasiness. But what is the actual reason behind such reversions of the digestive system? With no surprise, nausea and vomiting are widely connected to pregnancy and stomach flu. However, there are various reasons for vomiting and nausea like food poisoning, overeating, motion sickness, blocked intestine, brain injury, concussion, migraine, appendicitis, or any other illness.

So, today let’s learn why do nausea and vomiting irritate you and the best ways to recover from it.

What are the causes of Vomiting and Nausea?

Talking about the causes of vomiting and nausea, they both come with similar causes. Some of the common causes of vomiting and nausea include:

• Early pregnancy
• Motion sickness
• Seasickness
• Intense pain
• Emotional stress or fear
• Exposure to particular chemical toxins
• The disease of the gallbladder
• Food poisoning
• Viral infection
• Indigestion
• Allergy to particular odor or smell

The causes of both vomiting and nausea can differ as per the age of the individual. When it comes to adults, vomiting can be the result of food poisoning and viral infections or even motions sickness or any other illness when the individual is suffering from high fever.

Similarly, for children, vomiting can be a result of food poisoning, viral infections, overeating, overfeeding, motion sickness, coughing, etc. No doubt, it is a rare cause, blocked intestines can also result in vomiting during the early embryonic stage.

At times, vomiting is a harmless health issue, however, it can also be serious on particular conditions. Some of the serious causes of vomiting and nausea include:

• Concussions
• Meningitis
• Encephalitis
• Intestinal blockage
• Appendicitis
• Brain Tumors
• Migraine headaches

Another issue leading the vomiting is dehydration. Rather than the children, the adults are more likely to suffer from dehydration leading to vomiting. Hence if you observe symptoms like dry mouth and lips, increased pulse or breathing, sunken eyes, reduced urination, etc. chances are there the individual or child is suffering from dehydration which can result in vomiting.

Vomiting and Nausea – How are they different?

Many people get confused and think nausea and vomiting are the same. However, there is a mild difference between both. Nausea is defined as a restlessness often observed in the stomach. While suffering from nausea, the individual also has an impulse to vomit. But it’s not necessary that he does vomit.

Vomiting on the other hand is a forcible spontaneous or voluntary throw up that empties the stomach contents from the mouth. Some of the causes that lead to vomiting widely come from the intestines, the stomach, the inner ear, and the brain. Hence, where nausea is the feeling to have a throw-up, vomiting means actually going for a throw-up.

How can you treat vomiting and nausea?

Whether it is due to hangover, bug, or even through motion sickness, there are particular ways of treating both nausea and vomiting. Let’s check them all one by one.

1. Deep Breathing

Breathing the required quantity of air or oxygen is essential for the treatment of nausea and vomiting. Taking deep breathes through the nose to your lungs can be helpful in treating both nausea and vomiting. While inhaling, make sure the abdomen expands and while you exhale with the nose or mouth, the belly should relax and return back to its position. Repeating this several times would help in relaxing the digestive system by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Deep breathing would also help in calming the feeling of anxiousness when you are feeling ailing.

2. Go for bland crackers

Dry crackers are much helpful while you are looking for a quick treatment of nausea and vomiting. Dry crackers come up to be the best remedies particular for morning sickness. The dry crackers help in absorbing the stomach acids and settles your stomach properly. So, if you are feeling nausea or vomiting due to morning sickness, try having some crackers around 15 mins before waking up from the bed. Some of the effective dry crackers or bland foods include saltines, white rice, dry toast, etc.

3. Fluids – Have them

When you are suffering from vomiting, your body is likely to suffer from dehydration too. And to prevent this situation, look for more fluids, even if you vomit the fluid. Again, don’t drink the entire fluid at a time. Take small sips and go slow with it. Drinking too much fluid when your stomach is already upset can add to vomiting. So, look for hydrating fluids that would ease both nausea and vomiting like lemonade, ginger ale, mint tea, as well as water. You can also go for ice chips for dealing with dehydration.

4. Take the help of cool compress

Surprisingly, a cool compress is also helpful in the treatment of nausea and vomiting. Take a cool compress and place it on the backside of the neck which helps in soothing the feeling of nausea. When one suffers from nausea, the temperature of his body increases. When you place the cool compress on the neck for some minutes, it would be quite soothing. Again, doing so would help in reducing the body temperature back to normal which would also reduce the feeling of nausea.

5. Go for Acupressure

Acupressure is yet another way to look for the instant treatment of nausea and vomiting. It is an alternative to medical therapy in which pressure is applied to particular areas of the body which eases the symptoms. For nausea, the pressure point is on the inner side of the wrist, which is around 2 ½ inch between the tendons. Pressing this point with a circular motion for some minutes would help in dealing with nausea effectively. So, next time you are feeling nausea, go for some acupressure therapy for quick relief.

6. Drive your focus away

Have you ever tried diverting your mind when feeling nausea? Try once, it might work out. Sometimes, rather than looking for medicines, driving your focus to something else can be helpful in treating nausea. The more you think of it, the more you feel it. Divert your focus or mind by reading books, music, or even watching television. If you still feel the same, look for some light housework that would keep you busy or play with kids at home. Diverting the mind would help in reducing the feeling of nausea and slowly eliminate it.

7. Don’t crux your stomach

Do you directly lie down after having meals? When you do so, the gastric juices in the stomach rise up which boosts the feeling of nausea and adds to the discomfort, particularly, if you are suffering from acid reflux. At this time, crunching the stomach would worsen the situation. When you do so, it compresses the stomach and adds to your discomfort. Hence, when feeling nausea, stop crunching the stomach and recline the upper body straight and make fewer movements around.

8. Get fresh air

Have you seen people peeping outside the car window and enjoying the fresh air? Fresh air is much helpful when feeling nausea or vomiting. Fresh air soothes the symptoms of nausea. For this, open the window or even sit opposite to a fan in search of fresh air. This is much helpful when you are overheated. You can also divert your mind to other fresh odors or focus on something that would help you treat nausea. So, when you feel nausea, look for some fresh air or some open place to feel good.

9. Lemons, Lemons, Lemons…

Lemons are filled with citric acid which is a natural element to ease any digestive issues as well as the stomach. When feeling nausea, add some fresh lemon juice into water and take small sips the entire day. If you are suffering from nausea because of constipation, add the lemon juice to some warm water as this would help in stimulating the bowels. Surprisingly, the odor of lemon is also helpful in controlling nausea to a great extent. This is quite helpful for pregnant women. If lemon is not handy, the lemon essential oil is also helpful in easing the situation. However, it should also be marked that too much lemon juice can worsen the situation too.

Apart from all these, other things that can help in dealing with nausea and vomiting include aromatherapy, fennel, cloves, ginger, peppermint, etc. Again, the patients suffering from vomiting and nausea should also avoid carbonated beverages as that can worsen the situation and lead to bloating and other stomach issues as they contain a high amount of sugar in it.

What is the right time to see a doctor?

At times having an upset stomach is quite common and harmless. Also, vomiting once is also quite usual and can be treated with some home remedies. Sometimes, it also happens that after throwing up once, the individual starts feeling better than before.

However, the situation can be quite serious sometimes and needs quick medical attention too. If you are experiencing vomiting for 2 or more days, particularly if you are also having belly and chest pain along, it is highly recommended to seek the help of a doctor.

Some other conditions or symptoms that need quick medical attention during nausea and vomiting include:

• Blood in vomit
• Tarry or black bowel movements
• Fever (around 101 degrees or more)
• Stiffness in neck
• Severe headaches
• Dehydration, excess thirst, and dry mouth
• Cramps in muscles
• Difficulty in standing or dizziness
• Confusion (particularly in making decisions)
• Dark urine
• No urine for more than 5 hours

For the children younger than 6, one should seek quick professional help if vomiting lasts for more than some hours, if the child suffers from diarrhea, dehydration, having fever above 101 degrees, etc.

How can you prevent vomiting after feeling nauseated?

Feeling nausea? Want to prevent yourself from throwing up? This is surely possible. Vomiting can be controlled by having a small amount of sweetened and clear liquids like soda pop, popsicles, and fruit juices. Drinks that contain sugar in them help in calming the stomach in a better way compared to other fluids. Also, make sure that you either sit in a proper position or lie in a proper position as activity can worsen the situation leading to throwing up.

Coming to children, it is better to have control over the obstinate fever and cough situation with the help of medications. For treating motion sickness, makes sure your child faces the front as watching the continuous and quick movements outside can make the situation worse. Limit the intake of snacks and avoid giving sweet snacks along with soda pop. Make sure your kid doesn’t play while eating. Let them have a break while eating to avoid any vomiting.

Conclusion

At times, nausea is a situation that is temporary and mild. OTC medicines and some home remedies can surely help out in an effective way to prevent vomiting. Vomiting on the other hand also reduces the feeling of nausea and vanishes it too. Again, both the conditions can result in dehydration and hence, one shouldn’t avoid the situation and see a doctor quickly. Going for home remedies is also effective for quick solutions to morning sickness and motion, yet, vomiting due to food poisoning or stomach flu should be treated as soon as possible.

So next time when you feel nausea or vomiting, make sure you work on operative remedies to get control over it.