What are Some Home Remedies for Vomiting?

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Perhaps your grandmother has shared her own home remedies for vomiting or maybe you have a few of your own. Various home remedies for vomiting have existed for years while others have surfaced more recently as different over the counter medications have appeared. While finding successful home remedies for vomiting may seem important, especially when you or a family member is in the midst of throwing up, the important thing to remember is that vomiting is generally a symptom of something else and shouldn’t last more than twenty four to thirty six hours.

Since vomiting can be caused by viruses, food poisoning, pregnancy, and various other underlying conditions, its important to keep the underlying cause in mind when seeking home remedies for vomiting. For instance, a stomach virus may warrant consuming only clear liquids to reduce the stress on the stomach, but a pregnant woman should not go without food. Similarly, some causes of vomiting, such as food poisoning, may need to be addressed by a doctor.

When vomiting is a symptom of a virus, there are several home remedies for vomiting that can at least help reduce the unpleasantness and possibly the frequency. Avoid foods and sugary drinks for at least twelve to twenty four hours after vomiting. Saltine® crackers in small quantities can reduce the nausea associated with vomiting and upset stomach. Certain soft drinks, such as Sprite® or 7-Up® can also help settle the stomach. Some people find that sipping black coffee can also help settle the stomach, but be sure to also drink some water to avoid dehydration.

Other home remedies for vomiting include peppermint and chamomile teas. Peppermint tends to be soothing to the stomach and chamomile can have a calming effect. Sugar-free peppermint candies can also be useful to calm an upset stomach. While there are many over the counter medications for treating nausea, indigestion, and upset stomachs, some viral infections simply prevent the body from keeping medications ingested.

If combining these home remedies for vomiting with quiet rest does not yield an improvement or if vomiting persists for more than twenty-four hours or begins to occur more frequently, especially in young children, dehydration may be a risk. Call your doctor if the symptom does not improve or is accompanied by a fever or other symptoms. Anti-nausea medications such as Phenergan® may be necessary as well as fluid replacement therapy.

In most cases, vomiting subsides after a short time or only occurs infrequently as a single incident. Home remedies for vomiting can alleviate the discomfort and possibly the severity of vomiting, but home remedies and over the counter medications can not necessarily stop vomiting or treat the underlying cause.