Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: How to prevent vomiting with food and drink
• Method 2 of 3: How to avoid vomiting triggers
• Method 3 of 3: How to relax and distract yourself
• Tips
• Warnings

What could be worse than vomiting during an illness, when you are already unwell? Viral gastroenteritis will incapacitate you for a few days, but fortunately, there are ways to prevent vomiting, or at least reduce the likelihood of it.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: How to prevent vomiting with food and drink

1. 1 Drink the water a little at a time. Vomiting can dehydrate the body, so it is important to replace fluid loss. Keep in mind that you need to drink the water in small sips: if you drink a whole glass in one gulp, the walls of your irritated stomach will expand and you may be vomited again.
   • After vomiting, drink a little water every 15 minutes for 3-4 hours to replenish the fluid loss.
   • If you feel nauseous, start with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water every 10 minutes. If you haven't been vomiting in over an hour, double that amount.
   • Continue increasing the amount of water until you can drink a whole glass (240 ml) every hour. Continue drinking at least a glass (240 ml) of water every hour until urination is normal (it should occur every 3-4 hours).
2. 2 Suck on an ice cube or popsicles. Ice will have three beneficial effects at once: firstly, the body will gradually begin to restore water balance; secondly, ice will dull the gag reflex; third, it will help you get rid of the bad taste in your mouth after vomiting.
3. 3 Use other clear liquids. After vomiting, do not drink anything other than water for several hours. After several hours have passed, you will need to drink fluids with electrolytes - mineral compounds necessary for hydration of the body. Due to vomiting, the level of electrolytes decreases, and you need to consume drinks in which they are contained in order to restore metabolic processes.
   • If you have begun to restore fluid levels in your body, but vomited again, take a break to allow your stomach to rest. Then start drinking clear liquids again in small sips.
   • Buy "Regidron" soluble powder at the pharmacy - it restores electrolyte levels well. You can also find its analogues. However, electrolyte sports drinks are best avoided as they are high in carbohydrates and low in electrolytes.
   • After vomiting, wait a few hours before consuming any clear liquids. When a few hours have passed, start drinking them in small sips every 15 minutes, and so on for 3-4 hours. Clear liquids include apple juice, electrolyte solutions like Rehydron, weak tea, and clear broth.
4. 4 Drink ginger tea. Ginger tea has long been proven to ease feelings of nausea. Ginger soothes the stomach, relieves nausea, and may prevent vomiting. You can buy ginger tea at the supermarket.
   • Alternatively, you can chew and spit out a small piece of raw ginger.
5. 5 Start eating bland food. As soon as you feel like you can already, you need to start eating. Usually, it should take about 4 hours after vomiting. Once you've gotten a drink of water, sucking on ice, or drinking liquids besides water, you can try something simple and easy on your stomach. You should only eat if you have not vomited for at least 4 hours. Crackers and biscuits are good choices. In addition to them, you can try something of the following products:
   • Bananas, rice, applesauce, toast and salty crackers. You can remember this set of stomach-friendly foods with the acronym BRYATS.

Method 2 of 3: How to avoid vomiting triggers

1. 1 Avoid unpleasant smells, tastes, or sights. For example, if the smell of air freshener in your car makes you feel nauseous, even when you are healthy, then avoid it if you are vomiting. Anything you see, inhale, or taste can provoke vomiting, so you should know what makes you feel bad and avoid it.
   • For example, some people get sick from seeing blood even when watching a movie. Others do not tolerate moldy cheese, the third turns inside out from the smell of a trash can. Whatever is causing you to vomit, stay away from it.
2. 2 Avoid drinks that contain carbon dioxide, acid, or caffeine. All of them can provoke vomiting and irritate the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. Do not consume them for at least 24 hours after vomiting.
   • Drinks containing carbon dioxide include any carbonated drinks, kvass and beer.
   • Acidic drinks include orange and grapefruit juice and other citrus drinks.
   • Drinks that contain caffeine include coffee, black tea, and energy drinks.
3. 3 Avoid spicy and oily foods. It has been scientifically proven that such food can induce vomiting. Since it takes your stomach twice as long to digest this food, you are more likely to vomit as a result. Wait at least 48 hours before eating foods that are moderately spicy or seasoned with vegetable oil.
4. 4 Avoid traveling by car. If you are susceptible to motion sickness, refrain from car travel. With viral gastroenteritis, the risk of vomiting is already high, and the trip will only increase it. This is because a quick change of direction (for example, a sharp turn when you are in the back seat) affects the vestibular apparatus in the inner ear. Through the brain stem, impulses from the inner ear are transmitted to the cerebellum, where the vomiting center is located, and you feel physically ill.
   • If you absolutely must drive a car, ask the driver to drive slowly and steer carefully, without jerking. This will reduce the likelihood of nausea.
5. 5 Do not smoke. You probably already know that smoking is harmful to your health. However, when you struggle with vomiting, things get even worse. When you smoke, you inhale nicotine. Nicotine relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter (lower esophageal valve), making it more likely that stomach acid will enter the esophagus, irritate it, and vomit.
6. 6 Don't take certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Anti-inflammatory drugs irritate the stomach lining. They inhibit the body's production of prostaglandins, the substances responsible for the spread of inflammation and pain. However, some prostaglandins also serve to protect the gastric mucosa, so the use of anti-inflammatory drugs reduces this protective effect, leading to mucosal irritation and vomiting.
   • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), ibuprofen, and naproxen.

Method 3 of 3: How to relax and distract yourself

1. 1 Think pleasant. Vomiting begins in the brain - the way it perceives nausea can cause painful discomfort. Therefore, try to distract yourself from thoughts of vomiting by imagining beautiful places or other pleasant things. When you feel sick, think of something that will distract or calm you. You can listen to music that calms you down and lifts your mood - it also helps you focus on positive thoughts.
   • For example, as soon as you feel nauseous, think about celebrating the New Year. Imagine how you got together with the whole family, exchanging gifts, an elegant Christmas tree flickering with lights, a fireplace is on, and so on.
2. 2 Watch a movie or read an interesting book. Like positive thoughts, engaging in an engaging activity that requires your full attention can help you distract yourself. When your mind is busy, the likelihood of nausea is reduced and you will not vomit.
   • Watch movies that won't remind you of nausea. For example, if you feel sick from the sight of blood, do not watch a horror movie or another vampire story. Choose from comedy, drama, or romantic melodrama.
3. 3 Get some fresh air. Even if you are too weak to walk, open a window and let fresh air into the room. He is capable of performing miracles. If you can, sit in your yard or garden on a bench or chair. Let the breeze calm you down. Look at the surrounding houses and trees, try to concentrate on something beautiful, breathe in the fresh air, and the nausea will subside.
4. 4 Try to stay upright. While in bed, place pillows under your head so that your head is raised at an angle of 45 to 90 degrees. Also, lift your feet above body level (also use pillows or a rolled-up blanket to do this). An upright position will help you reap the benefits of natural gravity and control vomiting. In addition, lifting your feet higher than your torso improves blood circulation.

Tips

• Get more rest. The fastest way to recover is to rest as much as possible and allow the body to recover.
• Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Vomiting is necessary to protect your body: it removes substances from it that it rejects.
• Remember to sip water and other clear liquids after vomiting.Add ice to your drink.

Warnings

• Consult a doctor if vomiting persists for more than two days in an adult and more than a day in a child.
• If you vomit violently, contact immediately as this could be a symptom of a more serious problem.