Perhaps your grandmother has shared her own home remedies for vomiting or maybe you have a few of your own. Various vomiting remedies have existed for years while others have surfaced more recently as different over the counter medications have appeared. While finding successful one 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 24 to 36 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 to treat it. 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 medical professional.
When it's a symptom of a virus, there are several home remedies for vomiting that can at least help reduce its unpleasantness and possibly the frequency. Avoid foods and sugary drinks for at least 12 to 24 hours after vomiting. Saltine or soda crackers in small quantities can reduce the nausea associated with vomiting and upset stomach. Certain soft drinks, such as lemon-lime or ginger ale, 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 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 these medications ingested.
If combining these home remedies for vomiting with quiet rest does not yield an improvement or if vomiting persists for more than 24 hours or begins to occur more frequently, especially in young children, dehydration may be a risk. Call your healthcare provider if it does not improve or is accompanied by a fever or other symptoms. Anti-nausea medications 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. Many home remedies can alleviate the discomfort and possibly the severity of vomiting, but they cannot necessarily stop it or treat the underlying cause.