Home Remedies and Herbs for Vomiting

Vomiting occurs when your body forces the contents of your stomach through your esophagus and out through your mouth.¹ It is a symptom of an underlying condition rather than a medical condition itself. Vomiting is often accompanied by nausea, or the feeling that you have to vomit.¹ Rarely does it suggest a life-threatening or dangerous underlying condition.¹ To alleviate nausea and reduce the risk of vomiting when you feel ill, vomiting herbal remedies can help soothe your stomach and make you feel better.

What Causes Vomiting?

There is no single vomiting cause. Rather, vomiting is a symptom of a variety of conditions, the most common being the stomach flu, or viral gastroenteritis, or morning sickness in pregnant women.² General anesthesia and various medications may also cause vomiting.² Other common vomiting causes may include:^1,4

• Food poisoning
• Food allergies
• Migraines
• Severe pain, like you might experience with kidney stones
• Motion sickness
• Chemotherapy
• Intestinal obstruction

Less common vomiting causes can include alcohol use, anorexia, appendicitis, concussion, liver failure, gallstones, ear infection, and traumatic brain injuries among numerous other causes.⁴

Vomiting Symptoms

Vomiting itself is a symptom, though it may be accompanied by feelings of faintness and pain in your abdomen. Though vomiting is a normal and natural response to viruses and other illnesses, it’s important that you seek immediate medical attention if your vomiting symptoms include blood in the vomit.³ This can be a sign of ulcers or torn blood vessels within your gastrointestinal tract.³ Vomiting blood may lead to signs of shock like dizziness or shallow breathing.³ Call your doctor immediately if this happens.

Vomiting can also lead to dehydration, so it’s important that you stay hydrated if you’ve been vomiting. Call your doctor if you think you’re vomiting due to poisoning, have not been able to keep fluids down for more than 12 hours, have not urinated for over 8 hours, or experience severe stomach pain.¹ Avoid too much activity while you’re ill as that can make your vomiting symptoms worsen. If you’re hungry, stick with bland foods as these will be easier to keep down, and avoid triggers like strong odors.5 Most cases of vomiting last about a day, but it’s best to talk to your doctor if you’re an adult who’s been vomiting for more than two days or a child who’s been vomiting for more than one day.⁵

References

1. http://umm.edu/health/medical/ency/articles/nausea-and-vomiting-adults
2. http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/nausea/basics/definition/sym-20050736
3. http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/vomiting-blood/basics/definition/sym-20050732
4. http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/nausea/basics/causes/sym-20050736
5. http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/nausea/basics/when-to-see-doctor/sym-20050736