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First Aid for Vomiting

Call it what you will: barfing, throwing up, driving the porcelain bus, morning sickness… vomiting is no fun.

Want to get technical? Vomiting is the expulsion of the stomach contents through the esophagus and out the mouth. (And sometimes the nose, too. Whee!)

Why is vomiting sometimes a good thing? It can get toxins out of the body and help ease stomach discomfort. Better out than in, as they say.

Why is vomiting sometimes a bad thing? It’s gross. (Okay, that’s not medically bad, but I can’t think of any illness that makes me feel worse than throwing up.) The acid in vomit can actually cause problems for your teeth, eroding enamel and encouraging tooth decay. So if you do throw up, try to rinse your mouth out afterwards.

Vomiting (and nausea) often just has to run its course. Over-the-counter medications can relieve nausea, pain, and fever that may accompany vomiting… but you also have to be able to keep the medication down. Here are some things to try:

* If you’re vomiting, skip solid food for a bit. Try clear liquids — water, broth, gelatin — at first. Soft, gentle foods like bananas, scrambled eggs, and toast are a good second step. Stick with mild foods for at least twelve hours (or more) after vomiting ends.

* Stay hydrated. Dehydration can be a risk when you’re throwing up. Try taking small sips, rather than big gulps… and try to wait at least fifteen minutes after barfing before trying to drink, or you could trigger another episode. Water, ice chips, or ginger ale are good choices. Watered-down sports drinks (like Gatorade) can help your body replace electrolytes.

* Rest and relax. Don’t try to be too active. Find a position that keeps your stomach (and the rest of you) as comfortable as possible.

Severe vomiting is considered an emergency. What makes vomiting severe? Some things to watch out for include: vomiting that lasts longer than twenty-four hours, vomiting more than ten times in a twenty-four hour period, violent vomiting (large quantities), vomiting that occurs any time you take a drink.

Other symptoms that may indicate that vomiting is an emergency include: moderate or severe dehydration, chest pain or other symptoms of heart attack, vomit contains blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, high fever or fever lasting more than two days, changes in mental alertness, and stomach pain that gets worse instead of better over time.