Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow to Do It, and WhyDealing With NauseaNausea Treatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How to Do It, and Why
Dealing With Nausea
Nausea Treatment
Vomiting(throwing up) is a reflex that allows your body to release ingested poisons and toxins.It can occur in response to acute or chronic conditions. Vomiting can also be self-induced.
Symptoms ofnauseaand dry heaves, which often precede throwing up, can disrupt your quality of life. When they lead to chronic vomiting, you can have a higher risk of severe health problems. Knowing how to deal with these symptoms can help you reduce your risk of nausea, vomiting, and the health problems they can cause.
This article explains ways to make yourself throw up and whether it is wise to do so. It also describes ways to deal with chronic nausea and dry heaves.
Accidental PoisoningsInstead of self-induced vomiting, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Capital Poison Center advise that you contact Poison Control at800-222-1222or use theWebPOISONCONTROLonline tool for proper instructions on how to handle a specific situation regarding accidental poisoning.
Accidental Poisonings
Instead of self-induced vomiting, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Capital Poison Center advise that you contact Poison Control at800-222-1222or use theWebPOISONCONTROLonline tool for proper instructions on how to handle a specific situation regarding accidental poisoning.
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How to (and Why) Make Yourself Throw Up
You can also initiate your gag reflex with a mental trigger or stimuli that affect your taste, smell, sight, or sound and cause an emotional reaction that results in vomiting.
Viralgastroenteritis, sometimes referred to as the stomach flu, is a common cause of vomiting.If you have the urge to throw up while feeling ill, it’s best to allow your body to react normally rather than inducing vomiting.
Vomiting always carries the risk of problems such asdehydration,aspiration pneumonia(food or liquid inhaled into your lungs as it is expelled), or a tear in youresophagus(the food tube that connects the back of your throat with your stomach).
Though ipecac syrup was previously used to empty a person’s stomach after accidental poisoning, it is no longer advised.Self-induced vomiting of certain poisonous substances risks additional injury and may complicate treatment. You should never induce vomiting unless a healthcare provider or poison control expert advises you to do this.
For accidental poisoning, contact Poison Control (800-222-1222) or use theWebPOISONCONTROLonline tool for proper instructions on how to handle a specific situation rather than use self-induced vomiting.
Complications of Induced Vomiting
Induced vomiting is common ineating disorderssuch asanorexia nervosa,bulimia, andpurging disorderas a way to prevent weight gain or support weight loss. It is also linked with several health complications, including a higher risk of death.
Medical complications of self-induced vomiting include:
How to Deal With Nausea Coming in Waves
Nausea is the uneasy sensation that occurs when you feel like you are going to vomit. It is a symptom, not a disease.
Acute nausea can occur as a symptom of an acute condition like the flu or gastroenteritis. However,chronic nauseacomes and goes in waves for several days or more. It often occurs after a triggering factor, such as eating, then improves and returns after the next triggering incident. Nausea that comes in waves can be concerning and affect your quality of life.
Dealing with nausea that comes in waves depends on thecause of the nausea. It can involve diseases of your abdomen and pelvic organs or conditions that affect your brain or spinal fluid. Common causes of chronic nausea include:
Until your underlying condition is managed, the following treatments may help you deal with nausea that comes in waves:
Medical treatments to restore hydration and nutrients due to an inability to drink and eat normally include:
Support for Eating DisordersPersistent self-induced vomiting to lose weight or compensate for binge eating is often a sign of an eating disorder. The following organizations provide information and resources to help you stop this behavior and avoid the damages that this practice can cause:National Eating Disorders AssociationRecovery RecordAnorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders
Support for Eating Disorders
Persistent self-induced vomiting to lose weight or compensate for binge eating is often a sign of an eating disorder. The following organizations provide information and resources to help you stop this behavior and avoid the damages that this practice can cause:National Eating Disorders AssociationRecovery RecordAnorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders
Persistent self-induced vomiting to lose weight or compensate for binge eating is often a sign of an eating disorder. The following organizations provide information and resources to help you stop this behavior and avoid the damages that this practice can cause:
Nausea and Dry Heaves: What Helps
Nausea, dry heaves (retching), and vomiting typically occur as three interrelated events. The process usually starts with nausea. Dry heaves follow and involve spasmodic respiratory movements without expelling any liquid or substance.
During dry heaves, your glottis (the space between your vocal cords) closes to protect your airway from being filled with food and digestive liquids. Dry heaves can lead to vomiting, but vomiting is not always inevitable.
Chronic nausea and dry heaves with or without vomiting may be symptoms of a more serious condition that requires treatment. You may achieve relief from nausea and dry heaves that occur from acute conditions such as gastroparesis orfood poisoningwith the following strategies:
When to Call 911Call 911if you have nausea, dry heaves, and/or vomiting that may be related to poisoning or involves blood or dark, coffee-colored material in your vomit.
When to Call 911
Call 911if you have nausea, dry heaves, and/or vomiting that may be related to poisoning or involves blood or dark, coffee-colored material in your vomit.
Contact a healthcare provider if your nausea and dry heaves involve:
How to Stop Throwing Up: Home Remedies
Summary
While you can trigger the reflexes needed to make yourself throw up, it is rarely advised. Vomiting, whether self-induced or involuntary, always carries the risk of food entering your lungs (aspiration) or obstructing your windpipe in the process.
Experts advise against making yourself throw up in favor of letting your body expel germs and toxins through vomiting that occurs on its own.
While induced vomiting was advised in the past, it is no longer a treatment for accidental poisoning. Contact Poison Control (800-222-1222) or theWebPOISONCONTROLfor advice instead.
Contact your healthcare provider if you have chronic nausea and/or vomiting. These symptoms may indicate a severe condition that requires treatment to relieve symptoms. Making yourself throw up to control your weight can be a sign of an eating disorder, which requires special physical and mental health care.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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