So you recently ate some spoiled leftovers from the night before, and now can’t rest till those items are out of your system. You can’t defecate due to a bloated stomach and are naturally very uncomfortable. So what do you do? You make yourself throw up.
How to vomit easily?
Here are some natural and easy ways to get those ugly bits out of your tummy fast:
1. Use your index finger
This is a very effective and easy way to get yourself to vomit. However, you need to get rid of your inhibitions before proceeding with this because as human beings, we reflexively tend to pull fingers away from the mouth if they make us feel pukey. This is how you can go about with this:
• Wash your hands thoroughly and cut your nails to prevent scratching yourself while straining.
• Remove your hair from nearby your mouth area in case you keep it long.
• Select a proper place to vomit.
• Do not press both the abdominal area and the stomach.
• Put in your index finger and push back while pressing it down till you start gagging.
• Remove your finger when you start feeling nauseated, and throw up.
It may happen that you don’t throw up in spite of the nausea. Repeat this once or twice. If it doesn’t help still, move to some other method.
Once you are done, thoroughly wash your hands. Also, it is very important to get rid of the stomach acid from your mouth, for which you can rinse and gargle with plain water. Do not brush your teeth for half an hour after throwing up as the enamel remains very sensitive after coming into contact with the stomach acid.
2. Touch the uvula
Open your mouth facing the mirror. See that cute fleshy bit dangling at the back of your mouth? That’s the uvula. And if you want to puke after eating, like all bad things, you need to irritate it. You will feel nauseous and start vomiting within seconds. However, wash your hands thoroughly and cut your nails before doing this in order to prevent diseases and cuts in your mouth or uvula. Do not press it too hard or scratch it as that can be very painful.
3. Use a toothbrush
The toothbrush can come to your rescue if you want to go without fingers. All you need to do is to wet the bristles of your brush and rub the head to the inside of your mouth like the way described in the first method. Do not skip this as the bristles can hurt else. Remove it immediately once you start feeling nauseous. This may take more than one try to get going. However, remember to wash the brush thoroughly both before and after using it for vomiting.
4. Use medicines
Medications to make you throw up are known as emetics, and those available over the counters are both natural and artificial. The emetic tablets that are available work by inducing abdominal discomfort and stomach contractions. Ipecac syrup is the most popular emetic. To use it, add the recommended amount to a glass of water and swallow it in one gulp. Follow these steps while using ipecac syrup:
• Closely follow the instructions on the syrup bottle.
• 8-16 ounces of ipecac correspond to 1-2 glasses, so drink accordingly.
• In case there is no vomiting within half an hour, repeat the dose.
• However, if there is no vomiting still, contact your doctor immediately.
However, remember that while emetics are great at getting rid of everything in your stomach, they often come with side-effects like low blood pressure, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, change in heart rhythm or other such things. Ipecac syrup should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women, or on children below 12 years of age. There may also be allergies, rashes, dizziness and drowsiness. So it is best to ask your doctor before using any of these.
5. Eat a LOT
This is something you can do to induce vomiting naturally. However, this is not a sure shot at success. All you need to do is to stuff in as much food as you can, and then stuff in some more. Starchy food is the best for this. Once it is over, finish off with some vegetables and fruits. Take care to avoid fried or oily junk food items as they will give you a very bad stomach-ache and make life hellish instead of making you throw up.
6. Drink warm salt water
Warm salt water has been used for long to throw up. The excess of sodium chloride, a very active agent, kicks in nausea which leads to stomach contractions. Take a glass of warm water. Add 2-3 tablespoons of salt to it. Stir it well to mix them thoroughly. Now, wait for 20-30 minutes for nausea to kick in. You can repeat this once by keeping in mind that the American Heart Association (AHA) advises limiting sodium consumption to 1500 mg per day. So take care not to overdo it.
7. Mustard
Though there is no scientific evidence to support this, mustard has been found by many to be really great at inducing vomiting. While mustard is one of the most common ingredients in food items, the solution made with water has a very, very unpleasant taste. Gulp it down very quickly. It works almost like the warm salt water solution. This solution is supposed to show its effect within 20-30 minutes after drinking. In case this does not work, you may have to use your index finger to bring about the vomiting.
8. Egg whites
You may have watched with wonder some people gulping down egg whites like they are the most delicious things in the world. But worry not; most of us find them disgusting, and you are not crazy for thinking so either. In fact, they are so bad that their taste and smell is enough to bring up the vomit in most people. Take up two eggs and separate their whites. Beat them in a cup and gargle with that (!) till you start feeling like throwing up. At this stage, you may spit the whites out, but in case no puke appears, you can repeat the process up to 2 times. While this is a bit time consuming and you may feel that you are wasting eggs, it is really an effective way to go on with vomiting as it empties your stomach of most of its contents.
9. Bloodroot herb
Bloodroot is a remedy that has been traditionally used by Native Americans in treating cancers, fevers, and of course, to bring on the vomit.
• Take a teaspoon of bloodroot herb roots and put it in a cup of water.
• Boil them to make a solution, and then let it steep for at least 20 minutes.
• Strain the solution.
• Now drink this warm like tea.
But while doing all this, you need to remember that bloodroot is poisonous and high amounts of it in the body can be effectively fatal. So it is best to consult your physician before trying this out. You may try out the approved and moderated commercial Blackroot Extract found across counters. But even then you need to follow the instructions carefully and it is best you do not self-medicate. Refrain from using this altogether if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
10. Excessive alcohol
As you have probably discovered by now, alcohol without food, or too much of alcohol, makes us puke, sometimes quite publicly and disastrously. So why not regulate this to vomit when you really want to? This is simple really, in case you are a non-drinker. Just keep on drinking till you feel like puking. But stop immediately once you do, or if you start feeling dizzy. You don’t want to pass out while vomiting and choke on your own puke. It is best to have someone with you while you are trying this out. Keep in mind that this method should be used as less often as possible, and involves a lot of side-effects, like splitting headaches, painful stomach, dizziness, and even fainting.
What to do after you throw up?
Throwing up is very tiring because you lose a lot of water and minerals in the process. There is acute discomfort due to itchy throats and painful abdomens. The repeated straining also leaves us very fatigued. Here are some compulsory things to follow to regain your health after throwing up.
• Hydrate yourself
This is the most important thing. Throwing up reduces the overall fluid equilibrium in our body and makes us fatigued. So you need to drink a lot of water and fresh juices to bring it back to normal. Lime water is excellent for this. Tea, coffee, canned and carbonated juices, and soda should be avoided for some time after vomiting.
• Avoid brushing your teeth immediately
The desire to clean yourself up is understandable. And you should definitely do that but not before 30 minutes have passed. This is because the teeth enamel becomes especially sensitive after coming into contact with the stomach acids, and brushing them will erode it. So do wait for that period of time.
• Clean everything up.
There are many things stuck in our throat and in between our teeth after vomiting, and it is important to remove them to prevent bacterial infection. Often, the stomach acids too can be found in our mouth, and it is very corrosive and foul smelling. Drinking water and brushing the teeth are not enough for this. Gargle with water, or salt water, to get rid of these problems.
And do not forget to clean the area where you have puked.
• Regain those nutrients
You need to make up for the nutrients you lost, and having bananas is the fastest way of doing that. 2-3 bananas are enough for an adult to go back to being healthy.
When to avoid throwing up:
As has been already mentioned, inducing vomiting should be done under the most urgent of circumstances, and is not your regular go-to method for cleaning your stomach. Also, it should be done only after consulting your physician. Here are some conditions under which you should never throw up.
• When you ingest chemicals like bleach and detergents, as bringing them back again can damage the inner lining of your throat and cause burns. As can floor cleaners, dishwashing liquids and shampoos. There can even be esophageal tears.
• Cohesive substances like gasoline and other oils, solvents and paint thinners, cannot be get rid of by vomiting.
• When your child has had something poisonous. Or solids like tiny toys, coins or pebbles which may block the airways. Rush him or her to the doctor instead.
• When you are pregnant.
Remember that forcibly vomiting is tricky, and taking it easy can aggravate serious problems like bulimia. So it is best to continue with any of these processes only after thoroughly consulting your doctor.
