Hesperian Health Guides
Vomiting
Vomiting once or twice is usually not dangerous and goes away on its own. For simple vomiting with a cold or stomach problems:
- Give small but frequent sips of rehydration drink. Some people like bubbly drinks such as soda for nausea. If you are throwing everything up, drink one small spoonful. Wait 15 minutes and drink another. If those stay down, have another spoonful in 5 minutes. The idea is to drink more as soon as you can without triggering more vomiting.
- To lessen nausea, make tea by boiling ginger root. Mint or chamomile tea might help too, or you may know another local plant medicine that works.
- When you start to feel better, eat a little at a time, and keep drinking fluids to replace what you have lost.
Danger signs
- Vomiting that causes dehydration.
- Vomiting for more than 24 hours, or vomiting that keeps getting worse.
- Violent vomiting with a dark green or brown color, or with the smell of feces (see obstruction).
- Vomiting blood or vomit like ground coffee (see ulcer, and cirrhosis in Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco - in development).
- Vomiting with fever and pain that lasts more than 24 hours (see acute abdomen).
This page was updated:05 Jan 2024