What Are the Best Remedies to Treat Nausea and Vomiting?

Nausea and vomiting are medical conditions and terms that describe the symptoms of other underlying diseases and illnesses. Various conditions like stomach infections, food poisoning, motion sickness, migraines, intestinal infections and more could cause nausea or vomiting to occur. In some cases, nausea and vomiting can be linked to rather severe diseases also related to the kidney, liver, cancer and some cardiac issues.

Are nausea and vomiting the same thing?

Nausea is a term that is associated with a feeling of discomfort in the stomach that is accompanied with an urge to vomit, while vomiting may not necessarily happen. Vomiting on the hand is the act of removing contents from the stomach orally, either voluntarily or forcibly. There are often triggers that cause vomiting including infections of the stomach and intestines, or some form of food irritations.

Who can face symptoms of nausea or vomiting?

Vomiting or nausea can be experienced by anyone including adults and children. People undergoing rigorous treatments like chemotherapy for cancer may have more symptoms of nausea or vomiting. Pregnant women also experience nausea and vomiting particularly in their first trimester.

What triggers nausea or vomiting?

The triggers for nausea or vomiting often overlap with each other. A number of factors can cause nausea or vomiting including certain triggers within the body as well as certain environmental factors. The most common causes of nausea or vomiting include pregnancy, food poisoning, exposure to chemicals or toxins, indigestion and certain kinds of smells to name a few. The causes of nausea or vomiting differ for various reasons and under various circumstances. Generally vomiting is not considered as a serious medical condition; however, the underlying medical condition that triggers vomiting could be serious. Meningitis, blockages in the stomach or intestines, appendicitis or brain tumors are some of the most serious causes associated with nausea or vomiting.

In the case of many children, vomiting is commonly seen due to a viral infections, allergies due to food, milk allergy, motion sickness, overeating or blockage in the intestines. Illnesses which trigger high fever can also cause vomiting or nausea.

When vomiting occurs just after consuming food, then it is likely to be caused due to a food allergy or food poisoning. Hence, we can say that the cause of vomiting or nausea can be determined by the timing of its occurrence.

Is vomiting serious?

In most cases, vomiting is not considered as a serious problem. However, the underlying medical condition is considered a serious problem. Another major concern is dehydration, which often follows up after vomiting. More than in adults, younger children are at higher risk of dehydration, particularly when it is accompanied with diarrhea. Also, vomiting is considered a normal condition during pregnancy, but continuous vomiting can cause serious repercussions which can cause various imbalances in the mother.

Vomiting or nausea is considered a serious issue when:

• Nausea continues for more than a few days or when it is a sign of suspected pregnancy.
• Dehydration occurs due to the vomiting or nausea. 

In case vomiting occurs in an infant or child under six years of age, see a doctor immediately. Vomiting that is accompanied with blood stains, headaches, confusion, severe pain or fast breathing should be immediately shown to the doctor.

How can you prevent nausea or vomiting?

Those who have a tendency towards nausea or vomiting can prevent it in the following ways:

• Refrain from triggers that can cause you to feel nauseous or vomit such as excessive drinking of alcohol.
• Eat moderate quantities of food at any point of time and avoid overeating.
• Prevent motion sickness by adjusting your seating when traveling by boat or an automobile.
• Over the counter drugs can help in preventing motion sickness or other nausea-causing triggers.

Use of Inapsine in dealing with nausea or vomiting

The generic name of Inapsine is droperidol. This medicine is often administered to patients who have undergone a surgery or a medical procedure to reduce vomiting-causing sensations due to heavy medications. This medication is not an over the counter medicine to treat symptoms of vomiting or nausea. This medicine requires your doctor to take your complete medical history before recommending it. Before starting this medication, your heart condition will need to be assessed through an ECG. 

To ensure that Inapsine is safe for your medical condition, speak to your doctor in case you are suffering from cardiac issues, reduced rate of heartbeat or an electrolyte dysfunction. You would also need to inform your doctor in case you are consuming diuretic medicines, alcohol or any form of sedatives.

Certain medications can interact with Inapsine and should not be consumed at the same time. If you see some counteracting indications, your doctor may revise your treatment and alter the dosages. Your doctor may need to change your treatment plan if you use certain antibiotics or certain medicines to treat cancer, malaria, depression or mental illness. Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with droperidol.

Tell your caregivers immediately if you experience any side effects like a headache with chest pain and severe dizziness, fainting and fast or pounding heartbeats.

Are home remedies helpful in treating nausea or vomiting?

Apart from the over the counter drugs, there are a number of home remedies that are found helpful in treating nausea or vomiting. These are absolutely safe and unlike the medications will not cause you side effects. Hence, home remedies are often the best-preferred set of treatments. However, in some severe cases of nausea or vomiting, these may not be as effective and then you are left with no choice but to opt for medications that can help alleviate the symptoms. Some of the most common tried and tested home remedies used to get rid of nausea and vomiting include:

• Ginger: This one secret from your grandma’s kitchen is perhaps the best way to treat nausea or vomiting. Ginger helps the body secrete various juices and enzymes that aid digestion. It also helps in neutralizing the stomach acids. It contains properties that help in the relation of stomach muscles, acting like a sedative that immediately acts upon an irritated stomach. It also helps in speeding up the digestion process thereby reducing the effects of nausea or vomiting. You can have ginger in the form of a capsule, ginger tea, ginger ale or even as a raw ginger root.
• Fresh lemon: Just smelling lemon is a great relief for when you are feeling sick with nausea. Cut a lemon in half and bring the piece close to your nose and inhale and exhale the smell. It is bound to make you feel better in no time.
• Peppermint: Just like a piece of lemon, peppermint also has a unique fragrance and flavor that can help tame an upset stomach. In various forms like mint tea, oil or just the leaf, peppermint can help you ease the feeling of severe nausea.
• Get some fresh air: In some cases, the feeling of nausea can be curbed just by stepping out in the fresh air. Your body calms down as the air flows through your body, curbing the stuffiness inside you.
• Stretch: Sometimes discomfort in the neck or back can result in nausea. Try and do some stretches to ease out your neck and back muscles to quickly get rid of the nausea feeling.