When you’re throwing up, the most important thing to do is stop eating, take small sips of fluid, and rest in an upright or side-lying position until the vomiting passes. Most episodes resolve on their own within 12 to 24 hours. What you do during and after those hours makes a real difference in how quickly you recover and whether you avoid complications like dehydration.
What to Do During an Active Episode
While you’re still vomiting, don’t fight it. Trying to hold it in can cause you to inhale vomit into your lungs, which is dangerous. If you’re lying down, turn onto your side so your airway stays clear. Sitting up or leaning forward over a toilet or basin is ideal.
Stop eating solid food entirely. Your stomach is already rejecting what’s in it, and adding more will only trigger another round. Between episodes, rinse your mouth with plain water to clear the stomach acid, which is harsh on your teeth and throat. Don’t brush your teeth for at least 30 minutes after vomiting. The acid temporarily softens your enamel, and brushing too soon can scrub it away.
How to Start Drinking Fluids Again
Dehydration is the main risk with repeated vomiting, so getting fluids back in is your top priority. The trick is going painfully slow. Start with 5 milliliters (about a teaspoon) every 5 minutes and increase gradually as your stomach tolerates it. Drinking a full glass at once will almost certainly come right back up.
Your goal for the first 24 hours is at least 1 ounce (30 ml) per hour. That’s not much, roughly two tablespoons, but it’s enough to keep dehydration from setting in while your stomach settles. Good options include water, ice chips, clear broth, diluted fruit juice, electrolyte drinks, and weak decaffeinated tea. Popsicles work well too because they force you to take in liquid slowly. Avoid milk, coffee, alcohol, and anything carbonated or acidic like orange juice.
When to Start Eating Again
Once you’ve kept fluids down for several hours without vomiting, you can try small amounts of bland food. You may have heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), but the Cleveland Clinic and the American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommend following it strictly. It’s too low in nutrients and, if followed for more than 24 hours, can actually slow recovery.
Instead, choose from a wider range of gentle foods:
- First foods: saltine crackers, dry cereal, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, brothy soups, plain rice, plain toast
- Next step: scrambled eggs, skinless chicken or turkey, cooked vegetables
Eat small portions. If a food triggers nausea, set it aside and try again later. Avoid greasy, spicy, or heavily seasoned food for at least a day or two after your last episode. Dairy and raw vegetables are also common triggers while your stomach is still recovering.
Remedies That Can Help With Nausea
Ginger is one of the best-studied natural options for nausea and vomiting. A systematic review of clinical trials found that taking up to 1 gram of ginger per day for at least three to four days significantly reduced vomiting compared to a placebo. You can get this from ginger capsules, ginger tea, or even ginger chews, though the capsules are easiest to dose accurately.
Acupressure on the inside of your wrist can also help. The pressure point sits in the groove between the two large tendons, about three finger-widths below the crease of your wrist. Press firmly with your thumb and hold. Wristbands designed for motion sickness target this same spot and can be worn continuously.
Over-the-counter anti-nausea medications are another option. The active ingredients approved for nausea relief include dimenhydrinate (the ingredient in Dramamine) and meclizine, both originally developed for motion sickness but effective for general nausea. Bismuth subsalicylate, the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol, can also calm an upset stomach. These are generally safe for short-term use in adults, but check the label for age restrictions if you’re treating a child.
What to Do for a Vomiting Child
Children dehydrate faster than adults because of their smaller body size, so fluid replacement matters even more. The same teaspoon-every-five-minutes approach works well for kids. Offer small sips of an oral electrolyte solution rather than plain water, since children lose proportionally more minerals when they vomit. Increase the amount gradually as they keep it down.
Watch for these signs of dehydration in infants and young children: no wet diapers for three hours, no tears when crying, a dry mouth, sunken eyes, a sunken soft spot on the skull, unusual crankiness, or skin that stays tented when you gently pinch it. Any of these warrant a call to your pediatrician or a trip to urgent care.
Signs That Vomiting Needs Medical Attention
Most vomiting is caused by a stomach virus, food poisoning, or something you ate that didn’t agree with you. It passes. But certain warning signs mean you should get help:
- You can’t keep any fluids down after several hours of trying small sips
- Vomiting lasts more than 24 hours in an adult, or more than 12 hours in a young child
- There’s blood in the vomit, which can look red or like dark coffee grounds
- You have severe abdominal pain that doesn’t ease after vomiting
- You notice signs of dehydration: extreme thirst, dark urine, dizziness, confusion, rapid heartbeat, or skin that doesn’t flatten back quickly when pinched
- You have a high fever alongside the vomiting
- You have a stiff neck and headache with vomiting, which could signal something more serious
In adults, dehydration shows up as very dark urine, urinating much less than normal, dizziness when standing, extreme fatigue, confusion, and sunken eyes or cheeks. If you’re experiencing several of these together, you likely need IV fluids that can only be given in a medical setting.
Positions and Habits That Prevent More Vomiting
Stay upright or slightly reclined for at least an hour after your last episode. Lying flat puts pressure on your stomach and makes reflux more likely. If you need to sleep, prop yourself up with pillows or lie on your left side.
Fresh air helps. Open a window or step outside briefly if you can. Strong smells, especially cooking odors, perfume, or cleaning products, are common nausea triggers. Keep your environment cool and well-ventilated. Avoid screens and reading if motion sensitivity is part of your nausea, since visual input can make it worse.
Loose clothing around your midsection reduces pressure on your stomach. And while it sounds simple, slow, deep breathing through your nose can interrupt the nausea reflex enough to prevent another round of vomiting.