Digestion & Nutrition
Vomiting
Forceful expulsion of stomach contents — usually a protective body response to toxins, overeating, or infection — manageable with herbs and diet, though certain presentations (blood in vomit) are emergencies.
Also known as: Emesis, Nausea and Vomiting, Throwing Up, ulcer (definition: open sore in tissue lining)
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Overeating or eating wrong food combinations; Food poisoning or food allergies; Viral or bacterial infection (flu, Epstein-Barr, candida).
First thing to try: If something poisonous was eaten, contact poison control or emergency services immediately rather than inducing vomiting at home — some poisons cause more harm coming back up.
See a doctor if: Immediately if there is blood in the vomit, if an infant is unresponsive and feverish, if a caustic substance was swallowed, or if vomiting does not resolve within 24–48 hours.
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Overeating or eating wrong food combinations
- Food poisoning or food allergies
- Viral or bacterial infection (flu, Epstein-Barr, candida)
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Motion sickness, altitude sickness
- Coffee-ground vomit = bleeding ulcer or stomach cancer — medical emergency
- Infant vomiting with fever and unresponsiveness = possible meningitis — call immediately
Change what you can
- If something poisonous was eaten, contact poison control or emergency services immediately rather than inducing vomiting at home — some poisons cause more harm coming back up.
- Other emetic herbs: bayberry bark, myrica, white willow, peach leaves, ragwort
- TO STOP VOMITING: sip small amounts of weak ginger or chamomile teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → every 15 minutes until relief
- Hot peppermint or spearmint teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → (after stomach has been emptied) — settles the stomach
- Sip catnip or sweet balm teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →, and apply a warm (not hot) compressA cloth soaked in warm or cold liquid, held on the skin. How to make a compress → over the stomach for comfort; if vomiting is severe, persistent, bloody, or comes with significant abdominal pain, seek medical care rather than relying on home remedies.
- Old-fashioned remedy for incessant vomiting: hold half a peeled raw onion under each armpit; or apply ice pack to the back of the neck
- AFTER VOMITING: do not eat for several hours; take only small sips of clear fluids — water, weak teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →, or diluted fruit juice
- Replace lost minerals with electrolyteTiny minerals like sodium and potassium that help your muscles and nerves work right. More → drinks, clear soups, or apple/cranberry juice; add pinches of sugar and salt to water if needed
- Peppermint teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → — sip small amounts
- Ginger: extremely powerful for stopping vomiting, motion sickness, and nausea
- Herbal teas when ready: chamomile, cloves, basil, licorice root, yarrow
- First food back: small carbohydrate meal such as rice soup; avoid fatty foods
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
This gentle, low-risk approach is a good first step for most everyday vomiting, alongside watching for warning signs that need medical care.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Resting the digestive system and reintroducing fluids slowly in small amounts reduces the chance of triggering more vomiting while replacing lost fluids.
- Let the stomach rest for 15-30 minutes after the last episode of vomiting.
- Offer one to two tablespoons of clear fluid (water or oral rehydration solution) every 10-15 minutes.
- Gradually increase the amount if fluids are tolerated without further vomiting.
- Continue at a comfortable pace for several hours before considering any solid food.
Several hours, building up gradually · Small sips every 10-15 minutes
Caution: Do not force large amounts of fluid at once, which can trigger more vomiting. Stop and seek medical care if the person cannot keep even small sips down after several hours.
When to get help: Blood or coffee-ground material in vomit, signs of dehydration (dry mouth, no tears, little urination, dizziness), an infant with fever and lethargy, suspected poisoning, or vomiting lasting more than 24-48 hours all need prompt medical evaluation — call Poison Control or a doctor right away if poisoning is suspected.
Source: General home-care nursing references
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
This traditional comfort measure may help settle mild nausea once the stomach can tolerate small sips of fluid.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Ginger has traditionally been used to ease nausea and may help calm stomach discomfort, though it works best for mild queasiness rather than active vomiting.
- Slice a small piece of fresh ginger (about the size of a coin) or use one ginger tea bag.
- Steep in a cup of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Let cool to warm, then sip slowly in small amounts once vomiting has slowed.
- Add a small amount of honey for taste if desired and age-appropriate.
5-10 minutes to prepare; sip over 20-30 minutes · 1-3 times a day as needed
Caution: Never give honey to infants under 1 year old due to botulism risk. Avoid strong ginger doses in people on blood-thinning medication without checking with a doctor.
When to get help: Blood or coffee-ground material in vomit, signs of dehydration, an infant with fever and lethargy, suspected poisoning (call Poison Control), or vomiting lasting more than 24-48 hours need prompt medical care.
Source: Traditional herbal-preparation references
Comments & experiences ▾
This gentle reintroduction of food supports recovery once vomiting has settled and fluids are being tolerated.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Bland foods like toast, rice, and bananas are low in fat and fiber, which makes them gentler on a recovering digestive system than heavier meals.
- Wait until fluids are being tolerated without vomiting for several hours before offering food.
- Start with small portions of plain toast, crackers, rice, banana, or applesauce.
- Watch for tolerance for a few hours before adding more variety.
- Gradually return to a normal diet over 1-2 days as tolerated, avoiding fatty or spicy foods at first.
1-2 days, building up gradually · Small portions every 2-3 hours as tolerated
Caution: Do not push food before fluids are well tolerated, as this can restart vomiting. Avoid dairy, fatty, or spicy foods until fully recovered, as they can be harder to digest.
When to get help: Blood or coffee-ground material in vomit, signs of dehydration, an infant with fever and lethargy, suspected poisoning (call Poison Control), or vomiting lasting more than 24-48 hours need prompt medical evaluation.
Source: General dietary-recovery references
Comments & experiences ▾
This is a comfort measure that can be used alongside rest and fluids once vomiting has slowed.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Gentle warmth on the abdomen may help relax stomach muscles and ease general discomfort, offering comfort rather than treating the underlying cause.
- Wrap a warm water bottle or heating pad in a thin towel to avoid direct heat on the skin.
- Place gently over the stomach area for 10-15 minutes while resting.
- Check the skin periodically to make sure it isn't too hot.
- Remove and let the skin cool before reapplying if desired.
10-15 minutes per session · 2-3 times a day as needed
Caution: Never apply direct heat to the skin — always wrap in a towel to prevent burns. Do not use heat on a stomach with severe or worsening pain, which needs medical evaluation instead.
When to get help: Blood or coffee-ground material in vomit, signs of dehydration, an infant with fever and lethargy, suspected poisoning (call Poison Control), or vomiting lasting more than 24-48 hours need prompt medical evaluation.
Source: General comfort-care references
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- Immediately if there is blood in the vomit, if an infant is unresponsive and feverish, if a caustic substance was swallowed, or if vomiting does not resolve within 24–48 hours.
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your vomiting — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
Most vomiting is not from severe illness. It is often the body's attempt to expel something harmful. Vomiting can be either voluntary (induced to cleanse the stomach) or involuntary. Coffee-ground vomit (blood from ulcer or stomach cancer) is a medical emergency. Vomiting in infants with fever and unresponsiveness may indicate meningitis — call immediately.
Vomiting is the body's forceful way of emptying the stomach, usually to protect itself from something irritating — an infection, spoiled food, a toxin, or simply overeating — and is often preceded by nausea. In most short-lived cases it is the symptom of a passing upset rather than a problem in itself.
The main concern during vomiting is staying hydrated, so the approach is to rest the stomach briefly, then sip small amounts of clear fluids frequently, gradually returning to bland foods as it settles; ginger is a time-honored stomach-settler. Most bouts pass within a day. Vomiting that is severe or persistent, contains blood or looks like coffee grounds, comes with severe abdominal pain, a stiff neck and headache, signs of dehydration, or follows a head injury needs prompt medical attention.
Common signs
- Forceful return of stomach contents through the mouth
- Nausea usually precedes the vomiting
- Pallor, sweating, excess saliva
- Weakness after prolonged vomiting (from fluid loss)
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
Peppermint tea or a sniff of peppermint oil can calm the queasiness (persistent vomiting or signs of dehydration need medical care).850
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Peppermint or spearmint tea (settle stomach)
- Ginger (very powerful antiemetic)
- Clear fluids: water, weak teas, diluted fruit juice
- Electrolyte drinks or clear soups (to replace minerals)
- Rice soup (first food when ready to eat)
Go easy on
- Any solid food for several hours
- Cold fluids — shock to weakened stomach
- Carbonated drinks
- Milk and heavy soups initially
- Fatty foods — remain in tired stomach too long
Sip fluids slowly — do not gulp. Coffee-ground vomit is a medical emergency (internal bleeding). Infant vomiting with fever and unresponsiveness = call a physician immediately (possible meningitis).
⚖️ Good to know
- Coffee-ground vomit = blood from a bleeding ulcer or stomach cancer — GO TO EMERGENCY ROOM
- Do NOT induce vomiting if a caustic substance (lye, bleach, acid) was swallowed — it causes more damage coming back up
- Infant with vomiting, fever, and unresponsiveness = possible meningitis — call physician immediately
- Prolonged vomiting causes dangerous dehydration and electrolyte loss — replenish fluids
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Care focuses on hydration and treating the cause; anti-nausea medicine helps when needed.
Commonly offered
- Small sips of clear fluids/oral rehydration; rest the stomach–
- Anti-nausea medication (ondansetron, etc.) when appropriate–
- Treating the underlying cause–
- Bland foods as it settles–
Worth knowing
- Blood in vomit, severe abdominal pain, or signs of dehydration need prompt care.
- Persistent vomiting in infants, the elderly, or pregnancy needs evaluation.
- Sudden severe headache with vomiting can be serious — seek care.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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