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Throwing up is not a good feeling. But sometimes it becomes a necessity, as in the case of indigestion, uncontrolled alcohol or toxic intake. You could have overeaten or taken the wrong medications that compel you to throw up. Whatever be the case, we will now discuss how you can throw up comfortably without causing harm to your body.
10 Ways to Safely Throw Up
There are numerous safe ways to throw up. However, it is advisable to consult your medical practitioner before forcing yourself to vomit as the situation could turn dangerous.
1. Use Your Fingers
Yes, though it sounds gross, putting your finger in your throat is one of the easiest ways to throw up quickly. Just push your finger towards the back of your tongue, and your task will be achieved soon.
How Does This Work?
- The Gag Reflex is the body’s way of protecting you from unwanted foreign substances. This automatic response is triggered when the finger comes in contact with your tongue. It immediately induces nausea and makes you vomit.
[ Read: Does Ginger Help with Nausea ]
2. Use an Emetic
There are various over-the-counter emetics like ‘The syrup of Ipecac’ that are helpful inducing vomiting.
How does this work: Emetics are medicines that induce vomiting.
Word of caution: This syrup should be taken only under the doctor’s supervision.
3. Salt Water/ Baking Soda
This technique is also very effective in inducing vomiting. Add 2-3 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and drink it up. Alternatively you can use a teaspoon of baking soda, instead of the salt. It might take 25 minutes to throw up, and you can also use your finger to speed up the process.
How it works?
- Salt contains sodium and too much intake of this element can disrupt the electrolyte balance of your body. This, in turn, propels the body to throw out excess water intake.
[ Read: Salt Water Flush for Colon Cleansing ]
4. Coke
Drinking coke that has run out of fizz will help you throw up easily. Repeat the process every hour till you get the feeling of throwing up. Coca-cola that contains bubbles helps in treating an upset stomach, but the reverse happens in the case of bubble-free coke.
How does this work?
- Coca-cola that has run out of fizz/carbon dioxide, tends to have too much of sugar content which the body cannot withstand. Therefore, when you drink large amounts of this coke, the body tries to expel it by throwing up.
5. Rotten Smell
Doesn’t the smell of rotten vegetables induce a nauseous feeling? So when you want to throw up, run to the trash can or smell your dirtiest socks. The most likely chances are that you will be heading to the wash basin without much extra effort.
How does this work?
- Smell helps the body in identifying toxic foods/substances that are harmful to the body. When you smell something toxic, the body triggers a reflex similar to eating toxic or dangerous food items. Hence, we tend to throw up immediately.
6. Mustard Mix
Mix a teaspoon of mustard in a glass of water and gulp it down. It might take half an hour for results to show. However, try not using this method too frequently for throwing up as mustard contain high amounts of sodium which is not good for health.
How it works: Mustard has emetic properties which induce the feeling of throwing up.
[ Read: How to Use Baking Soda as a Colon Cleanse ]
7. Bloodroot Herb
Mix some herbal bloodroot powder in a glass of water and drink it. You will feel nauseous in a while and feel like vomiting. However, do exercise caution while taking this mix as high quantities are very toxic.
How does this work: Bloodroot is a herbal medicine is known to induce nausea and vomiting.
8. Gargle with Egg Whites
Eeks! Doesn’t the idea even seem nauseating? This is a sure shot method to enable you to puke in a few seconds time. You can use the entire raw egg or just the egg white and gargle with it.
How it works?
- The smell of raw eggs is so unpleasant that you will throw up as soon as you gargle. This is a very effective method for removing toxins from the body.
9. Visual Aid
Though this may seem surprising, but if you visualize yourself throwing up, you might actually end up doing so. You could watch the video of something unpleasant that makes you feel sick and nauseous. The photo of a rotten food item or anything disturbing could make you throw up.
How it works?
- Seeing or experiencing something bad instantly triggers a stimuli. The brain chords then send the body signals to act accordingly. This emotional reaction will trigger a physical response, thus inducing nausea and vomiting.
10. Think about Vomiting
If we constantly think about getting sick, you might actually catch the flu. While this sounds absurd, this formula actually works. Keep thinking about vomiting and imagine unsightly items that could induce vomiting. You will find yourself getting nauseous in a while.
How does this work?
- The brain reacts according to how we think. When we think about vomiting, the brains send out messages to the body which induces a feeling of throwing up.
What to Do After you Throw Up?
- Blow your nose well, though not very forcefully. This will help in removing all waste materials of the vomit from your nasal cavities.
- Take a warm shower and relax.
- You can gargle with mouthwash to get rid of unpleasant odors.
- Since water is lost during the process of vomiting, sip on water to keep yourself hydrated.
- You can drink some juices, ORS, or even a ginger ale to get rid of the pungent taste in your mouth and rehydrate your body.
Points to Remember
- While it is ok to vomit once in a while to remove toxins from the body, never make this a habit as it might have adverse effects on your health.
- The best position to vomit is to kneel on all fours.
- Take deep breaths before vomiting.
Side Effects of Forced Vomiting
- Forced vomiting could lead to loss of water content and dehydration in the body.
- The stomach acids that enter the mouth with the vomit may erode the teeth enamel and mouth.
- The body might get prone to vomiting.
- You might develop an eating disorder called Bulimia. In this case, people tend to overeat and then forcefully throw up in fear of gaining weight. If you often feel good after vomiting, then its time you visit a therapist who understands the root cause behind this behavior and prescribes a treatment.
- People who constantly vomit are more prone to getting acid reflexes and ulcers.
As we see, self-induced vomiting is not good for your body. This situation must be completely avoided unless there is a necessity where you consume some unwanted or poisonous substance. Do not make throwing up a habit as it will mess up with your digestive system and hamper your appetite. Weigh the pros and cons and judge whether throwing up will improve your situation and then only take the plunge ahead.
