How to make yourself throw up?

Overview

Vomiting is a reflex that helps our body eliminate any ingested poisons or toxins. It is an inbuilt reflex that can arise from an acute or chronic condition. Moreover, in some eating disorders, vomiting can also be self-induced.

Symptoms of nausea or dry heaving that occur before throwing up can affect your quality of life. Chronic vomiting can lead to a variety of other health problems. Having sufficient knowledge about how to manage your condition not only reduces the risk of nausea and vomiting but also helps avoid chronic conditions. 

This article discusses how to make yourself throw up and whether it is inadvisable to do so under any circumstances and elaborates on ways to manage chronic nausea.

How to throw up?

By addressing questions such as ”How to induce vomiting?” or ”How to make yourself throw up?’ ‘ We are in no way teaching you how to make yourself sick but instead equipping you with information and where it is actually wise to make yourself vomit if you have consumed something harmful. 

Vomiting is induced by activating the gag reflex using the fingers or another object.

In order to vomit, a person washes their hands thoroughly, standing in front of the sink and inserts their index and middle fingers into the throat to trigger the gag reflex.  This results in gagging, followed by vomiting. Rinsing or gargling with water is advisable, but it is best to avoid brushing the teeth as this could worsen damage.

You mustn’t make yourself throw up unless your doctor advises it in a specific scenario as it can be dangerous.

When to induce vomiting?

If you are searching for ways on how to puke, you must know the reasons why inducing vomiting may be an expected course of action:

• Consuming something harmful/poisonous
• Feeling sick or nauseous
• Eating disorders that lead to feelings of shame, guilt after eating or self-loathing

Again, it is critical to know that inducing vomiting is not the best step unless instructed by a doctor.

Self-induced vomiting is not without risks, some of which include:

• Dehydration
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Damage to the throat/teeth/ gums

What can cause vomiting?

You may be reading this article because you are looking for ways to force yourself to throw up or how to throw up easily.

Nausea can be very uncomfortable, and thinking about how to make yourself throw up to relieve the sensation seems the next logical step or a desperate measure to feel better. 

When you feel like you are going to vomit, you prefer for it to be over. In fact, the best way to deal with this is to treat the underlying cause. 

Acute nausea can be linked to the flu or gastroenteritis. However, chronic nausea occurs in waves for several days or an extended period. It is often triggered by eating. Nausea that comes in waves can drastically affect your quality of life.

Dealing with nausea is often challenging as it can be caused by conditions related to your abdomen and pelvic organs or conditions that affect your brain.

Some common causes of chronic nausea include:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): This results in the leaking of stomach contents upward and is also referred to as acid reflux.
• Peptic ulcer disease: This can arise as a long-term acid reflux in which the lining of your stomach or small intestine can be damaged.
• Gastroparesis: The nerves or muscles in the stomach are affected lead to delayed stomach emptying or indigestion
• Non-ulcer dyspepsia: Discomfort that occurs in the upper stomach which is not caused by an ulcer
• Bowel obstruction: If a part of your small or large intestine is wholly or partially blocked, this is termed bowel obstruction.
• Morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum): Vomiting or nausea that occurs during early pregnancy but may prevail throughout.
• Balance disorders: Such disorders cause dizziness.
• Eating disorders: Mental health conditions affecting patterns of thinking and perception of food, weight, and body shape.
• Migraines: Severe headache accompanied by symptoms like nausea, sound and light sensitivity.
• Dysautonomia: This includes problems with the area of your brain that controls automatic functions, namely the heart rate and blood pressure.
• Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): An abnormal change in heart rate when you get up from sitting or lying down. 
• Chemotherapeutic drugs

What to do to alleviate nausea?

Instead of focusing on ways to make yourself throw up, it is a good idea to try the following for relief:

• Chewing on raw ginger or drinking ginger ale or ginger tea can help relieve nausea.
• Applying manual pressure at specific points on your body is termed acupressure. It can help relieve nausea.
• Aromatherapy is another option. Scents such as lavender, lemon, and peppermint can calm your brain and upset stomach.
• Sucking on peppermint candy may help as well.
• Avoiding spicy, fried, and processed food until symptoms pass will help prevent worsening of nausea.
• Maintain hydration.

What are the risks of throwing up?

If you are still figuring out how to make yourself throw up, it is vital to know that even in the case of poisoning, it may not be safe to induce vomiting. This is because when you make yourself vomit, the acid or poison can cause oesophagal injury or burns in the throat and mouth as well. 

Vomiting always carries risks, and there is no justified or medical reason for a person to induce vomiting if they feel nauseated.

Furthermore, vomiting may not empty the contents of the stomach or remove the total dose of poison.

Some risks of vomiting include:

• Dehydration
• Electrolyte imbalances that may damage other organs
• Injury to the oesophagus, throat or mouth 
• Malnourishment
• Pancreatitis

How to get help for an eating disorder?

Bulimia nervosa is a condition that can bring about feelings of shame, self-loathing and fear about weight gain that can compel a person to induce vomiting.

These individuals with eating disorders fear stigma or judgment. However, these conditions can be managed by asking a doctor for support. Treatment can include:

• education about eating disorders
• nutritional counseling 
• therapy to deal with mental health concerns
• family support and family counseling
• participation in a support group
• medical treatment to help address the health effects of bulimia

Depending on the patient’s condition, inpatient treatment may be more beneficial, as care and monitoring can be done in a safe environment.

When to consult a doctor?

Inducing vomiting without a medical reason or doctor’s supervision can have hazardous consequences. Sometimes, it can worsen the case of poisoning or an underlying medical condition.

People dealing with nausea should consult our doctor at Your Doctors online about treatment options. If the issue persists, seeing a healthcare provider is best.

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