Nausea and vomiting are among the most unpleasant symptoms a person can experience. In general, these symptoms affect when there is an upset or stomach disease, the intake of medications or specific treatments, or stress and poor handling of strong emotions. Nausea and vomiting can be very common but should not go unnoticed, as they can cause complications to the body, such as dehydration.
Both vomiting and nausea cause a person to lose appetite, leading to unhealthy weight loss. To avoid nutritional problems or weakness during these symptoms, it is necessary to carefully take care of the diet to offer the body the essential vitamins and minerals that prevent it from getting sick. For this reason, in this FastlyHealarticle we tell you what to eat if you have nausea and vomiting.
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Causes of nausea and vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are symptoms that can appear due to multiple conditions and conditions. The leading causes of nausea and vomiting are:
- Although the reason is not fully known, it is widespread for nausea and vomiting to occur during the first four months of pregnancy.
- Most chemotherapy treatments cause these side effects because they act on an area of the brain that recognizes chemicals as toxins and tries to release them through vomiting.
- An upset stomach or diseases of the digestive system such as gastritis or gastric reflux are the leading causes of nausea and vomiting.
- One out of every three patients has vomiting and nausea after being operated on; anesthesia is the leading cause of these postoperative complications.
- We have already mentioned the drugs used during chemotherapy, but there are other drugs, such as birth control pills, that can cause nausea.
- In addition to the headache, another of the main symptoms that a migraine can cause are vomiting and nausea.
How to eat if you have nausea and vomiting
Sometimes the way we eat can help us digest food better and lessen the discomfort caused by both symptoms. If you have nausea and vomiting, take these tips into account when eating:
Eat small amounts
Since nausea and vomiting suppress your appetite, a good way not to neglect your nutrition is to eat small amounts of food several times a day. The ideal is to consume between six and eight servings a day. You can eat the same amount of food as you usually eat, but without overloading your digestive system.
Cold food
Strong odors are one of the leading causes of nausea, so it is very effective to eat cold food or at room temperature since its smell is much less intense than when it is hot.
Rinse your mouth
Rinsing your mouth, both before and after eating, can be an excellent way to avoid nausea leading to vomiting. With a good rinse, you will avoid unpleasant flavors in your mouth that can cause these annoying symptoms.
Good posture
The posture you feel during and after the meal is vital to have good digestion. A lousy body position can make it difficult for your stomach, leading to vomiting and nausea. After eating, you should sit or lie down with your head up and stay that way for at least an hour; after eating, sit or lie down with your head up for at least an hour, as this position relieves the discomfort of nausea and vomiting.
What you should not eat
When we have nausea and vomiting, certain foods or foods can worsen the discomfort and pronounce both symptoms, causing the appetite to be even more suppressed and interfering with a possible improvement. Next, we will explain the foods to avoid if you have nausea and vomiting:
- If you suffer from these ailments, you should avoid drinking coffee and any caffeine beverage, such as cola, since this substance falls very heavy on the stomach and can worsen your discomfort.
- It is necessary to avoid greasy, processed, or high-salt food: white bread, hot dogs, cold cuts, donuts, cakes, fast food, canned food, French fries, and fried food.
- The consumption of foods with powerful odors can induce nausea and vomiting, so it is better that while the symptoms last, you avoid them; an example of these foods are some cheeses.
- Beyond food, some drinks should be avoided to relieve and decrease nausea. Alcohol and carbonated drinks are two drinks that you should eliminate from your diet because they can make the discomfort worse.
- Usually, when you suffer from nausea, there are many foods you do not want; it is your body’s way of preventing you from eating products that will not suit you. But if for some reason you do feel like it, you should know that under no circumstances should it be eaten spicy, prepared, or natural.
- Try not to eat whole foods, as they are rich in fiber and can stimulate vomiting.
On the other hand, other foods can help you improve digestion and thus avoid nausea; in the following FastlyHealarticle, we will discover them.
What to eat if I have nausea and vomiting
Birds
Chicken is an excellent protein that you can add to your diet if you have nausea and vomiting. Chicken, also turkey and soy meats, have a very mild flavor and tend to take on the taste of the ingredients with which they are seasoned. Therefore, you can prepare them on the grill without adding many spices to have a neutral and light flavor that does not wake up nausea. To make it easier to chew this type of meat, you can boil it and then shred it; in this way, it will be much easier to digest.
Dry food
Dry foods decrease saliva production in the mouth, which reduces nausea and vomiting; for this reason, we recommend eating them just when you feel that the discomfort may worsen. What are these foods to prevent nausea and vomiting? Crackers, popcorn, non-whole grains, peanuts, granola. Eat them on an empty stomach for best results throughout the day.
Fresh food
Foods that are fresh to the palate and pass quickly on the tongue without needing to be chewed several times to swallow are also ideal for eating if you have nausea and vomiting. Yogurts, ice cream, sorbets, and fruit juice are excellent.
Soft foods
When you wonder what to eat if you have nausea and vomiting, you must remember that soft foods are the best option to avoid gagging when chewing and swallowing. Mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, omelets, gelatin, chicken not very well done, or vegetable creams are highly recommended options.
Soups and broths
Creams, consommés, soups, and broths are, without a doubt, the best option to feed yourself properly when the body asks you to reject any food, the appetite does not appear, and nausea and vomiting are extreme. The soup is prepared based on vegetables, proteins, and vegetables, which makes it rich in vitamins and minerals, ensuring that your body receives all the nutrients it needs in a single meal to avoid decompensation. As if that were not enough, the soup is liquid for the body, so it prevents dehydration, which can be very common when a person has vomited a lot.
Fruits
Avoid citrus fruits, which can irritate the digestive tract and worsen discomfort. Instead, fruits like papaya boost digestive health and eliminate nausea, reflux, and heartburn.
Drink water
Fluid intake is essential to prevent the body from becoming dehydrated due to vomiting. If the water increases your nausea, try a popsicle or chew ice.
Includes bananas
When a person has vomited several times, their potassium level in the body decreases and makes them feel weak. Preventing low potassium is possible if we add bananas to our meals; since this fruit, in addition to being a band, has high contents of this substance, it can also be crushed as a porridge.
Tips to decrease nausea and vomiting
Below from FastlyHealwe leave you a series of tips that can be very useful to reduce and relieve retching and vomiting:
- Breathe in the fresh air, inhale slowly through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth.
- Avoid any strong odor, including perfumes, air fresheners, candles, incense, and any scent that wakes up an upset stomach.
- Chew hard candy to remove any unpleasant taste from your mouth.
- Breathe through your mouth to avoid unpleasant odors.
- Eating ginger candy can relieve discomfort instantly.
- If the discomfort does not improve in any way, consult your doctor so that he can establish the causes of this ailment and can prescribe some medication for it.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.