After a night of partying, all the alcohol you've been drinking can leave you feeling nauseous, on the verge of throwing up. This phenomenon is caused by excess alcohol, dehydration, or it could be the body's way of telling you that you should leave the party. When you start to feel bad, you have several techniques available to prevent stomach upset from becoming an "external" problem as well.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Stabilizing the Stomach
Step 1. Drink water throughout your "alcoholic" evening
If you often vomit, you should alternate each glass of alcoholic drink with one of water. If you get drunk and feel a little nauseous, stick to just water. Sip it constantly, never in large sips or in exaggerated quantities, as too much liquid can trigger vomiting.
Inexperienced drinkers sometimes drink too much water to ward off the risk of dehydration. You need to sip it all night, but don't get to feel stomach discomfort
Step 2. Eat something in advance
Alcohol passes quickly from the stomach to the bloodstream and even faster from the small intestine to the bloodstream. If you are fasting, the alcohol absorption rate is faster and you will feel drunk very quickly with a feeling of lightheadedness and retching. A small pre-party meal could make the difference between a fun night out and one spent throwing up.
- Foods rich in fat, such as those served in bars, take a long time to digest in the stomach, making them the perfect choice for your evenings with friends.
- Healthy "pre-drink" foods include nuts, avocado and oilseeds.
Step 3. Try over-the-counter medicines
It is of fundamental importance to use methods that affect your body; so, if chewable antacid tablets usually can't calm your stomach, using one to avoid vomiting isn't the best solution. If there is a drug that you normally use to relieve nausea or stomach pain, then you can take it preventively, as soon as you experience the first symptoms.
Step 4. Replenish your potassium reserves
A major cause of nausea and hangover symptoms is dehydration. Dehydration is a condition where the body does not have enough water available or cannot hold it due to an electrolyte imbalance. An important electrolyte that helps the body retain water is potassium, and you can get it by eating foods that are rich in it, such as bananas.
Step 5. Drink sports drinks that contain electrolytes
However, be very careful in choosing these products, because in many cases the formulations have been modified, recklessly increasing the amount of sugar, in order to make the drink more pleasant for most consumers. However, keep in mind that sugary drinks worsen the state of dehydration.
Step 6. Eat some ginger
Many studies confirm the powerful anti-emetic properties of ginger, which you can enjoy in an herbal tea or as ginger-ale. You can add it to your dishes, your drink, chew a piece of raw root or eat some candied ginger to calm your stomach.
Step 7. Try fennel seeds
They have been found to be useful in promoting digestion and decreasing the feeling of nausea. You can make a calming herbal tea by leaving a tablespoon of ground fennel seeds to infuse for 10 minutes.
Chew a teaspoon of fennel seeds; even if they are not the most palatable choice, they still prevent you from throwing up
Part 2 of 2: Prevent Vomiting
Step 1. Recognize your limitations
This is a trial and error process, but at least you can be sure you learn from your mistakes. However, there are general guidelines regarding alcohol tolerance based on gender and body weight. Women, who are generally smaller, weigh less and naturally have a higher percentage of fat mass, have a lower tolerance limit. Here is a list of moderate amounts of alcohol that will hopefully not lead to nausea:
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Men:
- 50-74.5 kg: 1-2 alcoholic drinks per hour.
- 75-100 kg (and more): 2-3 alcoholic drinks per hour.
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Women:
- 45-50 kg: 1 drink per hour.
- 50.5-90 kg: 1-2 alcoholic drinks per hour.
- 90.5-100 kg (and more): 2-3 drinks per hour.
Step 2. Stop drinking when you reach your limit
This is easier said than done, especially when you are surrounded by friends encouraging you to take another drink and your inhibitions are weakened by the alcohol you have already consumed.
A good way to defend yourself against this is to announce that another drink would make you throw up. This ploy is especially useful if you are talking to the host, where the evening is taking place
Step 3. Get out for some fresh air
If you lower your body temperature, you will feel better. At parties it is often very hot and going outside allows you to take a break from the crowds and oppressive atmosphere that could potentially make you throw up. Plus, if you were overwhelmed with nausea, you wouldn't be surrounded by people, and throwing up outdoors requires a lot less cleaning work.
Step 4. Listen to your body
If you are on the verge of sickness, are gagging, or have a lot of salivation, the best way not to throw up is to stop drinking for the rest of the evening. Especially if you have already vomited, even if you feel much better afterwards, you should not drink again, as it will trigger another series of retching and potentially a much more serious situation, such as alcohol intoxication.
Step 5. Activate the acupressure point on your wrist
Although there is no definitive evidence for its effectiveness against nausea, most doctors believe acupressure is not dangerous. Find the Neiguan point (P6) on the inside of the arm. Rotate your hand so that the palm is facing up. Place the three middle fingers on the opposite wrist, with the ring finger right on the joint. The outer edge of the middle finger should fall exactly on point P6. At this point, press the area with your thumb in a circular motion for a short time.
You can experience greater benefits by repeating the procedure on the other wrist
Step 6. Don't move too much
You should be better off sitting or leaning on your left side in a semi-recumbent position. The activity worsens the feeling of nausea by also triggering the gag reflex.
Advice
- If you start vomiting, drink plenty of water. If you eventually vomit again, it is better to throw back water than to have unproductive retching.
- Don't drink alcohol that makes you sick, whether it's a shot of tequila or something worse like a chupito cement mixer or a tequila with tabasco. A couple of these drinks could make you throw up even though you are almost sober.
- When drinking, it is best not to mix drinks. When you constantly change the drink, it becomes difficult to keep track of the alcohol content. Stick to only one type of drink to avoid drinking too much.
- If you feel really nauseous, act like a polite host and go to a place where you won't do too much damage. The bathroom is definitely the best place, but at busy parties it is always busy. Alternatively, find a sink with a garbage disposal or go to the garden.
- If you are at a party where there are people playing drinking games, attend before you are really very drunk. These games lead you to drink quickly, which is quite tolerable when you are sober but, if you join the competition when you are already very "tried" then there is a high chance that you will throw up.
- When you reach a high level of alcohol intoxication, you have the feeling that the room revolves around you. Each person has their own technique for dealing with this unpleasant sensation. Some recommend keeping your eyes open or getting up and doing something. However, if you stand up and tilt your head forward, perhaps over the edge of some structure, you will get rid of the internal cause that generates this vertigo. Alternatively, you can cover one eye and breathe deeply.
Warnings
- Vomiting is the body's defense mechanism that protects itself from excessive ingestion of toxins. Listen to your body.
- Always be very careful when drinking and never do it if you have to drive.