Vomiting is a natural process when one’s stomach is filled with undigested food, bacteria, viruses, or parasites. It helps in getting rid of excess water and other unwanted elements from the body. Vomiting also has its side effects, as it can lead to dehydration, dizziness, nausea, and sore throat after vomiting. The latter occurs when the acidic content of vomit enters your throat. It’s quite common to experience a sore throat after vomiting, particularly if you have eaten something spicy or acidic before throwing up. Vomiting also causes dry mouth and dehydration. These conditions can further worsen your sore throat afterward. Apart from that, nausea caused by vomiting can result in an increased gag reflex which might make you throw up again sooner than expected.
How To Soothe Throat After Vomiting
Use a Lubricant
If you’re experiencing a sore throat after vomiting, the first thing to do is to stop drinking water. This helps in preventing dehydration that causes sore throat after vomiting. If you feel like having some water, drink only warm water and use a lubricant like oil or butter if you have a dry mouth due to vomiting.
Take Vitamins
Vitamin B6 is an effective remedy for a sore throat caused by vomiting. It helps in preventing nausea and other unpleasant conditions after throwing up. Don’t forget to eat some foods rich in vitamin B6 such as eggs, fish, milk, poultry, and vegetables such as cauliflower, spinach, and broccoli. You can also take a multivitamin supplement that contains vitamin B6 as well as other necessary vitamins such as C and E. However, avoid taking too much of these vitamins since they can lead to diarrhea instead of soothing your throat pain after throwing up.
Drink Water Sparingly
Drinking plenty of water is essential when one experiences a sore throat after vomiting since it prevents dehydration caused by the acidic content of vomit which can worsen your condition further. If you feel like having some cold drinks and soda pop, drink only half the amount that you usually consume and sip on it slowly until the acidity in your stomach has been neutralized completely by drinking more water than usual during the day instead of gulping it down all at once in one go before bedtime or when you feel thirsty.
Eat a Little Bit of Spicy Food
If you’re experiencing a sore throat after vomiting, eating a little bit of spicy food can help in relieving the symptoms and prevent further dehydration. If you’re feeling queasy because of your vomiting, having some spicy food such as hot chili peppers, pickles or even ginger is better than nothing at all. However, avoid eating too much of such foods since they can lead to diarrhea instead of soothing your sore throat after throwing up.
Drink Warm Tea with Honey
If you’ve been nauseated by the acidic content of vomit entering your throat and want to avoid drinking water because it has been proven that drinking water increases dehydration, warm tea with honey can be a good alternative for soothing your sore throat after throwing up. The warming effect of hot tea will counter the effects of cold drinks like water and prevent further dehydration by increasing blood flow to the skin and other parts of your body which helps in preventing numbness caused by low blood pressure as well as make-up bleeding while brushing teeth or shaving which are common symptoms of dehydration. Aside from that, drinking warm tea with honey will also counter the symptoms caused by vomitings like dizziness and nausea which are commonly experienced when one experiences severe vomiting episodes like acid reflux attacks or heartburn due to excessive stomach acid in vomit entering into our stomachs when we throw up. Drinking warm tea with honey also has other benefits like reducing inflammation in the body which can help in preventing sore throat after vomiting.
What To Do After Vomiting?
- If you feel nauseous after vomiting, you can try drinking some water.
- If possible, take a sip of water from a cup to let your throat feel moistened.
- If the sore throat persists, use a cool compress on your neck, then apply an ice pack to it for 20 minutes to help alleviate the pain and swelling.
- Use saltwater gargling and gargling with honey to relieve sore throat and reduce symptoms of dry mouth caused by vomiting. Take 2 teaspoons of salt in 1 cup of warm water and gargle for 5 minutes then spit out the solution into a jar with a lid and cover it with a thick cloth or plastic bag to keep the air away from it.
- You can also try gargling with a small amount of warm salt water, which is good for your throat and nasal passages.
- You can also try drinking warm ginger tea which helps to soothe a sore throat as well as nausea after vomiting.
What Causes Throat Ache After Vomiting?
- Ingestion of acidic food or drink.
- Vomiting after eating spicy food
- Exposure to certain bacteria
- Use of certain medications
- Stress and anxiety
- Flu and cold
- Intense coughing
- Anemia
- Excessive consumption of alcohol
Tips To Soothe A Sore Throat After Vomiting
- Know your body. If you know the reason for your sore throat, you can take care of it accordingly. If you feel that the sore throat is caused due to dehydration, drink a glass of water and take painkillers if needed.
- Soothe your throat with medicated lozenges or cough drops. These will help in soothing your throat and also fight any infection.
- Drink plenty of water before and after vomiting to avoid dehydration and constipation in the future.
- Avoid drinking alcohol and spicy food until your stomach settles down completely since they can worsen the condition further.
- Use a humidifier at night if you have difficulty breathing while sleeping due to dry mouth or sore throat caused by vomiting.
- Take some warm liquids like hot tea or hot water, which will soothe the soreness and aid digestion in the stomach region as well as in other parts of the body where it has spread due to acidity from vomit.
- Paregoric (analgesic) can be taken if required by children or adults who have trouble sleeping after vomiting. It’s a wonderful painkiller.
- Take care of your throat by gargling with warm salt water or using a throat lozenge after vomiting.
- Gargle with warm salt water or use a throat lozenge to soothe your sore throat after vomiting.
Gargle Saltwater
- Gargle with warm saltwater. Saltwater helps in absorbing the acidic content of your vomit. If you have eaten a lot of spicy food, drink a glass of hot water mixed with a spoonful of baking soda and drink it immediately after throwing it up.
- Gargle with hot tea mixed with honey or lemon juice. Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties which relieve sore throat and can prevent dehydration caused by vomiting, while lemon juice is known to have soothing effects on the throat and can help you recover faster from the symptoms caused by vomiting.
- Gargle with cold milk mixed with an equal amount of water or honey. Milk has anti-bacterial properties which soothe a sore throat, while honey can help improve your sense of taste and appetite as well as reduce nausea after vomiting.
- Gargle salt water mixed with warm milk or hot lemon juice once every two or three hours during the day until you feel better (at least one hour before going to bed). It’s important to gargle these liquids regularly in order to prevent dehydration caused by vomiting, as well as sore throat after vomiting due to acidity in vomit entering your throat again when you wake up during the night due to frequent coughing and sneezing during the night (due to dry mouth). You might also want to gargle some warm salt water every time you wake up from sleep, particularly if you have experienced frequent bouts of coughing during sleep.
- Gargle salt water mixed with warm milk after every meal. It’s important to gargle these liquids regularly in order to prevent dehydration caused by vomiting, as well as sore throat after vomiting due to acidity in vomit entering your throat again when you wake up during the night due to frequent coughing and sneezing during the night. You might also want to gargle some warm salt water every time you wake up from sleep, particularly if you have experienced frequent bouts of coughing during sleep.
Conclusion
Vomiting is a natural process that helps in getting rid of excess water and other unwanted elements from the body. However, it can also lead to many health problems, including a sore throat. The latter occurs when the acidic content of vomit enters your throat. If you want to avoid a sore throat after vomiting, it’s best to eat lightly and slowly. Avoid eating something spicy or acidic before vomiting. You should also avoid drinking a lot of fluids to avoid dehydration. It’s best to get some rest after vomiting to let your body heal.