Exact Answer: After 1-2 Hours
Vomiting is the method that our body applies. Through this method, our stomach contents are eliminated forcefully from our body by mouth. This is done to ensure that nothing unhealthy or harmful contents stay in our stomach. Most of the time, vomiting is a one-time event due to the consumption of some unhealthy dish or drink.
But if it’s happening more than once, then vomiting is considered as a symptom of other severe medical conditions. If you are vomiting frequently, then you will feel quite dehydrated, and it is much important to treat this dehydration. Drinking lots of water is the most recommended for treating dehydration. But how much and after how long should we consume water?
How Long After Vomiting Can You Drink Water?
| For 1-2 Hours | Suck on Ice Chips |
| After 2 Hours | Sips of Water Every 15 Minutes |
Vomiting is caused due to several reasons. In the case of adults, it is mainly caused due to food poisoning, motion sickness, indigestion, intense pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), medications, and food allergies. For babies, it is because of viral gastroenteritis, milk intolerance, and when they swallow milk too fast. Lastly, vomiting in pregnant women is due to morning sickness, intolerance to particular taste or smell, and migraine headaches.
As mentioned before, vomiting can be a one-time event or can be caused due to other illnesses. If you have vomited once or twice, then there is not much for you to worry about. It was just a way to remove unhealthy contents from your stomach.
But if you are vomiting frequently, then it must be because of stomach infections, food poisoning, and other medical conditions. This frequent vomiting can also lead to further medical issues. Although these issues are not that severe, it is important to treat them. One of these issues is dehydration.
Dehydration is mostly treated by consuming fluid stuff, mostly water. Other contents which you can consume include ice chips, clear liquids, and broth. Hence, it is necessary to know when and how we consume water.
You should never drink water or eat anything for about two hours after vomiting. For these two hours, you can suck the ice chips if you want to. Once these two hours pass, you should start taking sips of water after every 15 minutes. You must continue this for the next 3-4 hours. This will help you in rehydrating yourself.
Why does it That Long to Drink Water After Vomiting?
Dehydration is the medical state in which your body has lost a lot of water. Due to this loss, your body is not left with enough water for carrying out its processes. Dehydration may be harmful to kids and the elderly. It is quite important for them as well as for other people to refill all of the lost water. Thus, we need to drink lots of water when we feel dehydrated.
As vomiting causes dehydration, it is suggested by the doctors to drink lots of water. But even though we must drink water after frequent vomiting to rehydrate ourselves, we must not consume it right away. Consuming lots of water after vomiting may make you feel sick again. This is because our stomach is not stable for about 2 hours after vomiting, and it may not be able to handle the water consumed. Thus, the doctors suggest sucking ice chips during that time, so that you can avoid your mouth from going dry. The water from these ice chips is absorbed by the mucous membrane in the mouth. Hence, it prevents further vomiting as this water doesn’t go to your stomach.
After two hours, when your stomach is stable, you can try consuming some water. You must start by taking small sips of water, and increase the amount of water it after every half hour. Although drinking water is one of the best methods of rehydrating ourselves, it doesn’t include any minerals to increase the number of salts in our bodies. Therefore, if you can successfully consume water after vomiting, you can also start consuming different fluids which will help in rehydration.
Conclusion
Thus, if you feel like you are vomiting quite frequently, then you must drink lots of water to rehydrate yourself. Along with water, consuming various other healthy drinks help in replenishing the fluids which were lost while vomiting. At first, you should start sipping water at regular intervals of 15 minutes and after about 4 hours, you can start taking other drinks as well.
Although we can’t drink water right after vomiting, we can always rinse our mouth to remove that intolerable taste of vomit. Along with the taste, the stomach acid is also removed. Doctors also suggest another drink that can help in rehydrating. The ingredients for this drink include salt, sugar, and water. This drink is very easy to make and at the same time is much more effective.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525861008001072
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200939010-00001
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Thanks for the informative piece. It’s great to learn about dehydration and the right way to rehydrate after vomiting.
Absolutely, this article provides detailed and helpful guidance on the topic.
I appreciate the scientific explanation provided here. Very insightful.
The clear and detailed guidelines for rehydrating after vomiting are a valuable contribution to the discussion of health care.
I agree, the information presented here is essential for understanding how to manage dehydration effectively.
The scientific basis for the advice on rehydration provides a strong foundation for its credibility. Well articulated.
Absolutely, the scientific grounding of the post’s recommendations is commendable.
This article provides a commendable explanation of the medical rationale for the timing of rehydration. Excellent work.
The scientific reasoning behind the delay in drinking water after vomiting is compelling. It makes sense to wait before rehydrating.
Absolutely, the explanation is based on sound medical principles and should be heeded.
The post’s in-depth explanation of dehydration and the need for timed rehydration is both enlightening and practical.
The advice given here is based on medical science and should be taken seriously for optimal health.
The insights provided here have certainly expanded my understanding of rehydration practices.
This was an interesting read, and I appreciate the insights into rehydration after vomiting.
I have to say, I’m quite skeptical about the advice given here. I think I’ll stick to my own methods of rehydration after vomiting.
I understand your skepticism, but medical advice should be taken seriously. It’s important to consider the information presented here.
I think this post provides valuable information, especially on the causes and treatment of dehydration.
I appreciate the scientific backing for the rehydration methods discussed here. Knowledge is power.
Absolutely, understanding the science behind the guidelines is crucial for making informed decisions.
This article is quite comprehensive in its coverage of dehydration and rehydration methods. Well done.
The advice on rehydration is well-supported and should be followed for optimal recovery.