What are they?
Nausea is an unpleasant, sick feeling coming from the mid-stomach area.
Vomiting is the sudden forcing-out of the stomach contents through the mouth.
While nausea and vomiting themselves are not contagious, the things that cause them may be very contagious.
What Causes Them?
The most common causes for nausea & vomiting are:
- Viruses
- Food Poisoning
- Certain medications
- Too much food or drink
- Certain stressful situations
- Most cases of nausea and vomiting are short lasting 24 to 48 hours.
Symptoms
- Abdominal Cramps
- Diarrhea
- Pale Skin Color
- Headache
- Sweating
- Lightheadedness
- Weakness
- Watery saliva
What to Do
- Take nothing by mouth until vomiting stops, and for two hours after that.
- You may have limited ice chips or suck on hard candy once you have stopped vomiting for at least 2 hours.
- Then start with a few sips of clear liquids (see list below). If tolerated for 2-3 hours, then increase to 1 to 2 ounces of fluid.
Tea (warms or iced)
Flat cola
Ginger-ale
Flat 7-up
Grape or apple juice
Gatorade
Water
Clear broth
Bouillon
Kool-Aid
Jell-O
As your condition improves , you may add other fluids and solid foods (see following list)
Solids
Crackers
Toast with jelly
Pretzels
Animal Crackers
Potatoes
Rice
Noodles
Chicken or Turkey
What to Avoid
Fried foods
Spicy foods
Tomato-based foods
Raw fruits and vegetables
Fatty foods
Salad dressings
Citrus juices
Treatment
Primary treatment should be through diet. Medication should be a secondary treatment. If it persists longer than 48 hours, visit the health center for further treatment, which may include medication.
Notify our office if any of the following occurs:
- Persistent vomiting
- Severe stomach pain
- High fever
- Signs of dehydration-dry or parched lips, a decrease in amount of urine, obvious weight loss, and no tears when crying.
Self Care kits for nausea and vomiting are kept in the RA office of your residence hall and the Office of Security for prompt availability.
Please call Health Services x1169 for further questions.
