Oh, parenting: the laughter, the tears, the—vomit
Last night my husband stood nearby watching while I called for a basin, a bowl, a something to catch the impressive display bursting forth from my small daughter. He later told me, defending his inaction, “I figured that after you were thrown up on once, you were a goner anyway. I was waiting for her to stop so I could take her and clean her up.” Lesson One in Home Care of the Vomiting Kind: contain the puke. In so doing you reduce the spread of potentially infectious body fluids; cut down on laundry and cleaning; and, if your spouse happens to be the target of the spew, earn some serious gratitude.
Don’t Feed the Monster
Lesson Two is, Do Not Feed the Throw Up Monster. This comes as a surprise to many parents, but the deal is this: If your sick child throws up every time you give him something to eat or drink, don’t give it. Offering food and drink that stimulates throwing up does not offer the body nourishment. Instead, it heightens the risk of dehydration from increased vomiting, and depletes the invalid’s energy. Early Naturopathic doctors explained it thusly: “Much less food is required [in illness] than in times of healthy activity. Does not Nature herself, in acute diseases, protest against eating, by loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting?” In illness, “All efforts are concentrated on elimination; the stomach and bowels are also called upon to assist in the general house cleaning….The digestive organs normally act like a sponge, but now the process is reversed, the sponge is being squeezed.” 1
They lamented that in the growing era of pharmaceutical drugs, patients were given medications that would stop the natural purge process, bemoaning “Nevertheless, although the patient himself objects to the enforced feeding, and his whole organism revolts against it, the wise doctor still insists that he ‘must eat to keep up strength’ so-called “sedatives” are given to paralyze the stomach into insensibility and down go chicken soup, eggs and beef tea!” 1 And observing that, “As soon as food is given, this beneficial elimination through stomach and bowels is hindered and interrupted; as a consequence, the temperature immediately rises and is followed by an aggravation of all symptoms.” 1
Listen to the Body
The body, in its wisdom, throws up to lighten the burden of digestion and to get some of the offending substance—usually a bacteria or virus—out. When we feed a system that doesn’t want food we interrupt the natural process of out; it’s like putting bricks onto the back of a cart being pulled uphill: the body has to work harder to do what it’s trying to do. For most families, this translates to more throw up, more often, and of the messier kind. For the patient, this can actually increase the risk of dehydration.
Before going any further, let me clarify that we’re talking about a normal developing, generally healthy individual over the age of 6 months coming down with a routine stomach bug or bout of food poisoning. If this description is not your throw-upper, seek medical attention. This is particularly true if your sick individual begins vomiting following a head trauma; has a fever and a tender abdomen; has bloody vomit or diarrhea; appears sicker than you think they should; or, if vomiting persists after four to six hours without eating or drinking.
Otherwise, give that stomach a little rest.
Most people in this situation do not have an appetite anyway. Trust this. A well nourished individual who is at the beginning stages of an acute illness can handle going without food and water for a while. Once the stomach is emptied, vomiting usually calms down, or at least becomes a little less unpleasant. Vomiting should cease all together within four to six hours of no food or drink.
After the throwing up has stopped, offer water one teaspoon at a time, waiting 20 minutes between teaspoons. If water is tolerated, move on to bone broth, herbal tea, or diluted juice with a little salt added. If your invalid has thirst, offer ice to suck on.
As W. Harvard wrote in 1920, “Eggs, cheese, very starchy substances including white flour products, polished rice and starchy vegetables such as potatoes; refined sugar; stimulants—tea, coffee, tobacco, alcoholic beverages; seasoning such as pepper, spices, vinegar and condiments, must all be scratched from the lists of permissible foods.”2
This holds true until appetite and hunger return, at which time healthy, whole foods can be re-introduced slowly. Start with a tablespoon of food. Eat it slowly, and wait twenty minutes before giving more. Good foods after stomach bug are stewed vegetables with a little salt, or well cooked grains like rice. Unflavored gelatin can be stirred into tea or mixed into broth as a healing protein source. If the first few tablespoons stay down, it is probably safe to move on eating to hunger and drinking to thirst. If they don’t? Give the body a little more time, and try again when the urge to eat is stronger.
Karis Tressel, ND understands that your body is meant to experience abundant health. At the family practice she maintains in Bakersfield, CA, Dr. Tressel and her colleagues utilize natural therapies including nutrition, herbs, homeopathy, detoxification/drainage, water therapies and sensible lifestyle to address the root causes of disease, thereby assisting the body in healing itself and moving toward its wellness potential.
A graduate of the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR, Dr. Tressel is passionate about sharing the sensible, simple, effective treatments and philosophies of Nature Cure and old-time Naturopathic Medicine.
References:
- Unknown(1910). Snow, The Naturopath and the Herald of Health, XV(10), 612.
- Havard, William F (1920). A Course in Basic Diagnosis, The Naturopath and the Herald of Health, Benedict Lust Publishing, New York, Vol. XXV, #6, pp. 277-283.