After throwing up, the most important things are to rest your stomach, protect your teeth, and start replacing lost fluids slowly. Most vomiting episodes resolve on their own within a day or two, but how you handle the first few hours makes a real difference in how quickly you recover.
Rinse Your Mouth, but Don’t Brush
Vomit is highly acidic, and that acid coats your teeth the moment it passes through your mouth. Your instinct will be to brush right away, but brushing within the first hour actually grinds that acid deeper into your enamel, causing more damage. Instead, rinse your mouth with plain water or a fluoride mouthwash to neutralize the acid. Wait at least one hour before brushing your teeth.
Give Your Stomach a Break
Don’t eat or drink anything right away. Your stomach needs a short rest period of a couple of hours before you introduce anything new. Lying down is fine during this time, but if you still feel nauseous, prop yourself up at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees (a couple of pillows under your upper back and head). This position reduces the risk of inhaling vomit if you get sick again while resting or dozing off. Lying flat on your back is the worst option when nausea is still active.
Start Fluids Slowly
Once a couple of hours have passed, begin with ice chips or very small sips of water every 15 minutes. The goal is to test whether your stomach can hold anything down before you increase the volume. If plain water stays down for an hour or so, you can gradually move to slightly larger sips.
Dehydration is the main medical risk from vomiting, especially if you’ve thrown up more than once. Good options beyond water include oral rehydration solutions, clear broths, and diluted sports drinks. Avoid caffeinated, carbonated, or sugary beverages early on, as these can irritate an already sensitive stomach.
Ease Back Into Eating
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s a reasonable starting point for the first day or two, but there’s no need to limit yourself strictly to those four foods. According to Harvard Health, a less restrictive approach that includes other bland, easy-to-digest options works just as well and provides more of the nutrients your body needs to recover.
Once your stomach feels more settled, try adding cooked carrots, sweet potatoes without the skin, butternut squash, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, or eggs. These foods are gentle on digestion while offering protein and vitamins that plain toast and rice lack. Let your appetite guide you. If something sounds unappealing, your body is probably telling you to wait.
Skip the Ibuprofen
If you have a headache, fever, or body aches after throwing up, reach for acetaminophen (Tylenol) rather than ibuprofen or aspirin. Anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen irritate the stomach lining, and on an empty, already-inflamed stomach, they can make nausea worse or even cause additional vomiting.
How Long Recovery Takes
The timeline depends on what made you sick in the first place. Food poisoning tends to be the shortest, often clearing within several hours to a day. A stomach virus (viral gastroenteritis) typically lasts about two days, though it can stretch longer in some cases. If your symptoms haven’t improved after 48 hours, or if they’re getting worse rather than better, that’s a signal to contact a healthcare provider.
Signs You Need Medical Attention
Most vomiting runs its course without any intervention. But certain symptoms alongside vomiting signal something more serious. Head to an emergency room or urgent care if you notice:
- Blood in your vomit, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds or is bright green
- Severe abdominal pain or cramping that won’t let up
- Signs of dehydration, including excessive thirst, very dark urine, dizziness when standing, dry mouth, or weakness
- Chest pain
- Confusion or blurred vision
- High fever with a stiff neck
- A severe headache unlike anything you’ve experienced before
If Your Child Is Vomiting
Children and especially infants dehydrate faster than adults, so the stakes are higher. The same basic approach applies: small sips of fluid, rest, bland foods when ready. But with kids, you need to watch hydration more closely because they often can’t tell you how they feel.
For babies under four months, fewer than six wet diapers in a day is a warning sign. For older infants and children, fewer than three wet diapers or three bathroom trips per day signals dehydration. Other red flags include no tears when crying, a dry or sticky mouth, sunken-looking eyes, and in babies, a soft spot on the head that looks flat or sunken. Hard or fast breathing, extreme sleepiness, or confusion also warrant immediate medical attention. If you’re seeing any of these signs, don’t wait to call your pediatrician or head to the ER.