Vomit, puke, peacock, embroider or go to Riga. Do you know? Have you experienced it? You probably have. Sometimes the stomach wants to get rid of “spoiled” food or germs. And sometimes the brain makes it “balloon” and the stomach gets rid of the compactness under the influence of a disturbed vagus. It also happens that you put two fingers in your mouth and induce vomiting yourself, because you are convinced that you have eaten too much. However, it happens that you have eaten too much and then the stomach regulates the volume itself.
What happens when you vomit?
The stomach works with muscles. By contracting they push its contents out. The lower oesophageal sphincter relaxes and the stomach gullet opens. The corrosive contents (drowned in stomach acid) head up the oesophagus and towards the teeth. Ouch. Enamel. And this is where the salivary glands come to the rescue and start producing more saliva. Precisely in order to protect the teeth. This is why you need to rinse your teeth after vomiting.
And there we have it. Food (not fully digested) mixed with stomach acids flows out in a strong stream through the oesophagus and mouth. You start sweating and shaking at the same time. You feel weak.
And relief comes immediately afterwards. If you have had a headache from overeating, this pain passes quite quickly.
And be warned about trying to stop the peacock. If you don’t let it come out through your mouth, it will go through your nose. I don’t wish that on anyone.
What does vomit look like?
Wrong, it is known. However, you may sometimes be surprised to see orange lumps even though you haven’t eaten a carrot. These are shreds of stomach lining. A yellow colour also appears. This, on the other hand, is bile, which helps digest fats. And, of course, bits of food submerged in mucus, saliva and stomach acid. Gross? No. Simply part of our anatomical and physiological daily routine.
Are humans the only ones who vomit?
Of course not. If you have a dog or a cat, you’ve cleaned vomit off the floor more than once. Pets’ vomiting tends to be physical: badly chewed food (standard with my cats), lint, eating something rotten (labradors will eat anything, supposedly). Frogs do an interesting thing. They puke out the contents of their stomach to swallow back.
And embroidering in the car. Children are masters of hitting a place we haven’t covered with a puke, and that just after starting a car journey. And it can happen to adults too, feeling nauseous combined with vomiting. Why this happens. Here it is worth recalling physics lessons from primary school. The reference system of a moving object. Our body sits in a car and the erroneous ears do not register changes in the body’s position. But the eyes do. They tell you that there is a change outside the window. And the brain, having conflicting signals, starts to react with nausea.
How to remedy motion sickness?
- Avoid eating before a journey. However, driving with an empty stomach can also end badly.
- Talk to other travellers rather than reading a book. You can listen to an audiobook or music. Prepare family games if you are travelling with a child. The idea is to keep the toddler occupied.
- Take water to drink instead of fizzy and sugary drinks.
- Make sure you have healthy snacks.
- If you feel nauseous, start sucking on a slice of fresh ginger. And for your child, prepare a candy with a strong and fresh taste.
- Try to look ahead, beyond the horizon line, rather than at images flashing by. The same goes for your child. It is better to position the seat in the middle of the back seat so that the child can look ahead.
- Stop en route from time to time to catch your breath and calm your vagus.
- Letting a bit of fresh air into the car is also a proven way.
- You can also stock up on various preparations at the pharmacy. Of varying effectiveness, but it is worth trying. With my daughter, a patch worked. Immediately before the journey I stuck a small slice under the navel. And surprisingly, it worked.
- You can also turn to the methods of Chinese medicine. There are special slices with tabs that are placed on the inside of the hand, above the wrist. You can buy them at the chemist’s, along with instructions on how to stick them on.
Good travels and a peacock-free life I wish you
Dorota Nature of Life
