None of us soon forget the overwhelming and overpowering feeling of nausia once it has been experienced.   The queasy, sick feeling could be the result of a virus, a mild case of food poisioning or just a brief smell of something disagreeable.

The tip, tricks and hints that follow are intended to aleviate your discomfort and make you feel better.   Feeling better is indeed important, but keep in mind that if your symptoms persist for more than 24 hours or if your vomit contains blood, you see a physican as quickly as possible.

Determine the Cause of Your Symptoms
Digestive complaints like vomiting and nausea can have a variety of causal factors.   Causes of nausea can range from an undesirable sight or smell, or in an extreme case can be caused by food poisioning or stomach ulcers.   In most cases, however, you can quickly determine the cause of the nausia - motion sickness, a hangover, morning sickness and headache or migrane are conditons that can quickly be identified.

Don't Resist the Urge
If it is the flu or food poisioning, don't resist the urge to vomit.   Vomiting is no fun for anyone, but the worst thing you can do is to fight the urge. Actively working to supress the urge to vomit can cause small tears in the esophagus. Moreover, suppressing the urge will do nothing to address the causes of vomiting.


Remember to Drink
Water!   If you can do nothing else, drink warm water in very small doses. If you are suffering nausia or vomiting you should be concerned about dehydration. Drinking small amounts of water, or water mixed with just a little sugar will better enable your immune system to function and will help you feel better faster. Keep in mind that cold liquids can irritate your stomach, and if you are vomiting, do not start consuming liquids until the vomiting has stopped.


Stay in Bed
If you are suffering from a 24 hour bug, or a bout with the flu, your best strategy is rest, rest and more rest.   The best kind of rest if bed rest, combined with time.   You may feel rotten but in most cases, you have no choice but to let the bug run its course.


Cold Compress
A cold, moist compress pressed against your forehead or the back of the neck can make you feel much better while vomiting, or when a powerful wave of nausia overwhelms you. For many people, nausea causes a sense of over-heating; a cold compress can cool your body and suppress the urge to vomit.


Foods to Avoid
While you are ill, warm water will be your...continues on the next page.