There are many reasons that can cause vomiting, such as diarrhea, bloating, food poisoning, or excessive alcohol consumption. Vomiting can lead to a sore throat, and below are some ways to soothe your throat quickly at home.
Ways to Relieve Sore Throat after Vomiting
Even after the nausea has subsided, you may still experience pain and a burning sensation in your throat for several hours or days, especially if you vomited multiple times in a day.
1. Why does the throat feel hot and sore after vomiting?
When the lining of the throat comes into contact with vomit, it can become irritated and inflamed, leading to a burning sensation. This is because vomit contains strong digestive acids and enzymes from your stomach. In fact, the average pH of your digestive fluids ranges from 1.5 to 2—this acidity is similar to vinegar or lemon juice and is only slightly less acidic than sulfuric acid.
Vomiting once or twice typically won’t severely damage your throat, although you may feel quite a bit of discomfort. However, frequent vomiting can lead to injuries such as esophagitis—a condition that causes a burning throat and difficulty swallowing; or even a tear in the esophagus. Symptoms of esophageal tearing may include:
- Chest pain
- Abdominal pain
- Neck pain
- Difficulty swallowing
- Changes in voice
- Fever, chills
- Food, liquids, and saliva leaking from the esophagus into the chest or abdominal cavity
- Increased heart rate
- Vomiting blood.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek medical attention immediately.
There are many causes of sore throat after vomiting. (Image: Internet).
There are three conditions that can worsen throat pain due to vomiting:
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when stomach acid frequently flows back into the throat or mouth. According to the Mayo Clinic, acid can irritate the lining of your throat, causing pain and difficulty swallowing. GERD can also lead to a burning sensation in the chest, commonly known as heartburn, and a cough (often referred to as GERD cough). You may even wake up with a sore throat due to GERD.
If you have GERD, vomiting can aggravate your already sensitive throat lining, leading to more severe symptoms.
Esophagitis
Esophagitis can be caused by various factors, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease or certain autoimmune disorders, and can worsen due to vomiting.
Canker sores and ulcers
Canker sores can form on your gums, tongue, palate, or inside your lips and cheeks. Many factors can cause these sores, such as accidentally biting your tongue or cheek or consuming acidic foods, but they can also develop due to stress or underlying health issues like Crohn’s disease or celiac disease.
Exposure to any type of acid (such as acidic foods or beverages) can irritate mouth sores and slow the healing process.
2. How to Soothe the Throat after Vomiting
Generally, a sore or burning throat after vomiting does not last too long. If you have only vomited once or twice, your throat should feel better within a few hours. However, if you have a health condition that causes you to vomit more frequently, it may take up to six to eight weeks for your throat to heal completely, and up to three months for symptoms to disappear.
Try natural remedies for sore throat after vomiting before using OTC medications. (Image: Internet)
Here are some ways to soothe your throat after vomiting that you might consider for quicker pain relief:
2.1. Control the Vomiting
Limiting further vomiting will help reduce irritation in your throat. If you still feel nauseous, try some over-the-counter remedies like ginger or medications that can help relax the stomach muscles to reduce nausea and vomiting.
What to eat to reduce nausea?
Ginger
Ginger has anti-nausea properties and is often used to relieve stomach discomfort. Many people consume ginger in tea or as ginger candies to alleviate symptoms.
Toast and crackers
Dry foods like crackers can help absorb stomach acid and reduce feelings of nausea.
Mint
Mint can help relax the smooth muscles of the stomach and reduce nausea, often consumed as warm peppermint tea.
Water
These foods can soothe nausea symptoms and are easy to digest when your stomach is unsettled.
2.2. Stay Hydrated
After vomiting, it is essential to keep your body hydrated in any way possible, especially with fluids that can soothe throat tissue and speed up healing. Plain water and electrolyte drinks are excellent, but you might also consider warm tea or broth to make your throat feel more comfortable and help your stomach tolerate food better after vomiting.
What to eat after vomiting?
As mentioned earlier, easily digestible foods are the best option if you are wondering what to eat after vomiting.
Try foods like bananas, rice, applesauce, dry toast, and crackers (these foods are known as the BRAT diet). In the 24-48 hours following your last vomiting episode, avoid foods that may irritate or are hard to digest, such as alcohol, caffeine, fatty/oily foods, spicy foods, dairy, or cheese.
2.3. Try Some Honey or Lozenges
One of the most popular natural remedies for throat pain is honey. Honey has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that can temporarily coat the throat tissue to reduce irritation, according to a review in August 2021 published in the BMJ. For the best effect, use raw honey and avoid mixing it with very hot water, as this can destroy some of its beneficial properties.
Lozenges or hard candies can also help reduce the burning sensation and throat pain.
2.4. Use a Humidifier
Place a humidifier next to your bed or sofa to add moisture to the air you breathe. Increased humidity will help keep your throat tissue moist, especially while sleeping, reducing the burning sensation and throat irritation after vomiting.
Note that you need to clean the humidifier daily if you want to avoid creating an environment for pathogens to thrive and cause illness.
A dry throat can increase irritation and pain. (Image: Internet).
2.5. Avoid Irritants
You should avoid acidic foods or beverages that might make your throat feel worse. Try to steer clear of anything that could trigger coughing, such as cigarette smoke or strong cleaning products.
2.6. Over-the-Counter Medications
If natural remedies do not provide relief, you might try some over-the-counter medications for pain relief, such as:
- Acetaminophen
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Throat sprays containing phenol
If you have a stomach ulcer or another condition causing reflux and throat pain, discuss the risks of using certain pain relievers like ibuprofen with your doctor. To alleviate throat pain from heartburn and reflux, some over-the-counter antacids may be helpful.
3. When Should You See a Doctor for Throat Pain Due to Vomiting?
If you experience frequent vomiting, it is important to see a doctor early to determine the cause and manage symptoms, including nausea and vomiting. Lifestyle changes can often help:
- Treatment and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Avoid spicy, hot, fried, or processed foods
- Control your weight
- Limit alcohol consumption and alcoholic beverages
- Avoid overeating that leads to bloating and vomiting
- Do not consume excessive amounts of alcohol
- Avoid lying down immediately after a heavy meal,…
Consult a doctor promptly if the throat pain after vomiting lasts more than a few days and if you experience vomiting for more than one day. Symptoms of dehydration or accompanying diarrhea should also be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible. If there are signs of throat tearing, such as severe pain or vomiting blood, this is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention.
