Sometimes, knowingly or unknowingly, we end up ingesting substances that may be harmful for us. The following article gives some tips to induce vomiting by using emetics and by the (in)famous finger method.
Ingesting substances that may be harmful for us may become toxic or harm the body instantly. In such cases, you need to remove them from your system at the earliest. This can be done by vomiting it out. Vomiting is the act of forceful expulsion of ingested substances through the mouth. This is a natural protective mechanism that the body uses when trying to protect itself from possible harm. However, when a poisonous substance has been ingested, one may need to vomit it out instantly.
Tips to Induce Vomiting
Using Emetics
The best way to safely induce vomiting is by ingesting emetics. Emetics are a class of drugs that induce forceful expulsion of vomit by either triggering the vomit section of the brain or by causing reflux peristalsis of the stomach. The most commonly used emetic is syrup of ipecac. If you are going to induce vomiting, (before you use emetics) first call a helpline or poison control line, so that they may instruct you on how to go about inducing yourself to vomit. Once you have ingested the syrup, you will vomit soon enough. First, there will be a feeling of mild nauseous followed by severe contraction of the walls of the stomach, followed by expulsion of its contents.
Making Use of Finger Method
For people that do not have or cannot use any medicine to induce vomiting, another simple method that will answer their question of ‘how to make yourself throw up’ would be to make use of the index finger. What you can do is (once again after calling 911 or a poison control helpline), take your index finger and insert it into your throat, so that it reaches the hanging structure in the throat known as the uvula. Push it deep at this point. This will trigger a sudden and strong nauseous sensation. Remove your finger immediately at this point, as you will now feel like vomiting. So bend over at the waist over a bin or a plastic bag and vomit (so that you may send the vomit to a laboratory or you may be able to see for yourself whether the poisonous substance has come out or not). If your finger does not help in inducing vomit, then you can use the non-bristle end of a toothbrush or any flat, small stick which does not have a sharp end. The mechanism of action of both these methods is the same.
Use of hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting is no longer employed for humans, though it is often used by veterinarians to induce vomiting in cats and dogs. One must realize that inducing vomiting is not a child’s play and should not be employed by people on a regular basis. When you are inducing vomiting, you are forcing your body to expel something out against its will. You are forcing the muscles of the digestive tract to contract very strongly. Many people that suffer from bulimia nervosa and other such eating disorders, tend to voluntarily induce vomiting on a regular basis. When food reaches the stomach, it mixes with hydrochloric acid in stomach. When this mixture is brought up through the mouth, this strong acid tends to corrode the esophagus. When this is done repeatedly, then the esophageal lining becomes irritated and this may, in the long run, even lead to heartburn or esophageal cancer. Hence, you must always only induce vomiting, if it is a do-or-die situation, or else, do not try such stunts as they will cause harm to your body in the long run.
