What is the purpose of a wet cloth when vomiting or nauseaus?
October 21, 2015 5:09 PM Subscribe
My full question was actually What is the purpose of using a damp cloth on your forehead when you are going to keep feeling nauseous or need to throw up? Why stop yourself ? I get chronic migraines.
I just don't get it Ive never been really to do that I was brought up to laying a towel on yourself and bucket in bed or whatever towel on the bathroom floor but because I get constant migraines I m sick at the moment my problem I do not understand the theory of it , it cools your body down and when your sweating you know because you are about to throw up. If your body needs to or in my case chronic migraines I 'll keep feeling nauseous for a few days until my body settles down why cool it down? I am not against it, try and convince me and I might try this, considering my situation its not I have an event to go to in the next 3 hours so I have to stop myself from throwing up. It seems a caring thing to do for someone and all but I m not should with chronic illness or a situation where you need to throw up or will keep feeling nauseous why you'd stop yourself. And I understand a person does not want to throw up more than they should but do you know what I mean? Would a wiping my head with a damp cloth help me?
I just don't get it Ive never been really to do that I was brought up to laying a towel on yourself and bucket in bed or whatever towel on the bathroom floor but because I get constant migraines I m sick at the moment my problem I do not understand the theory of it , it cools your body down and when your sweating you know because you are about to throw up. If your body needs to or in my case chronic migraines I 'll keep feeling nauseous for a few days until my body settles down why cool it down? I am not against it, try and convince me and I might try this, considering my situation its not I have an event to go to in the next 3 hours so I have to stop myself from throwing up. It seems a caring thing to do for someone and all but I m not should with chronic illness or a situation where you need to throw up or will keep feeling nauseous why you'd stop yourself. And I understand a person does not want to throw up more than they should but do you know what I mean? Would a wiping my head with a damp cloth help me?
Best answer: The damp cloth I think is more for soothing and cleanup rather than any real medicinal purpose.
posted by cairnoflore at 5:13 PM on October 21, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by cairnoflore at 5:13 PM on October 21, 2015 [8 favorites]
The cool sensation seems to lessen the pain of the headache. I'm guessing it's just a distraction though.
posted by mchorn at 5:17 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by mchorn at 5:17 PM on October 21, 2015
It doesn't make the nausea go away - it just feels nice as a contrast to... uh, everything else that happens when vomiting.
posted by joan_holloway at 5:17 PM on October 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by joan_holloway at 5:17 PM on October 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
For me, serious nausea comes with face-sweats and flushing and a general feeling that I'm boiling and maybe also about to faint. The washcloth cools me down. It does nothing to stop me from puking, it just makes me feel slightly less wretched while I wait for the inevitable and/or recover from it.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:28 PM on October 21, 2015 [15 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 5:28 PM on October 21, 2015 [15 favorites]
on the forehead doesn't ever do anything for me, but cold water or cold cloth on my wrists or neck can keep me from throwing up, especially if it's more like an aftershock puking instead of the main event.
posted by nadawi at 5:34 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by nadawi at 5:34 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
The explanation I've often heard is that the wet cloth triggers some version of the mammalian diving reflex, inhibiting vomiting to protect the airway. It sounds logical but now that I look into it I can't find any evidence to support it. Anecdotally cool air on my face has helped immensely when I've been nauseated.
There is evidence that cool sensations on the face reduce shortness of breath. Cold can reduce local blood flow but like you I'm skeptical that that would affect a migraine.
posted by arrmatie at 5:48 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
There is evidence that cool sensations on the face reduce shortness of breath. Cold can reduce local blood flow but like you I'm skeptical that that would affect a migraine.
posted by arrmatie at 5:48 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
For me it just feels better. I'm like LynNever...when I am sick I get very sweaty and shaky and faint. The cool cloth helps soothe the shakiness and faint feeling, especially afterwards.
posted by MultiFaceted at 5:50 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by MultiFaceted at 5:50 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Don't discount the distraction factor, it helps you breathe and focus on that.
posted by vrakatar at 6:03 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by vrakatar at 6:03 PM on October 21, 2015
Water conducts heat or cool much better than air. So if cool feels good to you, a wet washcloth will get cool to your sensory receptors faster and better than, say, a fan. And your face is particularly sensitive to temperature. Hope you feel better soon.
posted by Dashy at 7:04 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by Dashy at 7:04 PM on October 21, 2015
The coldness can help. I'm a fan of freezing these head wraps, then positioning the cold gel packs either on the back/base of the skull, on the temples, or on the forehead.
posted by amtho at 7:05 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by amtho at 7:05 PM on October 21, 2015
Response by poster: All very good answers I have to chose one! Got it now understand what you all mean . Yeh im the shaky fainty sweating turns on type too and cry im a sensitive introvert yeh I do cry even at my age. thanks and thanks @dashy I am feeling better
posted by re at 8:20 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by re at 8:20 PM on October 21, 2015
if I'm on the border of might/might not throw up, it can tip me into not. otherwise it just feels nice. and can make me feel less nauseous in between bouts of throwing up, which helps with getting some rest.
posted by tan_coul at 11:13 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by tan_coul at 11:13 PM on October 21, 2015
Just another anecdotal thing, if you're woozy and reeling and trying not to puke, I find making a cupped claw-shape with my hand and digging my fingernails into the back of my skull, through my hair, really helps. I have no idea why - I think it's a combination of distraction and some esoteric, unprovable, YMMV pressure point shit.
posted by Juliet Banana at 12:35 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by Juliet Banana at 12:35 AM on October 22, 2015
Coldness will tip me into vomiting so I use it to get vomit over with.
posted by tilde at 3:12 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by tilde at 3:12 AM on October 22, 2015
Dear re: please consider going to a doctor and looking into triptan drugs. They can really change your life. Seriously.
posted by amtho at 9:41 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 9:41 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I read somewhere that you never need to throw up unless you've ingested some types of chemical poison (including alcohol) that can't or shouldn't proceed into your lower GI tract.
I vomit about 2/3 the way up of EVERY SINGLE lighthouse I've ever climbed. I carry my own vomit bags and wet wipes for the purpose.
posted by tilde at 9:42 AM on October 22, 2015
I vomit about 2/3 the way up of EVERY SINGLE lighthouse I've ever climbed. I carry my own vomit bags and wet wipes for the purpose.
posted by tilde at 9:42 AM on October 22, 2015
Dear re: please consider going to a doctor and looking into triptan drugs.
I'm so sorry you feel so terrible. I can totally empathize.
But as to triptans, do ask your doctor whether they are contraindicated for you. I had a resident try to prescribe a triptan for me for a protracted migraine and I balked because it didn't sound familiar (I'd had migraines for 20 years prior to this episode and had heard about the existing therapies). So I asked if it was new, because, as far as I knew, folks with complicated migraine (migraine with aura) triptans are contraindicated. Sure enough - it wasn't new, she just didn't know the contraindication. Your regular PCP is probably knowledgeable, bonus points for a neurologist, just be careful!
As to your question, Wet washcloths don't do it for me, but I think I can relate to the concept - mild ice packs kind of do what folks here are describing (distraction, maybe a tiny bit of local relief) and are part of what I do.
posted by Pax at 5:26 PM on October 22, 2015
I'm so sorry you feel so terrible. I can totally empathize.
But as to triptans, do ask your doctor whether they are contraindicated for you. I had a resident try to prescribe a triptan for me for a protracted migraine and I balked because it didn't sound familiar (I'd had migraines for 20 years prior to this episode and had heard about the existing therapies). So I asked if it was new, because, as far as I knew, folks with complicated migraine (migraine with aura) triptans are contraindicated. Sure enough - it wasn't new, she just didn't know the contraindication. Your regular PCP is probably knowledgeable, bonus points for a neurologist, just be careful!
As to your question, Wet washcloths don't do it for me, but I think I can relate to the concept - mild ice packs kind of do what folks here are describing (distraction, maybe a tiny bit of local relief) and are part of what I do.
posted by Pax at 5:26 PM on October 22, 2015
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posted by re at 5:12 PM on October 21, 2015