Why Our Mouth Waters Before We Puke

Sam Westreich, PhD
Nov 9, 2020 · 4 min read

Gonna throw up? Here’s why you’ve suddenly got lots of spittle

“No, honey, your food was delicious. See how much my mouth is watering? It’s so good, I’m going to go to the bathroom to… make more room for more. Yes, that’s what I’m doing. Please plug your ears.” Photo by Brittany Colette on Unsplash

Most of us have felt it at some point in our lives. Perhaps we had too much to drink at a party or maybe ate something that was spoiled or rotten — or maybe we even just smelled something putrid, enough to trigger our gag reflex.

We usually know that we’re about to throw up — puke, hurl, toss our cookies, lose the…

You’ll also discover more fresh thinking personalized to your interests and can follow your favorite authors, publications, and topics.
Or, continue in mobile web
Already have an account? Sign in

Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore

If you have a story to tell, knowledge to share, or a perspective to offer — welcome home. It’s easy and free to post your thinking on any topic. Write on Medium

Get the Medium app

A button that says 'Download on the App Store', and if clicked it will lead you to the iOS App store
A button that says 'Get it on, Google Play', and if clicked it will lead you to the Google Play store