Hiccups: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
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| Hiccups |
What Are Hiccups?
Hiccups are accompanied by a "hic" sound caused by your vocal cords closing and repeated involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. A muscle under your ribcage is your diaphragm, which separates your chest from your stomach. The process of breathing relies heavily on the diaphragm. When you breathe in, it moves downward, and when you breathe out, it moves upward.
A few normal reasons for diaphragm constriction include drinking carbonated refreshments, alcoholic beverages, sudden excitement, eating a heavy meal, gulping an excess of air, or stress.
Infants, children, and adults can all experience hiccups. Men have more frequent hiccups. They might also have hiccups that last for a longer time. Hiccups may indicate an underlying medical condition in some cases. A bout of hiccups typically lasts only a few minutes for the majority of people. Hiccups can occasionally last for months. Weight loss and exhaustion may follow.
What Causes Hiccups?
It is unclear why people experience hiccups. Nerve irritation and low levels of carbon dioxide in the blood are two common causes of hiccups.
Short-Term Hiccups:
The most common causes of hiccups that are only mild and pass quickly include:
- Drink and eat too quickly
- Consume alcohol or carbonated beverages like sodas
- Eat way too much
- Stress, including excitement and fear
- Stretch your neck too much
- Swallowing too much air while chewing gum
- Some medications, especially benzodiazepines, steroids, tranquilizers, and barbiturates
- Drink something very hot or very cold
- Chemotherapy
- Anesthesia
- Inhaling toxic fumes
- A sudden change in the weather
- Swallowing too much air (Aerophagia)
Long-Term Hiccups:
Persistent hiccups are those that persist for longer than a few days. They are referred to as "intractable" if they last for several months. Hiccups that last a long time are rare. They can be exhausting and stressful. Intractable hiccups can indicate a bigger, hidden clinical issue and probably won't disappear until that issue is resolved.
The most common underlying medical conditions responsible for causing long-term hiccups are listed below,
- Tumors and cancer
- Pneumonia
- Bowel diseases
- Irritated bladder
- Issues of the stomach or throat, including GERD
- Diaphragmatic pleurisy
- Uremia
- Liver cancer
- Hepatitis
- Pancreatitis
- Stroke
- Lesions
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Head trauma
- Meningitis
- Brain injury
- Encephalitis
- Neutrophils
- Accumulation of fluid in the brain
- Kidney failure
- Diabetes
- Electrolytes imbalance
- Parkinson’s disease
- Eardrum irritation
- Goiter
What Are The Symptoms Of Hiccups?
The following are some of the symptoms of hiccups:
- Hiccupping itself is a symptom.
- A diaphragmatic spasm or sharp contraction occurs just below the sternum (breastbone).
- The throat is involuntarily filled with air.
- A "hic" sound is produced by the closing epiglottis.
- Hiccups typically last within a few minutes.
How Are Hiccups Diagnosed?
It is not difficult to diagnose hiccups. The only thing your doctor needs to do is listen to the "hic" sound. However, your healthcare provider may conduct a physical examination to determine whether your hiccups are caused by an underlying condition. He or she may order imaging, endoscopic, and laboratory tests if the physical examination reveals anything concerning.
What Is The Treatment Of Hiccups?
Without medical intervention, most cases of hiccups resolve on their own. Assuming an underlying medical condition is causing your hiccups, treatment of that sickness might dispose of the hiccups. Baclofen, chlorpromazine, and metoclopramide are the most effective drugs for treating persistent hiccups.
If you don't respond to less invasive treatments, your doctor may suggest injecting an anesthetic to block your phrenic nerve to stop hiccups. A battery-operated device that delivers mild electrical stimulation to your vagus nerve can also be surgically implanted. Epilepsy is the most common condition treated with this method.
Home Remedies Or Lifestyle Modifications For Treating Hiccups:
Without medical intervention, most cases of hiccups go away within minutes or hours. However, if they persist, a person should see a doctor. Although the following suggestions may be beneficial, their efficacy is still unknown.
The following tips are proven to be effective in getting rid of hiccups,
- Drink slowly from ice-cold water or gargle with very cold water.
- Utilize a paper bag to inhale and exhale. This should never be done with a plastic bag, and never cover the head with the bag.
- After briefly holding your breath, exhale. Repeat this three or four times after every 20 minutes
- Apply gentle pressure to the nose as you swallow.
- Apply light pressure to the diaphragm.
- Take a lemon bite.
- Take a sip of the granulated sugar.
- Take just the right amount of vinegar to taste.
- For a brief time, lie down and hug your knees as close to your chest as you can.
- To gently compress the chest, lean forward.
- Try an alternative treatment like hypnosis or acupuncture.
- Pull gently on the tongue.
- Eyes are rubbed.
- To elicit a gag reflex, gently touch one finger to the throat.
What Are The Complications Of Long-Term Hiccups?
- Trouble sleeping
- Trouble eating
- Feeling tired
- Sometimes hiccups interfere with the healing of wounds after surgery
- Some individuals are embarrassed
- Difficulty in communication
- Dehydration & weight loss
Why Newborn Baby Hiccups?
One of your child's first habits will be to hiccup. Your child's brain and breathing development depend on hiccups. Hiccups are something that neither babies nor adults can control. Hiccups are a reflex that occurs when the diaphragm prompts the vocal cords to open and close. Most of the time, they occur while eating, drinking, or dealing with stressful situations.
Baby hiccups are common. The majority of newborns have hiccups frequently, which can indicate your baby is healthy and growing normally. Hiccups are common and rarely cause no harm to a baby. In more youthful children, hiccups are normally a sign that they should be situated upstanding during or after feeding.
How To Get Rid Of Baby Hiccups?
If you're worried about your baby's hiccups, here are some ways to help them stop sooner or stop completely:
- Burp while feeding your child.
- Feeding is slowed down.
- Feed only when your infant is calm.
- Hold your child upstanding after feeding them.
- When you feed your baby, make sure the nipple in the bottle is filled with milk.
- Choose the appropriate nipple size for your infant.
- If you are breastfeeding, ensure that your baby latches properly across the entire nipple.