Hiccups
Hi there, have you ever had hiccups? I know, you’re thinking that it’s a very simple question to answer! Everybody knows that everyone gets hiccups from time to time. Yes, you’re right. Hiccup is a very common. Most of the time you don’t need to worry about hiccups unless there is a serious problem behind hiccups. So, Here I’m going to introduce you what you need to know about ‘Hiccups’. Let’s begin: What is a hiccup/hiccough? A hiccup/hiccough is an automatic action (a reflex) that the body can’t control. Hiccups are involuntary contraction of the diaphragm muscle. This is a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of your chest and all hiccups start here. This helps you breathe. During your hiccups your diaphragm contracts immediately and after this the top of your windpipe (the glottis) closes and making a ‘HIC’ sound. Hiccups are medically known as “synchronous diaphragmatic flutter or singultus (SDF)” Why do you get hiccups? Each hiccup is caused by a spasm of diaphragm muscle. When it contracts, the muscle presses down, leading to negative pressure (or, below regular atmosphere pressure) in your chest cavity. This allows air to flow into your lungs. When the muscle relaxes, the elastic properties of your lung cause it to squeeze air out through your nose and mouth. The nerve controlling all this action is called the phrenic nerve, which runs from your brain, down your neck, and alongside your heart and esophagus on its way to your diaphragm. Anything that irritates the nerve can lead to spasms that disrupt the normal contraction-and-relaxation mechanism of the diaphragm muscle. The result? A series of hiccups. Who can get hiccups? Everyone gets hiccups. They affect women and men equally, although persistent hiccups occur much more commonly in men. They happen mainly in the evening. What are the different types of hiccups? Hiccups can last for a few minutes to even months in unusual cases. According to the duration of hiccups, they are classified into three categories. Such as: 1. Hiccup bout¬/self-limited hiccup (Most cases of hiccups are self-limited. They last only for few minutes doesn’t need any clinical intervention) 2. Persistent Hiccup (It lasting for 48 hours to a month) 3. Intractable hiccup (This type of hiccups lasting for more than a month) What causes hiccups? • If a person eats too fast, he or she can swallow air along with food and end up with the hiccups. • Smoking and chewing gum also can cause a person to shallow air and get hiccups • Eating too much (especially fatty foods) and drinking too much (alcohol and carbonated drinks) • Damage to the vagus or phrenic nerve may cause hiccups to last a long time. • Anxiety and stress can induce both long and short-time hiccups • A baby may hiccups after crying or coughing. This is common for babies in the first year. • Some chronic medical disorders (such as renal failure), trauma to the brain, meningitis, encephalitis are also responsible for hiccups. • Some medications that can cause acid reflux may also have hiccups as a side effect. Most benzodiazepines, including diazepam, alprazolam and lorazepam can cause hiccups…..and so on. When you should seek medical care? You should see your doctor if the hiccups last more than 3 hours or if they affect sleeping patterns, interfere with your eating, cause reflux of food or vomiting. What is the treatment for hiccups? If a person has an underlying condition, managing the condition will probably resolve the hiccups. In severe cases of hiccups, doctors may try to block the hiccup process by stimulating parts of the respiratory (breathing) system or by prescribing medications to relax the muscles involved. When all else fails, Phrenic nerve surgery (the nerve that controls the diaphragm) is a treatment of last resort. This treatment is rarely performed and used only in cases that do not respond to other treatments. What home remedies get rid of hiccups? You’ve probably heard lots of suggestions for how to get rid of hiccups and may be you’ve even tried a few. Here I’ll show you some remedies for you: I. Hold your breath for a short time and breathe out slowly. Then do it again three of four times and do this every 20 minutes or breathing into a paper bag but not more than 1 minute (this two methods raise the levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, that inhibit spasms of the diaphragm) II. Have someone frighten or surprised you (When someone scares you, your body automatically goes into reflex mode, thus forgetting the hiccup. Basically, your vagus nerve is overwhelmed and occupied with another task; in this case, it’s protecting you with the fight-or-flight system) III. Drinking a glass of cold quickly (cold water stops the irritation produced in the diaphragm and it resumes it normal movement) IV. Drinking water from the opposite of the glass (Just fill a cup with water and drink from the opposite side of the cup that your normally drink from. So not the “thumb side,” the “finger side.” You’ll have to tilt your head pretty far forward to do this, but it will force your abdomen muscles to contract and stop your hiccups)…and so on. These simple remedies help you wave goodbye to your hiccups! Finally, THANK YOU for taking the time to read my article, Bye for now! Written By: AQIB NEAZ ZOHA Jinzhou Medical University (CHINA) References: Mayo Clinic Medical News Today Psychology Today The People’s Pharmacy Times of India Men’s Health bbc.com patient.info kidshealth.org medinfi.com humanillnesses.com emedicinehealth.com medicinenet.com thestethoscoop.wordpress.com Dr. Eugene Chio’s article (MBBS, M.D; assistant professor of otolaryngology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center) YouTube: Business Insider Rachael Ray Show
