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Are you the one who gets annoyed when you get hiccups continuously?
In this article, you will find the tricks for how to get rid of hiccups.
Hiccups are a common occurrence in everyday life. Long-lasting attacks are a more severe occurrence linked to significant morbidity1 and even mortality2. Any episode lasting longer than a few minutes is known as a hiccup Bout.
The respiratory disorder known as hiccups appears to have little therapeutic benefit for humans or other mammals. Hiccups that last for longer than 48 hours are referred to as protracted. Intractable hiccups are those types that last longer than a month. The most prolonged hiccups yet seen lasted for six decades.
When the diaphragm, which separates the upper cavity from the abdominal cavity3, goes into spasm, the vocal cords are disrupted, resulting in the hick sound.
The diaphragm begins to contract due to irritation to the airway or esophagus. The most frequent causes of hiccups are laughing, eating too quickly, and talking for a long time. Various stimuli can bring hiccups, including specific foods, an overstuffed stomach, and some medical conditions, including an infection behind the diaphragm.
Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm — the muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen and plays an essential role in breathing. Each contraction is followed by a sudden closure of your vocal cords, which produces the characteristic “hic” sound. – Mayo Clinic
Can anyone get the hiccups?
Yes. Babies, children, and adults can all get hiccups.
How are hiccups identified?
It’s simple to identify hiccups. You are simply hearing the “hic” sound will be enough for your healthcare provider.
However, your medical professional might do a physical examination to see whether an underlying condition might be the source of your hiccups. The physician may request imaging, endoscopic4, and blood tests if the physical examination indicates anything concerning.
According to the Cleveland Clinic
Typically, hiccups are not harmful. Most go off naturally or as a result of basic home cures. They don’t lower your standard of living. Pay attention to notice how long they last. Hiccups could be a sign of a severe condition, or they might merely be bothersome.
Chronic hiccups
These are unintended, recurrent spasms of the breathing muscles that last for a long time. Hiccups are common after a large meal or drinking a carbonated beverage, and they usually go off in a few minutes.
When should I schedule a medical appointment?
If your hiccups only last a few minutes to a few hours, you usually don’t need to see a doctor. When hiccups last more than a few days, you should see them (usually two).
Hiccups may be a sign of a more serious issue if they are present along with other symptoms such as headache, trouble balancing, or numbness. Call your doctor immediately if you encounter those symptoms with hiccups or go to the nearest emergency room.
Types of Hiccups
Hiccups are classified into three according to their duration of them.
- Acute episodes that last less than 48 hours.
- Persistent episodes that last longer than two days.
- Intractable episodes that last longer than one month.
Common Reasons for Acute Episodes:
Bloated stomach, fizzy beverage consumption, abrupt temperature fluctuations, and sucking on candy or chewing gum while swallowing air.
Common Reasons for Persistent Hiccups:
According to the data revealed by the Mayo Clinic, persistent hiccups are caused by damage or irritation in the vagus or phrenic nerves that have control of the diaphragm. The primary reasons that result in the irritation of nerves are
Tumors or Goiter in the neck;
Sore throat or laryngitis
The body’s natural ability to control the reflex that generates hiccups can also be interfered with by tumors, infections, or harm to the central nervous system of a person.
Common Reasons for Intractable Hiccups
People prone to numerous episodes of hiccups include those who are alcoholics, have anesthesia, have diabetes, have kidney disease, or regularly use steroids or tranquilizers.
State of Long-Term Hiccups Happen
Long-lasting hiccups can also be caused by diseases of the central nervous system, such as encephalitis5 or meningitis, or by metabolic disorders, such as diabetes or renal failure. Additionally, certain tranquilizers and steroid drugs might cause long-lasting hiccups.
Even some medical treatments, especially those that call for an anesthetic, can cause you to have hiccups. Fix an appointment with a doctor if hiccups have lasted longer than two days, are severe enough to disrupt your sleep, eating, or breathing, or are otherwise upsetting.
Risk Involved:
Long-term hiccups are far more common in men than in women. Other elements that could raise your likelihood of experiencing hiccups include:
Emotional or mental problems: Some incidences of short-term and long-term hiccups have been linked to anxiety, tension, and enthusiasm.
Surgery: Following general anesthesia or surgeries involving the abdominal organs, some persons experience hiccups
Home Remedies to Cure Hiccups
Ten seconds of breath holding.
Hold your breath for ten seconds after taking a deep breath, and gently let it out. If you hiccup every 20 minutes, repeat this three to four times, holding for 10 seconds after each breath.
This easy technique relieves the hiccup-inducing nerves in the back of your throat.
Drink upside down
Turn over on a couch or bed and gently sip the half-full glass of water. Try sitting straight, leaning over the glass, and placing your lips on the edge furthest from you if this is too challenging. After drinking each sip check out if your hiccups have reduced. The back of your throat nerves is calmed and distracted by this method.
If doing so in these situations makes you uncomfortable, try drinking upside down under a tap. Be careful not to breathe in the water or pour it into your nose.
Swallow or bite into a lemon wedge.
The juice can then be sucked from the wedge or consumed by biting into it. The unexpected sourness of the lemon might have a surprising effect comparable to when someone frightens you.
Try adding some sugar or substituting 4–5 drops of Angostura Bitters in place of the lemon wedge if the flavor taste is too strong.
Drink some ice water using a straw.
Hiccups stop by Using a straw, and carefully sip ice water from the glass until it is empty. Try to hold your breath while you drink. Your diaphragm nerves may be sufficiently shocked by the water’s coolness to cause you to quit hiccuping.
Breathe into the paper Bag
This approach frequently works because it raises the blood’s level of carbon dioxide, which can aid in physical relaxation. With the sides pressed against your cheeks, hold the paper bag in front of your lips.
The paper bag will then slowly inflate and deflate as you slowly inhale and exhale into it so that hiccups stop.’
A 1971 New England Journal of Medicine study showed that 19 out of 20 patients could successfully treat their hiccups with granulated sugar. According to one idea, granulated sugar interacts with the vagus nerve6, which connects your brain and stomach.
The teaspoon of granulated sugar successfully prevents your diaphragm from spasming, which immediately puts an end to your hiccups.
Other Numerous home remedies to get rid of hiccups occur
- Breathing for five to ten seconds.
- Grabbing your tongue.
- Inflating a balloon.
- Gargling for a minute.
Sit down and pull your knees to your chest.
4 Common Ways to Prevent Hiccups
1) Don’t stuff too much food at one go
Many meals can cause hiccups because eating so much food in one sitting puts pressure on the phrenic Nerve.
The phrenic Nerve controls the diaphragm of your body and hiccup response. For example, instead of 2 to 3 small meals every 4 to 5 hours, you may consume 3 to 5 small meals every 2 to 3 hours.
2) Avoid drinking carbonated beverages.
Although fizzy drinks are tasty, they might produce extra gas in your stomach. These gases can cause hiccups, especially if consumed quickly. To avoid hiccuping, try avoiding carbonated beverages.
As a general guideline, if a drink contains bubbles, reconsider consuming it.
This includes alcohol, which can irritate the esophagus and stomach; drink juice or water instead. This is one of the best hiccup remedies
3) Avoid spicy meal
Spicy foods, while delicious for eating, can produce acid reflux, leading to hiccups. The phrenic Nerve, which regulates your diaphragm, is irritated by acid reflux.
If this Nerve is irritated, hiccups may occur until it is alleviated. Consider eating less spicy foods or taking an acid reflux medication before your next spicy meal.
4) Try not to eat too fast.
Fast eating is the most common reason for hiccups and swallowing more air. To overcome this, one can chew food slowly with a mouth closed to avoid hiccups. To remind yourself to eat carefully, count the number of times you chew.
Drink anything extremely hot or cold; Chemotherapy7 is also the standard procedure to prevent hiccups.
Pressure Points to Get Rid of Hiccups Quickly
Few hiccup cures with acupressure points are
CV 22 stands for Conception Vessel.
Instead of going straight in, loop your finger and press this point and little downward.
ST 11 or Stomach 11:
This is next to the ropy front neck muscle just above the collarbone.
Three fingers away from the previous one.
You can push these points on both sides simultaneously.
Conception Vessel 14 or CV 14: Solar plexus
It is three finger widths below the sternum.
Press down with the middle finger, supported by the index and ring fingers, and bend forward slightly.
Press these places for one minute while deep breathing; be careful not to press too hard because this is a sensitive area.
Is drinking water effective in treating hiccups?
Dr. Rupali Datta, our professional nutritionist, says, “Hiccups are involuntary contractions that can be treated with home remedies or not, depending on the severity of the condition.
If the situation is not too bad, drinking water can also help relieve hiccups. As mentioned in the article, upside-down drinking and cold water can reduce or control the hiccups.
So, the next time you’re having a hiccuping fit, drink a glass of cold water or two. Remember, in severe circumstances, you must seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Also check out, Calgary Lab Services
- Murray, Christopher JL, and Lincoln C. Chen. “Understanding morbidity change.” The Population and Development Review (1992): 481-503. ↩︎
- Cutler, David, Angus Deaton, and Adriana Lleras-Muney. “The determinants of mortality.” Journal of economic perspectives 20.3 (2006): 97-120. ↩︎
- Nurmurzayev, Z. N., Z. K. Suvonov, and Khimmatov I. Kh. “Ultrasound of the Abdominal Cavity.” Journal the Coryphaeus of Science 4.4 (2022): 89-97. ↩︎
- Lui, Rashid N., et al. “Overview of guidance for endoscopy during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.” Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology 35.5 (2020): 749-759. ↩︎
- Kumar, Rashmi. “Understanding and managing acute encephalitis.” F1000Research 9 (2020). ↩︎
- Prescott, Sara L., and Stephen D. Liberles. “Internal senses of the vagus nerve.” Neuron (2022). ↩︎
- Behranvand, Nafiseh, et al. “Chemotherapy: A double-edged sword in cancer treatment.” Cancer immunology, immunotherapy 71.3 (2022): 507-526. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sanjana
