Hic… Hic… that’s a common sound heard when a person is experiencing Hiccups. Hiccups annoyingly start off a sudden and may subside on its own as well. But, they generally occur at the most inappropriate time making it all the more irritating. Learning how to stop hiccup fast to avoid the embarrassing “hic-hic” sound in the middle of a conversation, formal dinner or a date becomes utmost important. Let us begin with understanding the cause and the home remedies for hiccups.
What is a Hiccup?
A hiccup occurs when there is sudden involuntary contraction or spasm of the diaphragm muscle located at the base of the lungs separating the chest cavity from the abdomen. Each contraction is followed by the sudden closure of the vocal cords(glottis), producing the characteristic hiccup sound “hic”. But, sometimes hiccups occur due to certain underlying medical conditions.
WHAT CAUSES HICCUPS?
Hiccup may start without any specific reason but few commonly observed causes of hiccups are:
1. Eating lot of food
2. Eating very quickly.
3. Drinking too much of alcohol.
4. Swallowing too much of air as when chewing gum or candy.
5. Cigarette Smoking.
6. A sudden change in temperature, external or internal such as drinking a hot beverage and then drinking something cold.
7. Emotional stress, excitement or heightened emotion.
8. Drinking carbonated drinks or beverages.
Other causes could be some underlying medical conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gallbladder disease, inflammation of liver, pancreas and around the heart, pregnancy, alcoholism, pneumonia and high urea levels in the blood.
How do you get rid of Hiccups?
Hiccups generally settle on their own and do not require medical treatment, however, if hiccups last for more than three hours or create disturbance in eating or sleeping, you may consult your doctor. There are few commonly found simple home remedies that may help you relieve hiccups.
What are the Home remedies for hiccups?
The commonly used home remedies for hiccups are the techniques that Stimulate the nasopharynx, or the uppermost region of the throat which helps to reduce the hiccups. You may pick any of these easy to do home remedies for hiccups and of course not all of them at the same time.
1. Hold your breath for 10 seconds or count till 10
2. Drink a glass of cold water quickly
3. Have sips of iced water
4. Have someone frighten you. Gasping in fright stops the hiccups immediately
5. Pulling hard on your tongue
6. Bite on a lemon or have few drops of sour vinegar
7. Breathe into a paper bag to interrupt your normal breathing pattern
8. Pinch your nostrils closed, keeping your mouth closed and trying to exhale (Valsalva maneuver)
9. Gargle with water
10. Drink from the far side of a glass
11. Have some granulated sugar or honey
12. Pull your knees towards your chest or lean forward, this helps counter the irritating diaphragm
13. Rubbing or tapping on the back of neck stimulates the skin that covers the spinal nerves
14. Laughing aloud
15. Distracting your mind from the fact that you are having hiccups.
Generally, these home remedies for hiccups help reduce it but if it persists for more than 3 hours then medical intervention is required.
What are the types of hiccups?
Hiccups can be further categorized based on the duration of hiccups into:
1. Hiccup Bout: It is an episode of hiccups that lasts up to 48 hours.
2. Persistent Hiccup: Hiccups that continue for more than 48 hours, maybe for a month are termed as the persistent hiccup.
3. Intractable Hiccup: If the hiccup lasts for more than a month then it is called as an Intractable hiccup.
Home remedies for hiccups are generally sufficient to resolve hiccuping but if it is continuing for long as stated above, then you may need to consult your doctor.
WHEN SHOULD YOU SEE A DOCTOR?
-If hiccups continue for more than 48 hours without any effect of home remedies for hiccups, it is advisable to consult a doctor as there might be a need for medical treatment.
-A doctor will review your symptoms and look for any signs of chronic illness and neurological problems.
-No specific test is required in the diagnosis of hiccups, but in the case of persistent or intractable hiccups, investigations will be advised to detect any probable underlying illness.
-An X-ray and ultrasound of the abdomen might be advised to identify potential causes.
-Blood urea levels need to be assessed and urine/blood pregnancy test needs to be done.
After investigation doctor may prescribe drugs such as chlorpromazine, metoclopramide, haloperidol anticonvulsants and gabapentin.
WHAT ARE SOME EFFECTIVE WAYS TO AVOID HICCUPS?
The best way to avoid hiccups is by avoiding some of the common triggers. The common triggers that should be avoided to prevent the occurrence of hiccups are:
1. Eating spicy foods
2. Eating large meals
3. Drinking too much of alcohol
4. Eating too fast
5. Sudden temperature changes.
6. Excessive smoking
7. Speaking while eating and not chewing your food well.
Watching out for the common triggers for hiccups and using home remedies for hiccups can alleviate the hiccup symptoms. Everyone has their own favorite trick to stop hiccups, weird or genuine. Share your favorite trick to cease hiccups.
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