Hiccups are caused due to contractions of diaphragm. Diaphragm is the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and it is placed bel...
Hiccups are caused due to contractions of diaphragm. Diaphragm is the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and it is placed below the chest . They occur when the diaphragm contracts and relaxes. The vocal chord closes during this and causes a "hic" sound.
You can have hiccups if you consume large meals, carbonated drinks and sometimes they signal some medical condition you might be suffering from.
The hiccups stay just for a few minutes and go away.
Symptoms of Hiccups:
Hiccups are itself a symptom. They can be accompanied by tightening of chest, throat or the abdominal region.
They do not usually last longer than some minutes. However, if you are experiencing hiccups for more than 1 day then you should immediately consult the doctor. They could sometimes be severe and can disturb eating, sleeping and breathing.
In the above conditions in this, one should consult the doctor immediately.
Causes of hiccups :
The causes are generally minor and easily avoidable.
For not so serious hiccups which last for a few minutes have the following causes:
- Carbonated drinks just as lemon soda, cola etc.
- Overeating or eating very fast.
- Excitement or deep stressful condition
- Temperature changes in the surrounding
- Chewing gum. This is because you unknowingly swallow a lot of air while doing so.
Some hiccups that last for more than 2 days have some severe medical conditions underlying in the body. They are grouped as follows:
Nerve damage or irritation of the nerve
Long term hiccups are caused due to irritation or damage of the vagus nerves or phrenic nerves that are important for the function of the diaphragm.
There can be various factors that can cause this nerve damage such as:
- A tumor growth in your neck region
- Goiter
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease where the stomach acid enters the esophagus and irritates it.
- Sore throat and swelling or throat infection.
CNS disorders that cause hiccups:
The central nervous system is responsible for proper thinking and function of the body. If there is some kind of trauma to the CNS, it results in disturbance of normal functioning of the body. Hence results in hiccups.
There are certain conditions associated with the CNS trauma such as:
- Encephalitis
- meningitis
- stroke
- Brain injury
- Tumors or unwanted cell growth in the brain.
- There are certain factors that can trigger long term hiccups. These are:
- alcoholism
- anesthesia
- diabetes
- kidney disease
- imbalance of electrolytes in the body.
Easy home remedies to get rid of hiccups :
How to get rid of hiccups?
There are a number of ways that you can get rid of hiccups. Here are some easy and fast first aid methods to get rid of them.
Hold your breath:
Whenever you have a hiccup you should hold your breath for about 30s or how much ever you. By doing so they stop as the movement of diaphragm is halted with stopping of breathing action
Measured breathing for hiccups: *img
Measured breathing is a way in which you breathe in for 5 seconds or so and breath out for the similar time as you breath in. In this action you try and disrupt the breathing action of the lungs.
Sit and hug your knees for hiccups: *img
Sit down on the floor and hug your knees and stay that way for 5 minutes. Whilst doing so, you can practice breathing control methods discussed above.
Compress your chest tight: *img
Compress your chest so that the pressure is applied on the diaphragm and helps to treat hiccups effectively.
Hold your breath by pinching your nose: *img
This is a very easy and effective method to practice in getting rid of hiccups. You can pinch your nose and shut your mouth and try to exhale heavily.
How to eat and drink to get rid of hiccups?
Whenever you are having a hiccup, you can eat and drink certain foods in a certain way so that get relief from them. These are very effective to get rid of hiccups.
If you could try these, they are easy, fast and very effective.
Ice water or very cold water for hiccups: *img
Sip on cold water when having hiccups. It will relieve you because it provides stimulation to the vagus nerve. Hence it can overcome the nerve action and damage to the nerve.
Drink water continuously: *img
Take a glass of water and drink it continuously without stopping to take a breath. It can very effectively treat hiccups because by doing so, you get maximum breathing control and cold water action on the nerves too.
Drink water : *img
Simply drinking water can treat them. However, you can take this to the next level by covering the glass with cloth and sipping through it. This will relieve them.
Eat ice : *img
You can even eat ice by sucking it in your mouth. This is similar to action as drinking cold water.
Gargle with cold: *img
This is very effective. However, if you are suffering from cold, cough or sore throat then you should not try this method for getting rid of hiccups.
Eat some sugar or candy: *img
You can eat sugar or candy by sucking on it in your mouth. Don't chew it, just swallow the saliva.
Suck on a lemon: *img
The lemon has a lot of citric acid. You can suck on a lemon by adding some salt on it . It will reduce the occurence of hiccups altogether.
Eat something sour:
You can get rid of hiccups by eating something sour as it produces a sucking action. You can try having some vinegar. However, if you have extreme acidity then you should avoid eating anything sour and acidic.
Pressure points:
There are certain pressure points in your body. By pressing those pressure points in your body, you can get rid of them. This is also known as acupuncture. The pressure points help in effective functioning of the body and they are also known to relieve pain.
Here are some pressure points you should press:
Diaphragm:
The diaphragm is located below the lungs over the abdominal region. Just press at that site to stop the contractions of the diaphragm. Hence, it relieves the hiccups.
Your tongue: *img
Pull in your tongue in such a way that the muscles of your throat are stimulated. These nerves help to relief the contractions in the diaphragm. Then grab the tip of your tongue and pull it forward. This will help you to relieve the hiccup problem.
Palm:
Place pressure on your palm by pressing .
Carotid artery: *img
The carotid artery is present in both the sides of our neck . You can just massage that area by lying down on your right and massage the area on the left by using circular motion. Continue massaging for 5-20 minutes and repeat on the other side of the neck.
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