Hiccup: Why hiccup?

Hiccups are uncontrollable contractions of the diaphragm - that is, the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and that plays a vital role in respiratory function. Every contraction when you hiccup is followed by a lightning-fast closing of your vocal cords, which leads to the characteristic hiccup sound. Questions? Feel free to follow and like us too via social media.

Some common causes of hiccups are large meals, alcohol or soft drinks. But in some cases, hiccups can also be a sign of underlying illness. For the majority of us, the hiccups only last a few minutes before they resolve themselves, but for some, the hiccups can last for months. Such persistent hiccups can result in weight loss and fatigue.

Symptoms

Hiccups are a symptom in themselves. Sometimes the hiccups can also feel in the chest, abdomen or neck as a constricting sensation.

When should you consult a doctor

Book a consultation with your doctor if the hiccups persist for more than 48 hours - or if the hiccups are so severe that they cause problems with eating, sleeping or breathing.

Cause: Why do you start hiccups?

Again, we want to distinguish between short-term and long-term hiccups. By long-term hiccups we mean hiccups that have persisted for over 48 hours.

The most common causes of short-term hiccups:

• Carbonated drinks
• Too much alcohol
• overeating
• Emotional stress
• Sudden changes in temperature
• Ingestion of air due to chewing gum

Common causes of prolonged hiccups: 

One cause of prolonged hiccups is irritation or damage to the vagus nerve or the phrenic nerve - that is, the nerves that supply power to your diaphragm. Causes that can cause damage or irritation to these nerves include the following:

• A hair or similar inside your ear - which hits the eardrum
• A tumor, tumor or cyst in the neck / neck
• GERD - Acid regurgitation and acid reflux
• Laryngitis or sore throat
• Central Nerve Disease

A tumor or infection affecting the central nervous system can affect the body's natural control of the hiccup reflex. Some examples that may affect the central nervous system are:

• meningitis
• Encephalitis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Stroke
• Traumatic brain injury
• tumors
• Medications and medicines

Prolonged hiccups can also be caused by:

• Alcoholism
• Anesthesia (eg during surgery)
• Diabetes / diabetes
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Kidney disease
• steroids
• Painkillers
• Medication
• Surgery (especially of the stomach regions)

Who is most often affected by hiccups?

Men have a significantly higher risk than women of being hit by prolonged hiccups.

Diagnosis: How to diagnose long-term hiccups and the cause of it?

A doctor will perform a physical examination and ask you a number of questions. A neurological examination may also be performed where the doctor will check the following:

• Balance and coordination
• Muscle strength and tone
• Reflexes
• Sensory and skin sensation in dermatomas

If your doctor suspects that your prolonged hiccups are due to something more serious, he or she may refer you to further tests, such as:

Blood tests and lab tests

Your blood and its blood levels will be examined for clinical signs of diabetes, infection, kidney disease or the like.

Imaging

Imaging diagnostics, such as MRI and X-ray, can help detect and visualize abnormalities affecting the vagus nerve or diaphragm. Some examples of such image tests are:

• X-ray of the chest
• CT
• MR
• gastroscopy

Treatment: How to treat prolonged hiccups to get rid of it?

As mentioned earlier, the vast majority of hiccup attacks go away on their own - but if it is disease diagnoses that cause the hiccups, then the doctor will treat the disease itself and thus stop the hiccups - which is a symptom.

The most common used for prolonged hiccups that have persisted for over two days is medication. Some examples of medicine used in such treatment for hiccups are:

• Baclofen
• chlorpromazine
• Metoclopramide

Surgery or injection

If medication does not work - then your doctor may recommend an injection (eg anesthesia) to block the phrenic nerve - thus stopping the hiccups. It has also been noticed that a device used for epilepsy - a battery-powered device that provides gentle electrical stimuli to the vagus nerve - can be used. This will then be implanted.

Natural treatment, diet and advice

There are a number of natural women's advice and recommendations - including:

• To breathe into a paper bag
• Gargle with ice water
• Hold your breath (not too long then!)
• Drink cold water

Next page: - This You Should Know About Crystal Disease (Here you will find a great overview article about crystal sick)

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