Common Hiccups Cause and Treatment

Knowing to Common Hiccups Cause and Treatment

Very few people know what happens in the body when they have hiccups. Usually, hiccups occur when the nerves that run from the neck towards the chest are irritated. Hiccups cause the opening on top of the vocal chords to close abruptly to regulate the flow of air. When this happens, the “hic” sound is produced.

When hiccups occur on adults, hiccups cause embarrassment to the person. Hiccups could also occur in newborn infants and hiccups cause anxiety and fear to the parent rather than the child. However, hiccups cause irritation and discomfort to the baby.

In adults, hiccups are caused by excessive alcohol intake, heartburn, spicy and hot food, bloating, laryngitis, surgery, anesthesia, infection, eardrum irritation, diabetes, overstretching of the muscle of the neck, smoking, tumor, and fast eating.

Casual hiccups could be stopped by applying pressure inside the body. This can be done by asking somebody to stick their fingers on your ears, hold your nose, and drink any kind of liquid without breathing in between sips. Unfortunately, intractable hiccups could not be cured by home remedies. When you experience hiccups for a long period of time, consult your physician immediately to find out your hiccup’s cause.

Hiccups Cause and Treatment - Home Remedies for Hiccups

Home remedies could be used to stop regular hiccups. The most popular and most common home remedies are breathing onto a paper bag, putting a teaspoon of sugar on your tongue, and drinking cold water without breathing in between sips.

Hiccups Cause and Treatment - Techniques on How to Stop Hiccups

Increasing the level of carbon dioxide in the blood decreases the sensitivity of the nerve which controls the diaphragm. The nerve that connects the diaphragm to the vein is called the Vagus nerve. This nerve is one of the longest nerves inside the body and it has many branches. To increase the carbon dioxide level in the blood, you could either hold your breath or drink some water without breathing. Caution should be exercised when you breathe into a paper bag. Do not use a plastic bag instead of a paper bag because plastic bags have the tendency to cling to your nostrils and suffocation might occur.

Pharyngeal irritation due to vagal stimulation could also be tried. This technique involves either by stimulating gagging, applying pressure to the tongue, or swallowing or putting something on the mouth like crushed ice, dry bread, or granulated sugar. These methods are commonly done at home but people do not know the scientific principle behind these methods.

Alternative medicine could also be used to stop hiccups. The ash of a peacock’s feather, sucking honey with Cardamom’s powdered seed, a tablet of Eladivati which is crushed and drank together with honey, and Sukumar Ghritham with a teaspoon of milk are all said to be effective. These ingredients are available in ayurvedic stores.

Hiccups cause stress to the body, emotional instability, and irritation. To avoid these effects, you could try different methods to stop hiccups and continue with your daily activities. Hiccups Cause and Treatment