Zainab Ilyas

· 04 Nov 2021

Follow Following

What causes Hiccups?

Hiccups are involuntary, repetitive contractions of the diaphragm muscle. The diaphragm is the muscle that lies right behind your lungs. It is the line that separates your chest from your belly.
Breathing is controlled by the diaphragm. Your lungs take in oxygen when your diaphragm contracts. Your lungs emit carbon dioxide when your diaphragm relaxes.

Hiccups are caused by the diaphragm contracting out of rhythm. The larynx and voice cords constrict abruptly with each diaphragm spasm. A quick rush of air enters the lungs as a result of this. The sound of hiccups is produced by your body reacting with a gulp or chirp.
The medical name for hiccups is singultus.

Onset of hiccups
It's impossible to predict glitches. Prior to creating the distinctive hiccup sound, there is normally a minor constriction of the chest or neck with each spasm.

Hiccups usually begin and finish abruptly for no apparent cause. The episodes are usually only a few minutes long.
Persistent hiccups are those that stay longer than 48 hours. Intractable hiccups are those that continue longer than two months and are difficult to handle.

Causes of hiccups
Hiccups can be caused by a variety of factors. However, no clear list of triggers exists. Hiccups appear and disappear for no obvious reason.

The following are some of the most prevalent reasons of short-term hiccups:
•    overeating

•    consuming spicy foods

•    alcoholic beverages

•    consuming carbonated beverages (e.g., sodas)

•    ingesting meals that are extremely hot or chilly

•    a sharp drop in air temperature

•    air swallowed when chewing gum

•    excitement or mental anguish

•    aerophagia is a condition in which a person eat (swallowing too much air)

Hiccups that persist more than 48 hours are classified according to the irritation that produced them.
Injury or irritation to the vagus or phrenic nerves is the most common cause of chronic hiccups. The diaphragm is controlled by the vagus and phrenic nerves.

The following factors may wreak havoc on these nerves:

•    An irritated eardrum might be caused by a foreign item.

•    Irritation or pain in the throat

•    the condition of having a goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland)

•    GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition in which (stomach acid backing up into the esophagus, the tube that moves food from the mouth to the stomach)

•    a tumor or cyst in the esophagus

Hiccups can also be caused by problems with the central nervous system (CNS). The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. Your body may lose the capacity to manage itself if your CNS is destroyed.
The following are examples of CNS injury that might cause chronic hiccups:

•    stroke

•    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects people (a chronic, degenerative nerve disease)

•    tumors

•    encephalitis and meningitis (infections that can cause swelling in the brain)

•    Trauma to the head or brain damage

•    hydrocephalus is a condition in which a person's (accumulation of fluid on the brain)

•    syphilis and other diseases of the brain

Hiccups that linger for an extended amount of time can be caused by:

•    consuming too much booze

•    usage of tobacco

•    a post-surgery anesthetic response

•    Barbiturates, steroids, and tranquillizers are examples of specific drug classes.

•    diabetes

•    a problem with electrolytes

•    renal disease

•    abnormality of the arteries and veins (a condition in which arteries and veins are tangled in the brain)

•   Chemotherapy and cancer therapies

•    Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder that affects people (a degenerative brain disease)

A medical treatment might sometimes lead you to acquire long-term hiccups by unintentionally. These procedures include the following and are used to treat or diagnose various conditions:

•    Catheters are used to get access to the heart muscle.

•    An esophageal stent is used to keep the esophagus open.

•    Bronchoscopy examination (when an instrument is used to look inside your lungs)

•    tracheostomy (tracheostomy) is a surgical procedure that (creation of a surgical opening in the neck to allow breathing around an airway obstruction)

Risk factors for hiccups
Hiccups may strike anyone at any age. Even when a fetus is still in the mother's womb, they can happen. However, there are a number of things that might make you more likely to get hiccups.

If you do any of the following, you may be more vulnerable:
•    are men

•    have strong mental or emotional reactions ranging from worry to enthusiasm

•    have been sedated with general anesthesia (you were put to sleep during surgery)

•    have undergone surgery, particularly abdominal surgery

Treating hiccups
Most hiccups aren't life-threatening or cause for concern. A protracted episode, on the other hand, can be unpleasant and disruptive to everyday life.
If you experience hiccups that continue longer than two days, see a doctor. They'll be able to tell you how severe your hiccups are in relation to your general health and other issues.

Hiccups can be treated in a variety of ways. A short-term bout of the hiccups will usually go away on its own. However, if hiccups linger more than a few minutes, the pain may make waiting them out uncomfortable.

Despite the fact that none of them have been shown to stop hiccups, the following home remedies for hiccups can be tried:

•    Inhale deeply into a paper bag.
•    Take a spoonful of granulated sugar and consume it.
•    Hold your breath for a moment.

•    A glass of cold water should be consumed.

•    Grasp your tongue.

•    Using a spoon, lift your uvula. The fleshy patch of tissue that hangs above the back of your throat is your uvula.

•    Make a conscious effort to gasp or belch.

•    Maintain this stance by bringing your knees to your chest.

•    Close your lips and nostrils and forcefully exhale to do the Valsalva technique.

•    Relax and take calm, controlled breaths.

Consult your doctor if the hiccups persist after 48 hours. Gastric lavage (stomach pumping) or carotid sinus massage may be attempted by your doctor (rubbing the main carotid artery in the neck).

Your doctor may prescribe testing if the reason of your hiccups is unknown. These can aid in the detection of any underlying illness or condition.
The tests below can help you figure out what's causing your hiccups if they're chronic or intractable:

•    Tests to detect symptoms of infection, diabetes, or kidney disease in the blood

•    Tests of liver function

•    A chest X-ray, CT scan, or MRI can be used to image the diaphragm.

•    an echocardiography is a test that evaluates the heart's function.

•    an endoscopy, which involves examining your esophagus, windpipe, stomach, and intestine using a thin, illuminated tube with a camera at the end.

•    a bronchoscopy, in which your lungs and airways are examined using a thin, lighted tube with a camera at the end.

The majority of the time, treating the underlying reasons of your hiccups will make them go away. There are numerous anti-hiccup drugs that can be taken if chronic hiccups have no clear reason. The following are some of the most regularly used drugs:

•    haloperidol with chlorpromazine (antipsychotic medications)

•    benzodiazepines are a kind of benzodiazepine that is (a class of tranquilizers)

•    Benadryl is a drug that is used to treat a (an antihistamine)

•    metoclopramide is a medication that is used to treat a variety of (a nausea drug)

•    baclofen is a drug that is used to treat a (a muscle relaxant)

•    nifedipine is a drug that is used to treat high blood pressure (a blood pressure medication)

•    Gabapentin, for example, is a seizure drug.

There are even more intrusive treatments available for treating severe hiccups. They are as follows:

•    intubation of the nasogastric tube (insertion of a tube through your nose into your stomach)

•    an infusion of anesthetic to block your phrenic nerve

•    A diaphragmatic pacemaker, a battery-powered device that stimulates your diaphragm and controls breathing, is surgically implanted.

Possible complications of untreated hiccups
Hiccups can be annoying and potentially dangerous to your health if you have them for a long time. Prolonged hiccups can disrupt your sleeping and eating routines if left untreated, resulting in:

exhaustion

malnutrition

losing weight

dehydration

sleeplessness

#hiccups
#treatments
#gut
#CNS