HOW TO REMOVE THE HYPO
Introduction
The hiccups are the result of a sudden and involuntary contraction of the diaphragm muscle, which is located between the thorax and the abdomen.
The diaphragm is a muscle that is located between the chest and abdomen, and is the main muscle of breathing. Thanks to the movement of the diaphragm, we managed to fill and empty our lungs with air.
The hiccup arises when our diaphragm undergoes a rapid and involuntary contraction, so that it makes us breathe air. As this respiratory movement is not intentional, our vocal cords - also involuntarily - close suddenly, preventing the entry of air, causing the familiar sound of hiccups.
The closure of the vocal cords prevents the arrival of air to the lungs, so that sometimes it goes to the stomach. That's why some people swallow air during hiccups.
How are hiccups classified?
Most cases of hiccups last a few minutes, disappearing spontaneously or after some practices, such as drinking ice water or holding your breath. In some people, hiccups may take several minutes to disappear.
Common hiccups rarely have any clinical significance, without medical evaluation being necessary.
Rarely an episode of hiccups can last several hours. When the hiccup takes more than 48 hours it is called persistent hiccups. When it lasts more than a month it is called intractable hiccups. Both persistent and intractable hiccups are usually caused by some disease and should always be evaluated by a doctor.
Causes
Common hiccup
We do not know exactly why the simple hiccup arises, which lasts a few minutes and disappears spontaneously. It is assumed that hiccups are caused by situations that somehow irritate the diaphragm. In 80% of cases, hiccups occur by spasms only in the left portion of the diaphragm. It is not known why that happens.
The situations that most frequently trigger hiccups are:
The reason why the situations mentioned above function as a trigger for hiccups in some people, and only at certain times, is also unknown. If you usually have hiccups often, try to find out which is the most common trigger to avoid it. Sometimes, small changes in habits, such as eating more calmly, are enough to decrease the frequency with which hypo attacks occur.
Persistent or intractable hiccups
Hypos that last more than 48 hours can be caused by a variety of factors that are generally grouped into the following categories:
Irritation of the nerves of the diaphragm.
Like any muscle in our body, the diaphragm is controlled by our brain, which sends its orders through the phrenic nerve and the vagus nerve. Irritation of these nerves can cause unwanted movements of the diaphragm, causing a prolonged hiccup. The main situations that can cause irritation of the nerves that serve the diaphragm are:
Gastroesophageal reflux (read: GASTROESOPHAGICAL REFLECTION - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment ).
Some brain lesions may undertake the area that controls the movement of the diaphragm, leading to persistent hiccups. The main causes are:
Alterations in our metabolism, in the levels of hormones or other substances in the blood, such as electrolytes (mineral salts) and glucose, can also lead to prolonged hiccups. The most common causes are:
Diabetes poorly controlled (read: SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES ).
Chronic renal insufficiency.
Alterations in blood levels of potassium, sodium or calcium.
Chronic alcoholism
Medicines
Some medications are associated with prolonged hiccups, including:
Treatment
Common hiccups are not considered medical problems and do not need specific treatment, since they usually last a few minutes, disappearing even without doing anything.
However, nobody likes to have hiccups and most people end up looking for a way to shorten crises. As hiccups usually occur due to irritation of the diaphragm or its nerves, some simple practices, which stimulate at least one of these two structures, serve to abort crises.
Many of the homemade solutions for hiccups really work and have a scientific basis. For example:
When we have a scare, we suddenly increase the release of a hormone called adrenaline that, among hundreds of other actions, acts directly on the contraction of the diaphragm.
When we hold the air and stay a few seconds without breathing, the level of carbon dioxide (C02) in the blood rises, which is a strong stimulus for the brain to activate the nerves of the diaphragm, forcing it to contract.
When we drink ice water, the vagus nerve, which acts on the diaphragm, but which also enervates from the throat to the stomach, is stimulated by the sudden change in temperature.
Other homemade tips to stop hiccups include:
How to treat persistent or intractable hiccups
Hypos that last more than 48 hours should be investigated, as they are fatally caused by a medical problem. In these cases, the treatment of hiccups goes through a treatment of the underlying cause. If the patient has an ear infection, the treatment is with antibiotics; if you have very low levels of sodium in your blood, the replacement of sodium causes the hiccups to stop; If the cause is a medication, the medication should be discontinued, etc.
However, the problem behind persistent hiccups is not always easily identifiable. In other cases, the disease that causes hiccups does not have a specific treatment, such as in patients who have had a stroke or cranial trauma. Therefore, many times the doctor needs to use some medications that inhibit hiccups, without having to act directly on their cause.
Some medications used for persistent hiccups are:
Other options for the control of persistent hiccups are acupuncture and hypnosis.
In extreme cases - very rare, by the way - surgery may be necessary, with the implantation of an electrical stimulator in the diaphragm, similar to the pacemakers used in the heart.
Hiccups in babies
More than 80% of babies have frequent episodes of hiccups. Actually, babies begin to hiccup since they are fetuses, inside the womb. It is believed that hiccups are important for the development of fetus respiratory systems, serving as exercises for the diaphragm and other respiratory muscles.
The less developed the nervous system, the more common the hiccups will be. Premature babies have more hiccups than babies born within the usual time, which in turn have more hiccups than babies over 6 months.
Babies' hiccups cause much more discomfort in parents than in babies themselves. The baby with hiccups doesn't feel pain or get irritated. Babies do not bother with hiccups like adults.
Treatment
It is impossible to prevent babies from having hiccups, especially newborns. However, some suggestions help minimize crises.
The hiccups in babies are usually triggered by feeding or by lowering body temperature. Babies who suck very fast and swallow a lot of air tend to have more hiccups. Try to keep your baby always very hot and with his mouth well attached to the mother's breast to minimize the appearance of hiccups. After breastfeeding, leave it upright so that it belches and decreases the amount of air in the stomach.
Do not use the suggestions to stop the hiccups of adults in the case of babies, as they do not work and can do you wrong. Do not scare them, do not press their acular balloons, do not pull your tongue and do not squeeze your fontanelle. Remember that babies do not bother with hiccups, be patient that after a few minutes it will disappear. As the baby grows, crises become less and less common.
The hiccups in babies only cause concern if they are preventing their usual activities such as sleeping or feeding, or if they persist after a few minutes. Frequent hiccups in babies older than one year are not common. In these cases, mention it to the pediatrician, who will tell you what to do to find out if there is a problem behind the hiccups, such as gastroesophageal reflux, for example.
The hiccups are the result of a sudden and involuntary contraction of the diaphragm muscle, which is located between the thorax and the abdomen.
The diaphragm is a muscle that is located between the chest and abdomen, and is the main muscle of breathing. Thanks to the movement of the diaphragm, we managed to fill and empty our lungs with air.
The hiccup arises when our diaphragm undergoes a rapid and involuntary contraction, so that it makes us breathe air. As this respiratory movement is not intentional, our vocal cords - also involuntarily - close suddenly, preventing the entry of air, causing the familiar sound of hiccups.
The closure of the vocal cords prevents the arrival of air to the lungs, so that sometimes it goes to the stomach. That's why some people swallow air during hiccups.
How are hiccups classified?
Most cases of hiccups last a few minutes, disappearing spontaneously or after some practices, such as drinking ice water or holding your breath. In some people, hiccups may take several minutes to disappear.
Common hiccups rarely have any clinical significance, without medical evaluation being necessary.
Rarely an episode of hiccups can last several hours. When the hiccup takes more than 48 hours it is called persistent hiccups. When it lasts more than a month it is called intractable hiccups. Both persistent and intractable hiccups are usually caused by some disease and should always be evaluated by a doctor.
Causes
Common hiccup
We do not know exactly why the simple hiccup arises, which lasts a few minutes and disappears spontaneously. It is assumed that hiccups are caused by situations that somehow irritate the diaphragm. In 80% of cases, hiccups occur by spasms only in the left portion of the diaphragm. It is not known why that happens.
The situations that most frequently trigger hiccups are:
- Eat a lot until your stomach is very full.
- Eat very fast.
- Sudden changes in body temperature.
- Emotional stress
- Anxiety.
- Swallow air.
- Meals with a lot of spice.
- Drink soda or other soft drinks.
- Drink alcohol.
- Smoke.
- Sleep deprivation
- Fever.
The reason why the situations mentioned above function as a trigger for hiccups in some people, and only at certain times, is also unknown. If you usually have hiccups often, try to find out which is the most common trigger to avoid it. Sometimes, small changes in habits, such as eating more calmly, are enough to decrease the frequency with which hypo attacks occur.
Persistent or intractable hiccups
Hypos that last more than 48 hours can be caused by a variety of factors that are generally grouped into the following categories:
Irritation of the nerves of the diaphragm.
Like any muscle in our body, the diaphragm is controlled by our brain, which sends its orders through the phrenic nerve and the vagus nerve. Irritation of these nerves can cause unwanted movements of the diaphragm, causing a prolonged hiccup. The main situations that can cause irritation of the nerves that serve the diaphragm are:
Gastroesophageal reflux (read: GASTROESOPHAGICAL REFLECTION - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment ).
- Ulcers of the stomach or duodenum.
- Tumors in the region of the chest or neck.
- Goiter (read: SYMPTOMS OF THYROID PROBLEMS ).
- Pharyngitis or tonsillitis (read: Streptococcal Pharyngitis - Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment ).
- Irritations of the eardrum or foreign objects inside the ear.
- Pneumonia.
- Pericarditis
- Central nervous system diseases
Some brain lesions may undertake the area that controls the movement of the diaphragm, leading to persistent hiccups. The main causes are:
- ACV
- Multiple sclerosis
- Meningitis
- Brain tumors.
- Cranial trauma
- Metabolic disorders
Alterations in our metabolism, in the levels of hormones or other substances in the blood, such as electrolytes (mineral salts) and glucose, can also lead to prolonged hiccups. The most common causes are:
Diabetes poorly controlled (read: SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES ).
Chronic renal insufficiency.
Alterations in blood levels of potassium, sodium or calcium.
Chronic alcoholism
Medicines
Some medications are associated with prolonged hiccups, including:
- Anesthetics used in general anesthesia.
- Corticosteroids
- Anxiolytics of the benzodiazepine class (diazepam, alprazolam, lorazepam).
- Levodopa
- Nicotine.
- Ondansetrone
- Alfametildopa
Treatment
Common hiccups are not considered medical problems and do not need specific treatment, since they usually last a few minutes, disappearing even without doing anything.
However, nobody likes to have hiccups and most people end up looking for a way to shorten crises. As hiccups usually occur due to irritation of the diaphragm or its nerves, some simple practices, which stimulate at least one of these two structures, serve to abort crises.
Many of the homemade solutions for hiccups really work and have a scientific basis. For example:
When we have a scare, we suddenly increase the release of a hormone called adrenaline that, among hundreds of other actions, acts directly on the contraction of the diaphragm.
When we hold the air and stay a few seconds without breathing, the level of carbon dioxide (C02) in the blood rises, which is a strong stimulus for the brain to activate the nerves of the diaphragm, forcing it to contract.
When we drink ice water, the vagus nerve, which acts on the diaphragm, but which also enervates from the throat to the stomach, is stimulated by the sudden change in temperature.
Other homemade tips to stop hiccups include:
- Gargle with ice water.
- Ice sucking
- Drink hot water (be careful to drink it too hot and burn your mouth).
- Breathe into a paper bag.
- Suck lemon.
- Eat ginger
- Lead on.
- Touch the uvula (throat bell) with an object, such as a straw or straw (known in other countries as light bulb, cigarette, cane, straw, etc.).
- Ingest a spoonful of sugar or honey.
- Bend your knees and hug your legs, compressing your chest.
- Drink fluids while pressing your nose.
- Try some vinegar.
How to treat persistent or intractable hiccups
Hypos that last more than 48 hours should be investigated, as they are fatally caused by a medical problem. In these cases, the treatment of hiccups goes through a treatment of the underlying cause. If the patient has an ear infection, the treatment is with antibiotics; if you have very low levels of sodium in your blood, the replacement of sodium causes the hiccups to stop; If the cause is a medication, the medication should be discontinued, etc.
However, the problem behind persistent hiccups is not always easily identifiable. In other cases, the disease that causes hiccups does not have a specific treatment, such as in patients who have had a stroke or cranial trauma. Therefore, many times the doctor needs to use some medications that inhibit hiccups, without having to act directly on their cause.
Some medications used for persistent hiccups are:
- Chlorpromazine
- Haloperidol
- Baclofen
- Metoclopramide
- Gabapendin
Other options for the control of persistent hiccups are acupuncture and hypnosis.
In extreme cases - very rare, by the way - surgery may be necessary, with the implantation of an electrical stimulator in the diaphragm, similar to the pacemakers used in the heart.
Hiccups in babies
More than 80% of babies have frequent episodes of hiccups. Actually, babies begin to hiccup since they are fetuses, inside the womb. It is believed that hiccups are important for the development of fetus respiratory systems, serving as exercises for the diaphragm and other respiratory muscles.
The less developed the nervous system, the more common the hiccups will be. Premature babies have more hiccups than babies born within the usual time, which in turn have more hiccups than babies over 6 months.
Babies' hiccups cause much more discomfort in parents than in babies themselves. The baby with hiccups doesn't feel pain or get irritated. Babies do not bother with hiccups like adults.
Treatment
It is impossible to prevent babies from having hiccups, especially newborns. However, some suggestions help minimize crises.
The hiccups in babies are usually triggered by feeding or by lowering body temperature. Babies who suck very fast and swallow a lot of air tend to have more hiccups. Try to keep your baby always very hot and with his mouth well attached to the mother's breast to minimize the appearance of hiccups. After breastfeeding, leave it upright so that it belches and decreases the amount of air in the stomach.
Do not use the suggestions to stop the hiccups of adults in the case of babies, as they do not work and can do you wrong. Do not scare them, do not press their acular balloons, do not pull your tongue and do not squeeze your fontanelle. Remember that babies do not bother with hiccups, be patient that after a few minutes it will disappear. As the baby grows, crises become less and less common.
The hiccups in babies only cause concern if they are preventing their usual activities such as sleeping or feeding, or if they persist after a few minutes. Frequent hiccups in babies older than one year are not common. In these cases, mention it to the pediatrician, who will tell you what to do to find out if there is a problem behind the hiccups, such as gastroesophageal reflux, for example.
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