Reason for constant hiccups: Hiccups – Symptoms and causes

19.12.202007.06.2023 by alexxlab

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Chronic Hiccups: Causes, Treatments, and More

Hiccups are caused by spasms in your diaphragm, the large muscle just below your lungs. Some people have chronic hiccups that last for days, weeks, or years.

Hiccups happen when your diaphragm contracts involuntarily, which is also known as a spasm.

The diaphragm is a muscle that helps you breathe. It’s located between your chest and your abdomen.

After the involuntary contraction, your vocal cords will rapidly shut. This is what causes the sound that comes with hiccups.

For most people, hiccups usually last a few minutes and are not a medical concern. However, if your hiccups last longer than 2 days, they’re considered chronic. They’re also referred to as persistent if they last over 2 days, but end within 1 month.

If you have multiple recurring episodes of hiccups over prolonged periods of time, this is also considered chronic hiccups.

Chronic hiccups can last for years in some people and are usually a sign of a medical issue. They can also cause health issues themselves.

You may experience exhaustion when they keep you awake most nights. Chronic hiccups can also lead to severe weight loss because they can affect your appetite or desire to eat.

Chronic hiccups are very rare, but people who may have a higher risk of getting chronic hiccups include those who:

have recently undergone general anesthesia
experience anxiety or other mental health issues
have had surgery in the area of the abdomen
have illnesses of the liver, bowel, stomach, or diaphragm
are pregnant
have cancer
drink alcohol excessively
have a nervous system disorder

Treating chronic or persistent hiccups will usually require more than just drinking a glass of water.

Since chronic hiccups cause health issues and can also be a sign of a larger health concern, the majority of treatments require the help of a medical professional.

You usually can’t treat the issue yourself or resolve the problem at home. Treatments depend on the underlying cause and may include:

treating the underlying health condition that’s causing the hiccups
taking medications prescribed by a doctor, such as baclofen, chlorpromazine, valproic acid, or metoclopramide
having surgery, such as implanting a device that electrically stimulates the vagus nerve
injecting the phrenic nerve with anesthetic
acupuncture

There are many things believed to cause hiccups, but the cause of chronic hiccups isn’t always known. The cause may also take an extended period of time to discover.

The following are just some of the possible causes:

recent abdominal surgery
general anesthesia
diseases of the esophagus, stomach, intestines, kidneys, or liver
cancer tumors
brain or spinal cord lesions
brainstem seizures
pneumonia
irritation of the nerves that control breathing

Related conditions

Conditions that are related to chronic hiccups may include any medical or health issue that involves the autonomic nervous system. This is the system that controls your body’s unconscious actions, like breathing, heartbeat, and digestive tract functions.

While one-time or occasional hiccups are common and resolve quickly, chronic hiccups are very rare and more difficult to treat.

It’s important that you see a medical professional if you have hiccups that last more than 2 days or you’ve had multiple hiccup episodes that are occurring more frequently over time, as they could be a symptom of a serious medical condition.

Even if the cause is not found, chronic hiccups alone can affect your quality of life as well as your health if they’re not treated.

You can connect with a primary care doctor in your area using the Healthline FindCare tool.

Read this article in Spanish.

Hiccups: Causes, treatments, and complications

Hiccups happen when a person’s intake of air becomes momentarily blocked. Possible causes include having gas in the stomach, eating spicy food, and having an underlying health condition.

When a hiccup forms, it is because of a sudden, involuntary contraction of the diaphragm at the same time as a contraction of the voice box, or larynx, and the total closure of the glottis, which is where the vocal cords are located. As a result, there is a sudden rush of air into the lungs, accompanied by the familiar “hic” sound.

Hiccups are medically known as synchronous diaphragmatic flutter or singultus. They can occur individually or in bouts. They are often rhythmic, meaning that the interval between each hiccup is relatively constant.

Most people have hiccups from time to time, and they usually resolve without treatment within a few minutes.

Rarely, there may be prolonged or chronic hiccups, which can last for a month or longer. Hiccups that last for longer than 2 months are known as intractable hiccups.

If a bout of hiccups lasts for longer than 48 hours, this is considered persistent, and the person should contact a doctor. This tends to be more common in men than women and could signify a more serious medical condition.

Fast facts on hiccups

The exact cause of hiccups remains unclear, but experts have linked chronic hiccups to a wide range of conditions, including stroke and gastrointestinal problems.
Most cases resolve without treatment, but prolonged hiccups can lead to complications such as insomnia and depression.
If hiccups last for longer than 48 hours, the person should contact a doctor, who may prescribe muscle relaxants.
Avoiding alcohol and not eating too quickly can reduce the chance of experiencing hiccups.

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The National Organization for Rare Disorders describes hiccups as “an involuntary spasmodic contraction of the muscle at the base of the lungs (diaphragm) followed by the rapid closure of the vocal cords.”

A wide range of underlying conditions can trigger chronic or persistent hiccups.

Exactly how or why short bouts of hiccups happen remains unclear, but experts have linked some factors to a higher chance of experiencing them. The sections below look at some of these factors in more detail.

Lifestyle factors

The following may trigger hiccups:

eating hot or spicy food that irritates the phrenic nerve, which is located near the esophagus
having gas in the stomach that presses against the diaphragm
eating too much or causing stomach distension
drinking sodas, hot liquids, or alcoholic drinks, especially carbonated drinks
experiencing stress or strong emotions

Some medications — such as opiates, benzodiazepines, anesthesia, corticosteroids, barbiturates, and methyldopa — can also cause hiccups.

Medical conditions

Often, hiccups occur unexpectedly, and neither the person nor the doctor can identify their likely cause.

However, doctors have linked chronic hiccups to several conditions. These include:

gastrointestinal conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, a small bowel obstruction, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
respiratory conditions, such as pleurisy of the diaphragm, pneumonia, or asthma
excessive and habitual consumption of alcohol
conditions that affect the central nervous system, such as a traumatic brain injury, encephalitis, a brain tumor, or a stroke
conditions that irritate the vagus nerve, such as meningitis, pharyngitis, or goiter
psychological reactions, including grief, excitement, anxiety, stress, and shock
conditions that affect metabolism, including hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and diabetes
liver and kidney problems
cancer, either as a result of damage caused by the condition or as a side effect of the treatment, such as chemotherapy
conditions of the autonomic nervous system, which also affects breathing, sweating, the heartbeat, hiccups, and coughing

Other conditions that may be related to hiccups include bladder irritation, liver cancer, pancreatitis, pregnancy, and hepatitis. Surgical procedures and lesions may also be risk factors.

Infants may experience hiccups more frequently during or after feeding, as they may swallow food too quickly or overfeed. Hiccups could also be a sign of an infant being full. Therefore, pediatricians typically recommend short feeds with burping breaks.

Hiccups may also occur due to an infant’s breathing and swallowing not yet being in sync. In turn, this can cause an infant to draw breath and swallow, which can produce a hiccup.

Hiccups in infants may also result from changes in stomach temperature. For example, this may be the case if they consume a cold drink then have something warm to eat.

Generally, hiccups tend to be a sign of healthy growth and development. However, frequent hiccups may also result from GERD, which is a common and easily treatable condition in infants.

Hiccups alone are not a sign of reflux. Some other possible symptoms in infants with suspected GERD include:

crying more frequently
arching the back excessively during or after feeds
spitting up more often than usual

Parents and caregivers should consult a pediatrician if they notice that their infant is experiencing several symptoms and suspect that reflux may be causing them.

Most cases of hiccups go away after a few minutes or hours with no medical treatment. If they persist, however, a person should contact a doctor. The following tips may help, but their effectiveness remains unclear.

Tips for getting rid of hiccups

The following tips may help get rid of hiccups:

Sip ice-cold water slowly or gargle with very cold water.
Hold the breath for a short time, then breathe out. Do this three or four times every 20 minutes.
While swallowing, place gentle pressure on the nose.
Place gentle pressure on the diaphragm.
Bite on a lemon.
Swallow some granulated sugar.
Take a tiny amount of vinegar, just enough to taste.
Breathe in and out of a paper bag. Never use a plastic bag for this, and never cover the head with the bag.
Sit down and hug the knees as close to the chest as possible for a short time.
Lean forward to compress the chest gently.
Try an alternative remedy, such as acupuncture or hypnosis.
Gently pull on the tongue.
Rub the eyes.
Gently touch one finger to the throat to try to trigger a gag reflex.

Many of these tips have been passed down through generations. They may be effective for some people, but there has been little research to support their use.

Medications

If a person has an underlying condition, managing it will probably resolve the hiccups.

If prolonged hiccups are interfering with a person’s quality of life, a doctor may prescribe a medication.

Chlorpromazine is the first-line treatment, as it is the only medication with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to treat hiccups.

A doctor may recommend the following medications for hiccups if there appears to be no underlying condition:

metoclopramide (Reglan), which is an antinausea medication that may help some people with hiccups
baclofen (Lioresal), which is a muscle relaxant (off-label use)
gabapentin, which is an antiseizure medication that doctors commonly prescribe for neuropathic pain and that can help alleviate the symptoms of hiccups (off-label use)

Ephedrine or ketamine can treat hiccups related to anesthesia or surgery.

For hiccups, doctors usually prescribe a low-dose, 2-week course of medication. They may gradually increase the amount until the hiccups are gone. The course and dosage will depend on the severity of the hiccups, the person’s general health, and age.

Surgery

In severe cases that do not respond to other treatments, a surgeon may inject medication into the phrenic nerve to temporarily block the nerve’s action or sever the phrenic nerve in the neck.

Prolonged hiccups can lead to complications such as:

Weight loss and dehydration: If the hiccups are long term and occur at short intervals, it can become difficult to eat.
Insomnia: If prolonged hiccups persist during the sleeping hours, it can be hard to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Fatigue: Prolonged hiccups can be exhausting, especially if they make it hard to sleep or eat.
Communication problems: It can be difficult for the person to speak if they have hiccups.
Depression: Long-term hiccups can increase the risk of developing clinical depression.
Delayed wound healing: Persistent hiccups can make it harder for post-surgical wounds to heal, thereby increasing the risk of infections or bleeding after surgery.

Other potential complications include an irregular heartbeat and GERD.

Hiccups that last for under 48 hours do not usually need any medical attention because they typically resolve on their own. If they persist for longer than this, the person should consult a doctor.

The doctor may ask:

when the hiccups began
how often they occur
if they are happening all the time
what the person was doing before the hiccups started

They will likely perform a general physical examination and a neurological exam to check the person’s:

reflexes
balance
coordination
eyesight
sense of touch
muscle strength
muscle tone

If an underlying condition may be the cause, the doctor may order the following tests:

blood tests to check for infections, kidney disease, or diabetes
imaging tests — such as an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI scan — to assess for any anatomical irregularities that may be affecting the phrenic or vagus nerves or the diaphragm
an endoscopic test, in which a healthcare professional passes an endoscope — which is a flexible tube with a small camera at the end — down the person’s throat to check the windpipe or esophagus
en electrocardiogram to check for heart-related conditions by measuring electrical activity in the heart

Some causes of hiccups are preventable. A few ways to reduce the chance of experiencing hiccups include:

avoiding sudden changes in temperature
not drinking alcohol or sodas
eating moderately and not too quickly

Most hiccups are brief and go away after a short while. However, if they persist or cause worrying symptoms, the person should contact a doctor.

Hiccups in adults and children. How to stop hiccups – clinic “Dobrobut”

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Medical Library Dobrobut

Publication date: 2020-02-17

Causes of hiccups in adults and children, how to get rid of

Hiccups in children and adults are often perceived as normal. But you need to know that in some cases it can be a sign of serious pathological problems. With constant and prolonged hiccups, a doctor’s consultation is necessary. A pediatrician will help to understand the causes of this problem in a child. Adults are advised to consult a neurologist.

Causes of hiccups

If the problem has affected the child and worries regularly, then you need to exclude pathologies and only after that look for the cause. Perhaps the baby just overate, but hiccups in newborns may be due to an imperfect connection between the diaphragm and the brain, or swallowing air during feeding. The problem can also begin with hypothermia, so babies need to be dressed slightly warmer than an adult.

Hiccups in adults may occur due to:

overeating;
intake of carbonated drinks;
tantrums and sobs;
fits of laughter.

Hiccups often occur during pregnancy due to increased intra-abdominal pressure. In addition, the condition under consideration can occur as a manifestation of stress, drug poisoning, and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.

No matter what causes hiccups, you need to know how to quickly stop an attack of convulsive contraction of the muscles of the diaphragm – this is how this problem is classified in medicine.

How to get rid of hiccups

Hiccups in a small child are not harmful to health, but you need to make every effort to ensure that the attack ends. In no case should you scare the baby – the grandmother’s way of quickly getting rid of hiccups can provoke disorders of the nervous system, since it is not yet fully formed. Boiled water will be the best solution – just a few sips and after 10-30 seconds the diaphragm will stop convulsively contracting.

How to get rid of hiccups in adults and older children:

suck and chew/swallow a slice of lemon slowly;
Sip slowly a glass of water at room temperature;
Eat 1-2 teaspoons of sugar with water (better – dissolve 2 pieces of refined sugar).

How to quickly get rid of hiccups: take a deep breath, opening your mouth wide. Hold your breath with your mouth open for a few seconds. Usually the attack stops immediately, but the reception can be repeated several times. If the problem is triggered by hypothermia, dress warmly, drink hot tea or cover yourself with a blanket.

What should I do if I have hiccups that occur frequently and are characterized by a prolonged attack? There are specific drugs:

Cisapride – take 1 tablet before meals and 1 tablet at night;
Baclofen – an average of 10 mg 3 times a day;
Chlorpromazine – 25 mg intramuscularly 4 times a day.

Such appointments are made by a doctor, since self-administration of medicines is fraught with undesirable consequences, severe side effects.

You can find out how to stop hiccups on your own and what will help your child at an appointment with a neurologist or pediatrician. And you can sign up for a consultation with specialists on our website dobrobut.com

Do you want to get an online explanation from the doctor of the Dobrobut MS?

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step-by-step instructions with expert advice

Medically, hiccups are a sudden contraction of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. This spasm against the background of a closed larynx causes the sound of hiccups and slight twitching of the body.

Science has not suggested a single reliable cause of hiccups, but there are hypotheses:

drank something carbonated, and gas bubbles irritate muscles and nerves;
drank too much alcohol;
smoked;
inhaled too much air – when we exhale more than we inhale, the level of carbon dioxide decreases, which disturbs the breathing pattern, and this can cause hiccups;
ate too much and too fast;
have eaten something hot or cold – hiccups can be caused by a change in body temperature.

Hiccups can also be provoked by fear, stress, anxiety or excitement.

People with chronic or frequent hiccups may also have a number of health problems – respiratory problems such as asthma or pneumonia, and gastrointestinal problems.

Some medications can also trigger hiccups.

There are many folk remedies that are claimed to work for hiccups, but most of their effects have no scientific basis. For example, to scare a hiccup, stand upside down, chew a lemon. Yes, sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. And there is no way to prove that they are effective for all people.

In the meantime, there are several remedies that, according to doctors, really work.

Inhale, inhale and exhale

Take a long deep breath and hold your breath for 10 seconds. Then take another small breath and hold for another 5 seconds. And then exhale slowly.

Many doctors recommend this product. The point is to increase the level of carbon dioxide, relax the diaphragm and airways.

Bend over and drink water

Another great way to get rid of hiccups is to bend over at the waist and drink water from a cup on the floor through a straw. This is known to help relax the diaphragm and stop hiccups. Make sure you do it carefully. It is believed to be one of the best ways to stop hiccups and prevent them from coming back.

Swallow water quickly or drink it through a towel

Take 10 quick sips of water in a row. When you swallow, the rhythmic contractions of the esophagus overcome the spasms of the diaphragm. If that doesn’t work, cover the glass with a paper towel and drink through it. You will have to “pull” the diaphragm even further to draw in the water.

Bring your knees to your chest

When you have hiccups, you need to quiet your diaphragm, and one of the easiest ways to do this is to bring your knees to your chest. Hold them for a while until the hiccups stop.

Cover your mouth and nose

Try to press your hands to your nose and mouth, but continue to breathe normally. The extra dose of carbon dioxide should help you get rid of the hiccups.

Stick out your tongue

Stick out your tongue if no one is watching. This exercise is performed by singers and actors because it stimulates the formation of a gap between the vocal cords. You will begin to breathe smoothly, which will relieve the spasms that cause hiccups.

Plug your ears

The next time you hiccup, put your fingers in your ears for 20-30 seconds. Alternatively, you can press on the soft areas behind the earlobes, just below the base of the skull. This sends a signal to “relax” through the vagus nerve, which connects to the diaphragm.

If you can cover your ears and drink water at the same time, even better. Put your fingers in your ears and drink through a straw. This option puts pressure on the vagus nerve but still benefits from constant swallowing – this is one of the most effective home remedies for hiccups.

Press hard on the palms or finger

Try pressing on the palm with the thumb of the other hand – the harder the better. Alternatively, you can pinch the pad of your left thumb between your right thumb and forefinger.

It would seem, what is the connection? And everything is very simple – these actions will cause you discomfort or even slight pain. The nervous system will be distracted from the diaphragm, switched to a new source of disorder, and the hiccups will stop.

Massage your neck

This is one of the strangest ways to get rid of hiccups, but it also works. Try massaging or rubbing the carotid arteries on the right and left sides of your neck to get rid of hiccups.

Breathe into a paper bag

The next time you have hiccups, breathe slowly and deeply into a small paper bag. This will increase the level of carbon dioxide in the blood and cause the diaphragm to contract more deeply to deliver more oxygen.

Stop if you feel dizzy.

Eat a green olive

Although it sounds strange, it works quite effectively. Every time you have a hiccup, eat green olives. Some foods really help stop hiccups. Green olives are one of them.

Lick Peanut Butter

A large spoonful of peanut butter is a classic hiccup remedy. It works like this: the oil will stick to your teeth, you will automatically begin to remove it with your tongue, while swallowing and breathing will begin to be interrupted. And the hiccups will pass.

Chew dill seeds

Chew a teaspoon of dill seeds slowly. This traditional remedy may work because ingesting the seeds stimulates the vagus nerve, resulting in less hiccups.