What are hiccups and why do they occur. How can you effectively stop hiccups at home. When should you be concerned about persistent hiccups. What are some surprising facts about hiccups that most people don’t know.

The Science Behind Hiccups: Understanding the Involuntary Reflex

Hiccups are sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. When this muscle contracts repeatedly, the opening between the vocal cords snaps shut, checking the inflow of air and producing the characteristic “hic” sound. While hiccups are often associated with various ailments, their exact cause remains a mystery to scientists.

Are hiccups dangerous? Generally, hiccups are not serious and pose no significant health risks. However, in rare cases, they can be a symptom of underlying medical conditions. Understanding the mechanics of hiccups can help in finding effective ways to manage and prevent them.

Common Triggers: Everyday Habits That Can Lead to Hiccups

Many everyday activities and habits can potentially trigger hiccups. These include:

• Eating too quickly
• Swallowing air while eating or drinking
• Consuming carbonated beverages
• Smoking or chewing gum
• Eating spicy foods
• Experiencing sudden temperature changes
• Feeling anxious or stressed

Can certain foods cause hiccups? While no specific food is universally linked to hiccups, consuming large meals, especially those high in fatty content, can potentially lead to hiccups by causing stomach distension and irritating the diaphragm.

Surprising Connections: Medical Conditions and Hiccups

While most cases of hiccups are benign, certain medical conditions can be associated with persistent hiccups. These include:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Brain tumors or strokes affecting the brain stem
• Meningitis and encephalitis
• Chronic kidney disease
• Pneumonia

Is there a link between hiccups and neurological disorders? Some studies suggest that hiccups can be a symptom of certain neurological conditions, particularly those affecting the brain stem. However, more research is needed to fully understand this connection.

Home Remedies: Effective Ways to Stop Hiccups

While there’s no guaranteed cure for hiccups, several home remedies have shown promise in alleviating them:

1. Breathing into a paper bag (without covering your head)
2. Pulling your knees up to your chest and leaning forward
3. Sipping ice-cold water
4. Swallowing a teaspoon of granulated sugar
5. Biting on a lemon or tasting vinegar
6. Holding your breath for a short time

Do these remedies work for everyone? While many people find relief using these methods, their effectiveness can vary from person to person. It’s important to find what works best for you through trial and error.

When to Seek Medical Attention: Recognizing Chronic Hiccups

While most hiccup episodes are short-lived and harmless, persistent hiccups may require medical attention. Consider consulting a doctor if:

• Hiccups last for more than 48 hours
• They interfere with eating, sleeping, or daily activities
• You experience severe abdominal pain, fever, or shortness of breath
• Hiccups are accompanied by spitting up blood
• You feel as if your throat is closing up

Can chronic hiccups be a sign of a serious condition? In some cases, persistent hiccups can indicate an underlying medical issue. Your doctor can help determine the cause and recommend appropriate treatment.

Hiccups in Special Populations: Babies, Pregnant Women, and the Elderly

Hiccups can affect people of all ages, but certain groups may experience them differently:

Babies and Hiccups

Hiccups are common in infants, especially in the first year of life. They often occur after crying or coughing and are generally harmless. Some babies with gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) may be more prone to hiccups.

Pregnancy and Hiccups

Pregnant women may experience more frequent hiccups due to changes in the digestive system and increased pressure on the diaphragm. While usually harmless, persistent hiccups during pregnancy should be discussed with a healthcare provider.

Elderly and Hiccups

Older adults may be more susceptible to chronic hiccups due to age-related changes in the body or as a side effect of certain medications. Persistent hiccups in the elderly should be evaluated by a doctor to rule out underlying conditions.

Are hiccups more concerning in certain age groups? While hiccups are generally benign across all age groups, persistent or frequent hiccups in babies, pregnant women, or the elderly may warrant medical attention to ensure there are no underlying issues.

Fascinating Facts: Lesser-Known Aspects of Hiccups

Hiccups, despite their common occurrence, hold several intriguing secrets:

• Fetuses can experience hiccups in the womb as early as the first trimester
• The longest recorded case of hiccups lasted for 68 years
• Hiccups are not unique to humans – many animals can get them too
• Some scientists believe hiccups may be an evolutionary remnant from our amphibian ancestors
• Laughing can sometimes trigger hiccups in some people

Why do some people get hiccups more frequently than others? Individual susceptibility to hiccups can vary due to factors such as stress levels, eating habits, and overall health. Some people may simply be more sensitive to the triggers that cause hiccups.

Prevention Strategies: Minimizing the Occurrence of Hiccups

While it’s not always possible to prevent hiccups, certain strategies may help reduce their frequency:

• Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly
• Avoid carbonated beverages and excessive alcohol consumption
• Practice stress-reduction techniques like meditation or deep breathing
• Maintain good posture while eating to reduce air swallowing
• Stay hydrated by drinking water regularly throughout the day

Can lifestyle changes significantly reduce hiccup frequency? For many people, making small adjustments to eating habits and stress management can lead to a noticeable decrease in hiccup episodes. However, if hiccups persist despite these changes, it’s advisable to consult a healthcare professional.

Understanding the nature of hiccups, their potential causes, and effective remedies can help individuals manage this common but often perplexing bodily function. While most cases of hiccups are harmless and self-limiting, being aware of when to seek medical attention is crucial. By implementing preventive strategies and knowing how to address hiccups when they occur, one can minimize their impact on daily life and overall well-being.

Hiccups – How to get rid of them

Hiccups – How to get rid of them | Coda Pharmacy

Colin Dang
November 20, 2019

Click on the video above to see how you can stop hiccups 

Hiccups – And How To Stop Them

Hiccups can be very annoying. We all know the old tricks of scaring someone suddenly or drinking a glass of water in an unusual position to try and stop them, but in this blog, we explore what they are, why you get them and some things you can try to stop or prevent hiccups. Luckily for most Hiccups does not affect your health.

So, just what are hiccups? Well, they’re sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. As the muscle contracts repeatedly, the opening between the vocal cords snaps shut to check the inflow of air and makes the hiccup sound. Irritation of the nerves that extend from the neck to the chest can cause hiccups.Although associated with a variety of ailments (some can be serious such as pneumonia or when harmful substances build up in the blood for example from kidney failure), hiccups are not serious and have no clear reason for occurring.

 What causes hiccups? Irritation of the nerves that extend from the neck to the chest can cause hiccups. Many conditions are associated with hiccups, but none has been shown to be the cause of them. Here are a few ways you can get them:

• If someone eats too fast, he or she can swallow air along with food and end up with the hiccups.
• Smokingor chewing gum also can cause a person to swallow air and get hiccups.
• Any other practices that might irritate the diaphragm such as eating too much (especially fatty foods) or drinking too much (alcoholor carbonated drinks) can make a person prone to having hiccups.
• In these instances, the stomach, which sits underneath and adjacent to the diaphragm, is distended or stretched. As they occur in relation to eating and drinking, hiccups are sometimes thought to be a reflex to protect a person from choking.
• Strokes or brain tumours involving the brain stem, and some chronic medical disorders (such as renal failure) are reported to cause hiccups; trauma to the brain, meningitis, and encephalitisalso may cause hiccups.
• Noxious fumes can also trigger hiccup symptoms.
• A baby may hiccup after crying or coughing. This is common in babies in the first year. In some instances, babies with gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) could be more prone to hiccups.
• Anxiety and stresscan induce both short and long-term hiccups

  Although many people find some of these tips on how to deal with hiccups useful, they may not work for everyone.

Do:

• breathe into a paper bag (don’t put it over your head!)
• pull your knees up to your chest and lean forward
• sip ice-cold water
• swallow some granulated sugar
• bite on a lemon or taste vinegar
• hold your breath for a short time

Don’t

• do not drink alcoholic, fizzy or hot drinks
• do not chew gum or smoke – these can cause you to swallow air
• do not eat spicy food
• do not eat food very quickly
• do not eat or drink something very cold immediately after something hot

Hiccups are rarely a cause for concern, but if hiccups become frequent, chronic and persistent (lasting more then 3 hours), if they afftect sleeping patterns, interfere with eating, cause reflux of food or vomiting, occur with severe abdominal pain, fever, shortness of breath, spitting up blood or feeling as if the throat is going to close up see a doctor. Your GP will want to find out if your hiccups are caused by a health condition or medication you’re taking – treating the condition or changing your medicine should stop your hiccups.

If there’s no obvious cause, they might be able to prescribe medicine to treat your hiccups. This doesn’t work for everyone.

We hope you found this blog useful, please share it if you did – and look out for our vlog on hiccups coming to you soon!

Share this blog

The Coda Team

Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Hiccups

• Hiccups, though quite common, are rather mysterious to scientists.
• They can be caused by anything from stress to changes in temperature to smoking cigarettes. 
• Humans aren’t the only ones to get hiccups — animals can as well. 

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Hiccups can be incredibly frustrating — especially since they seemingly come out of nowhere. Despite being a common occurrence, scientists still aren’t entirely sure why hiccups happen or how to cure them. 

They do know, however, that the sensation occurs when a person tries to breathe in but an involuntary diaphragm spasm causes their vocal cords to instead, snap shut. 

From the strange things that might cause them to their technical term, here are seven things you probably never knew about hiccups.

The technical term for hiccups is ‘singultus’

The technical term for hiccups is singultus which comes from the Latin word “singult” meaning to catch your breath while sobbing.

Hiccups can be caused by anything from stress to changes in temperature

Stress might cause hiccups.

Artotem/Flickr

Although hiccups can seemingly come out of nowhere, chances are there’s a reason you’re experiencing the annoying condition. According to Harvard Health Blog, hiccups can be caused by heightened emotions such as excitement or stress, smoking cigarettes, or even abrupt changes in either external or internal temperatures. 

They can also be brought on when you eat too much food or drink too much alcohol — both of which expand the stomach and irritate the diaphragm. It’s also possible to get hiccups by swallowing too much air.

Chronic hiccups may be a sign of disease

For most people hiccups last no longer than a couple of minutes and are nothing more than an annoyance. There are, however, instances where hiccups can last days, weeks, and even years. Dubbed chronic hiccups, they can signify a greater medical problem.

For example, chronic hiccups could indicate pancreatitis, pregnancy, bladder irritation, liver cancer or hepatitis. They could also be a sign of pneumonia, bowel diseases, or alcoholism. Because the list of potential diseases is so long, it’s best to consult your healthcare provider if you’re experiencing prolonged hiccups. 

Medications can reduce hiccups

Medications are an option for people dealing with hiccups.

Jamie/Flickr

Though you’ve likely heard of hiccup home remedies such as hugging your knees, breathing into a bag, or popping your ears, there are some actual medications specifically given to people dealing with hiccups. 

Read more: 10 hiccup remedies that actually work

According to a 2011 review from The College of Family Physicians of Canada antipsychotic medications are often prescribed to treat hiccups. These include chlorpromazine (the only FDA-approved medication for hiccups) and haloperidol — both of which prevent the excess of dopamine. Defoaming agents are also sometimes prescribed, especially metoclopramide, which helps to empty the stomach. 

The longest bout of hiccups lasted from 1922 until February 1990

According to BBC, Anthon, Iowa-native Charles Osbourne hiccuped for a total of 68 years. The story goes that he first hiccuped while attempting to weigh a hog. He reportedly hiccupped up to 40 times a minute at one point, later slowing down to 20 times a minute.

Human babies can hiccup in the womb

According to Healthline, it’s possible for a baby to hiccup in the womb during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Although doctors aren’t entirely sure why this happens — or why people hiccup in general — it’s thought that fetal hiccups could play a role in a baby’s lung maturation. 

Animals can get the hiccups as well

Kittens do get hiccups, though you might not hear them.

iStock

Like humans, animals can also get hiccups — and likely for the same reasons humans do. Just as irritation to the diaphragm causes humans to hiccup, animals with similar breathing systems can experience the same sensation. These hiccups, however, might sound different depending on the animal. Kittens, for example, hiccup quietly but horses get particularly loud hiccups. 

Hiccups when smoking • Why do people get hiccups while smoking?

Articles
Health and smoking

20.09.2016

63803

Not often, but still there is a paradoxical (is it paradoxical?) reaction to smoking – hiccups. It can occur both at the moment of tightening, and during and after smoking. Many are afraid of this phenomenon, someone even begins to think about not so good health – and not in vain. Why does hiccups occur when smoking, is there any prevention, how to stop an unpleasant phenomenon?

What is hiccups?

Hiccups are a physiological reaction on the part of the respiratory organs and the diaphragm in response to some unfavorable factors. It always arises involuntarily, it practically does not lend itself to volitional regulation. The reason is the use of a large amount of food, especially dry food, drinking alcohol and smoking (intoxication hiccups), hypothermia, mental reactions.

There is also pathological hiccups, as a rule, it develops against the background of some serious diseases of the central nervous system, including infectious (encephalitis, meningitis), pathologies of an organic nature (disturbances or underdevelopment of the development of the central nervous system), tumor processes.

Often, pathological hiccups accompany diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (irritable stomach syndrome, reflux esophagitis, pancreatitis, biliary dyskinesia, helminthic infestations, and others).

The mechanism of hiccups is as follows: air entering the stomach overstretches its walls, causing pathological impulses in the phrenic and vagus nerves. Getting to the “hiccup center” of the spinal cord, the impulses, in turn, cause a chaotic contraction of the diaphragm.

A typical sound is formed due to simultaneous contraction of the muscles of the larynx with the push of the hiccups, incomplete closure of the glottis. Air literally squeezes through the vocal cords, causing a thin and abrupt sound familiar to many.

Hiccups when smoking

This hiccups refers to non-physiological conditions, it occurs due to intoxication (that is, irritation of the nerves by the combustion products of a cigarette and nicotine), and also – in more rare cases – when a large amount of air enters the stomach while smoking and using food, drink, conversation.

This is called toxic hiccups, and it can also occur during general anesthesia, with agony, severe infection with general intoxication.

The pathogenesis of toxic hiccups is similar to that of ordinary hiccups, but it may indicate that the body does not tolerate the ingestion of a toxic substance.

Hiccups after smoking

The same causes – air, intoxication – lead to hiccups that occur after a time after smoking a cigarette. It’s also toxic hiccups – most of the time. However, the regularity of its occurrence can be considered a symptom, and it is recommended to undergo a full examination by narrow specialists: a gastroenterologist, an endocrinologist, a neuropathologist, a pulmonologist.

How to deal with hiccups

Usually, hiccups go away on their own or after simple manipulations – a few deep breathing movements, maximum breath holding, drinking a small amount of water. Breathing into the bag also helps: carbon dioxide released during breathing reduces irritation of the vagus nerve.

From folk remedies, decoctions or infusions of soothing herbs – valerian, peony, motherwort, hop cones – have proven themselves well. It is enough to take half a glass of decoction and hiccups recede.

However, persistent hiccups require medical intervention, selection of drug therapy and, of course, simultaneous treatment of the disease that caused pathological hiccups. It can be muscle relaxants (for example, with hiccups on the background of anesthesia) and blockers of dopamine and serotonin receptors (metoclopramide).

And, finally, toxic hiccups that occur during smoking will definitely recede if you stop smoking. And it will be useful not only for hiccups.

Then go through a smoking cessation plan.

It will make quitting much easier.

Why does it appear? How to get rid? Tips

Hiccups are a fairly specific human respiratory disorder. A sharp contraction of the diaphragm at the moment of inhalation leads to the appearance of that very jerky and slightly funny sound “i-i”.

At first glance hiccups seems funny , but if she accompanies a smoker every time he smokes, then he will obviously not be laughing. Why does hiccups occur from smoking, and how to get rid of it?

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What causes hiccups while smoking?


When such a symptom occurs, a natural question arises in a person, why do you hiccup when you smoke. Scientists from different countries have been looking for an answer for a long time. By comparing normal hiccups and those from cigarettes, the researchers found the reason why a person hiccups while smoking.

The cause of the usual attack is physiology , when smoking a similar reaction occurs due to intoxication, that is, the origin is of a non-physiological state.

Usually hiccups accompany smokers with a long history of using tobacco products.

In some cases, the cause is a large difference in temperature. Sufficiently hot tobacco smoke, getting into the lungs, causes irritation, provoking contraction of the diaphragm and causing severe coughing. Especially often occurs when smoking in the cold season on the street.

Please note that cigarette hiccups are not a normal condition of the body.

In some cases, an attack may be a symptom of the following diseases:

• irritable stomach syndrome;
• infectious diseases: encephalitis, meningitis;
• tumor development in the gastrointestinal tract;
• pancreatitis;
• disorders of the central nervous system.

To receive an individual reason , make an appointment with a specialist. The doctor will carefully examine the person, give his own recommendations and make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

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Why does a person hiccup after smoking?


It is not uncommon for hiccups to occur immediately after smoking, and may also be accompanied by chest pain .

This reaction of the body is caused by the following reasons:

1. Expansion of the walls of the stomach with air, which can only be removed from the body by contraction of the diaphragm;
2. Effects of chemicals in cigarettes on the vagus nerve;
3. The involuntary impulse from the smell of cigarettes acts on the phrenic nerves, leading to their contraction.

If a person has smoked more than 2 cigarettes at a time, then the cause of hiccups can be considered intoxication of the body.

Persistent and prolonged hiccups after cigarettes can be a sign of pneumonia.

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cigarettes, vape, iQOS, hookah?


Electronic cigarettes, vaping, iQOS and other modern smoking devices can also cause hiccups. Despite the claims of manufacturers that electronic cigarettes do less harm to the body, the principle of their effect remains similar to smoking a regular cigarette.

Therefore, the main reasons are:

• temperature difference;
• intoxication;
• an allergic reaction to a filler or liquid for smoking;
• retention of tobacco smoke in the stomach.

Hookah stands apart from all the above devices. Hookah is a traditional oriental smoking tool.

Since hookah filters are able to purify tobacco smoke from impurities only 40% , the most common cause should be considered intoxication.

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How to get rid of “tobacco” hiccups?


It is believed that the attack resolves on its own within 10-20 minutes . But if it has not stopped, then you need to turn to proven means .

Video taken from the channel: Vladimir Yachmennikov

Currently, not only special gymnastics has been developed to relieve diaphragm contractions, but also medicinal products and traditional medicine.

Medicines


The use of pills and other drugs is a last resort in the treatment of hiccups from smoking. Usually, funds are prescribed by a doctor when hiccups are identified as a symptom of another disease , therefore, treatment must be carried out very carefully.

The main drugs include:

• Phenytoin;
• Diazepam;
• Chlorpromazine;
• Metoclopromide.

The scheme of use is signed personally after a thorough study of the characteristics of the body.

Before use, consult with your doctor.

Traditional medicine


Alternative medicine is based on the use of biologically pure components. The only thing that reduces the effectiveness is the individual reaction of the body to the components used.

Folk wisdom has accumulated over the years, so the following ways to deal with hiccups from tobacco smoking have been preserved:

1. Take ground pepper and inhale. Through sneezing, excess air will be removed from the body;
2. Chew on a sour lemon. Citric acid is a strong irritant, so the receptors will switch from the diaphragm to the stomach, due to increased salivation.
3. Sip a glass of clean water.
4. Take a plastic bag. Close their mouth and nose. Breathe into the bag.

Remember that traditional medicine is an addition to the main treatment .

Special exercises


It is the special exercises that have gained popularity that allow you to restore the natural position of the diaphragm and relieve tension:

1. Stick out your tongue, pull the tip as hard as you can for 5 seconds. Repeat 5-10 times. The method relaxes the vagus nerve.
2. Close your eyes, press your ears lightly with your palms. Inhale deeply and hold your breath for 10 seconds. Exhale, repeat until the attack completely disappears.
3. Bend over. Try to stretch your neck when tilting. Lock your hands behind your back, breathe deeply. Stand up straight and drink a glass of water.

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Doctors’ advice


Doctors do not remain indifferent and therefore make their own recommendations.

The following tips are mostly preventive measures to prevent an attack:

1. It is advisable to avoid smoking outdoors during cold weather ;
2. Do not talk while smoking, as talking increases the amount of air you breathe;
3. Do not combine drinking and eating with cigarettes as this promotes hiccups;
4. Do not smoke while sitting or lying down , because the wrong position affects the diaphragm, causing contraction.