What causes hiccups to persist all day. How can you effectively treat persistent hiccups at home. When should you seek medical attention for hiccups. What are the potential underlying health conditions associated with chronic hiccups.

Understanding the Mechanism Behind Hiccups

Hiccups, while often amusing, can become quite bothersome when they persist. To comprehend this involuntary bodily function, we must first examine its origins within the human body.

The primary player in the hiccup phenomenon is the diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle located between the lungs and stomach. This muscle plays a crucial role in the breathing process:

• During inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and pulls downward, allowing air to enter the lungs.
• When exhaling, the diaphragm relaxes, facilitating the expulsion of air from the lungs.

Hiccups occur when the diaphragm experiences irritation, causing it to spasm. This sudden contraction pulls air rapidly into the throat, colliding with the vocal cords. The vocal cords then snap shut as a protective reflex, producing the characteristic “hic” sound we associate with hiccups.

Common Triggers and Causes of Hiccups

Interestingly, the root cause of hiccups often lies not in the diaphragm itself, but in the nerve connecting this muscle to the brain. Various factors can irritate this nerve pathway, leading to the onset of hiccups:

• Emotional states: Excitement, nervousness, or stress
• Rapid temperature changes in the environment
• Swallowing excess air while chewing gum or eating candy
• Consumption of alcohol or carbonated beverages
• Post-anesthesia effects following surgical procedures

Are certain individuals more prone to experiencing hiccups? Indeed, some people may find themselves battling hiccups more frequently due to underlying health conditions or lifestyle factors:

• Nerve damage or irritation
• Presence of tumors, cysts, or goiters in the neck region
• Central nervous system disorders like meningitis or encephalitis
• Metabolic disorders such as kidney failure or diabetes
• Side effects from certain medications, including steroids and epilepsy drugs

Assessing the Severity of Hiccups

While hiccups are generally harmless and self-limiting, there are instances where they may signal a more serious underlying condition. How can you determine when hiccups warrant medical attention?

Most cases of hiccups resolve on their own within a few minutes to a few hours. However, you should consult a healthcare provider if you experience:

• Hiccups persisting for more than 48 hours
• Hiccups interfering with sleep, breathing, or eating
• Hiccups accompanied by shortness of breath, stomach pain, vomiting, fever, or coughing up blood

These symptoms may indicate an underlying health issue that requires medical evaluation and treatment.

Natural Remedies to Alleviate Hiccups

While many folk remedies for hiccups lack scientific backing, several techniques can help relax the diaphragm and potentially stop hiccups:

1. Breath control methods:
   • Hold your breath for a few seconds
   • Breathe into a paper bag
2. Stimulating the vagus nerve:
   • Gargle with cold water
   • Gently pull on your tongue
   • Perform the Valsalva maneuver (attempting to exhale while keeping your mouth and nose closed)
3. Distraction techniques:
   • Sip ice-cold water slowly
   • Bite into a lemon wedge
   • Swallow a teaspoon of sugar (use with caution if you have diabetes)

These methods aim to interrupt the hiccup cycle by either increasing carbon dioxide levels in the blood or stimulating the vagus nerve, which can help relax the diaphragm.

Medical Interventions for Chronic Hiccups

For individuals suffering from persistent or chronic hiccups, medical treatments may be necessary. Healthcare providers may recommend:

• Muscle relaxants or anti-spasmodic medications
• Treatment for underlying esophageal or digestive tract issues
• In severe cases, nerve blocks or surgical interventions

Can chronic hiccups be a sign of a more serious condition? In some cases, yes. Persistent hiccups may be associated with:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Tumors or infections affecting the central nervous system
• Certain types of cancer
• Metabolic imbalances

This underscores the importance of seeking medical attention for hiccups that persist beyond a reasonable timeframe.

Lifestyle Modifications to Prevent Hiccups

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

• Eat and drink slowly to avoid swallowing excess air
• Limit consumption of carbonated beverages and alcohol
• Practice stress-reduction techniques such as meditation or deep breathing exercises
• Maintain good posture to reduce pressure on the diaphragm
• Avoid sudden temperature changes when possible

By implementing these strategies, you may be able to minimize the occurrence of hiccups in your daily life.

The Science Behind Hiccup Duration and Frequency

Understanding the typical duration and frequency of hiccups can help individuals determine when to seek medical attention. Most hiccup episodes last only a few minutes to a few hours. However, hiccups are classified into three categories based on their duration:

• Acute hiccups: Lasting less than 48 hours
• Persistent hiccups: Lasting from 48 hours to 1 month
• Intractable hiccups: Lasting longer than 1 month

What factors influence the duration of a hiccup episode? Several elements can contribute to prolonged hiccupping:

• Underlying medical conditions
• Certain medications
• Stress levels
• Individual physiology

While the exact mechanisms determining hiccup duration are not fully understood, researchers continue to study this phenomenon to develop more effective treatments for chronic cases.

Hiccups in Special Populations

Hiccups can affect individuals of all ages, but certain populations may experience them differently:

• Infants: Hiccups are common in newborns and typically resolve on their own. They rarely interfere with feeding or breathing.
• Pregnant women: Hormonal changes and the growing uterus pressing against the diaphragm can increase the likelihood of hiccups during pregnancy.
• Elderly individuals: Older adults may be more susceptible to chronic hiccups due to age-related changes in the nervous system and increased likelihood of underlying health conditions.

How should hiccups be managed in these special populations? Generally, the same principles apply, but extra caution should be exercised when using remedies or medications. Always consult with a healthcare provider before trying new treatments, especially for infants, pregnant women, or elderly individuals.

The Impact of Hiccups on Quality of Life

While occasional hiccups are merely a minor nuisance, chronic or persistent hiccups can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. Prolonged hiccupping may lead to:

• Sleep disturbances
• Difficulty eating and drinking
• Speech interruptions
• Emotional distress and embarrassment
• Reduced productivity at work or school

In severe cases, chronic hiccups can even result in weight loss, exhaustion, and depression. This underscores the importance of seeking medical attention for persistent hiccups that interfere with daily activities.

Psychological Approaches to Managing Hiccups

While physical remedies are often the go-to solution for hiccups, psychological interventions may also prove beneficial, especially for chronic cases. Some approaches include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy: Helps individuals manage stress and anxiety that may contribute to hiccups
• Hypnotherapy: May help reprogram the subconscious mind to reduce hiccup frequency
• Biofeedback: Teaches individuals to control certain bodily processes, potentially including diaphragm spasms

These methods, while not universally effective, may provide relief for some individuals struggling with recurrent hiccups.

Cutting-Edge Research and Future Treatments

As our understanding of the mechanisms behind hiccups grows, researchers continue to explore new treatment options. Some promising areas of study include:

• Targeted nerve stimulation techniques
• Development of more effective medications with fewer side effects
• Exploration of the gut-brain axis and its role in hiccup generation
• Investigation of genetic factors that may predispose individuals to chronic hiccups

What potential breakthroughs might we see in hiccup treatment in the coming years? While it’s difficult to predict with certainty, advancements in neuroscience and personalized medicine may lead to more tailored and effective interventions for those suffering from chronic hiccups.

The Role of Diet in Hiccup Prevention

While certain foods and beverages are known to trigger hiccups, some dietary choices may help prevent their occurrence:

• Incorporate foods rich in magnesium, which can help relax muscles, including the diaphragm
• Stay hydrated to maintain proper muscle function
• Consume smaller, more frequent meals to avoid overfilling the stomach
• Include probiotic-rich foods to support digestive health and potentially reduce reflux-related hiccups

By making mindful dietary choices, individuals may be able to reduce their susceptibility to hiccups and improve overall digestive health.

In conclusion, while hiccups are typically a benign and self-limiting phenomenon, understanding their causes, prevention strategies, and treatment options can help individuals manage this sometimes troublesome bodily function more effectively. For those experiencing chronic or persistent hiccups, seeking medical advice is crucial to rule out underlying health issues and explore appropriate treatment options. As research in this field continues to evolve, we can look forward to more targeted and efficient ways to address hiccups in the future.

Just Relax! Here’s How to Handle Hiccups Like a Champ

Hiccups can vary from comical to downright annoying, especially when they don’t stop. Here’s what you need to know about hiccups and how to treat them.

What are hiccups?

Although the hiccup sound often emits from your mouth, it actually starts lower in your body in the diaphragm muscle. This dome-shaped muscle sits between the stomach and lungs and serves an important role in the breathing process.

When you inhale, letting air into your lungs, the diaphragm pulls down. As you exhale to let the air flow out of the lungs, the diaphragm relaxes.
However, an irritation to that muscle can cause it to spasm, resulting in a sudden pull of air into the throat and against the voice box. When this sensation happens, your vocal cords will close suddenly in protection, which creates the distinctive sound of a hiccup.

What causes hiccups?

What’s interesting about hiccups is that the irritation to the diaphragm actually occurs in the nerve that connects the brain to the dome-shaped muscle. So, it’s not always a physical reaction, as in something brushing up against the diaphragm and causing that irritation.

Instead, it can happen when you feel excited, nervous, or stressed. You might get hiccups if the temperature around you suddenly changes, or you swallow air while chewing gum or sucking on candy. Drinking alcohol or carbonated beverages can also cause hiccups. If you are put under anesthesia for a surgical procedure, you might experience hiccups when you wake up.

Related: How to Feel Better When Stress or Anxiety Hits

For some people, hiccups are an ongoing condition. Nerve damage or aggravation can lead to long-term hiccups, and you might experience them more often if you have a tumor, cyst, or goiter in the neck.

Certain disorders of the central nervous systems can also cause hiccups, such as meningitis and encephalitis, as can metabolic disorders like kidney failure or diabetes. Even taking certain drugs, such as steroids or epilepsy medications, can trigger hiccups as an ongoing problem.

Related: What Are the Effects of Stress on the Body?

Are hiccups dangerous?

Although hiccups might feel concerning, in most cases, they’re not anything to worry about. You might be able to relax your diaphragm and ease the hiccups from occurring, or you might need to just wait it out until the muscle relaxes on its own. They’re more annoying than worrisome, unless you’ve been experiencing them for more than a few hours.

If hiccups occur for hours at a time or multiple days, or they interfere with your ability to sleep, breathe, or eat normally, contact your healthcare provider. If your hiccups are accompanied by shortness of breath, stomach pain, vomiting, fever, or coughing up blood, it’s important to seek immediate medical help.

How to get rid of hiccups

If you’ve heard of those wild “cures” for hiccups, like eating a teaspoon of sugar or hanging upside down, most of these haven’t been proven and aren’t always great for your health. However, what does generally cause hiccups to subside is relaxing the diaphragm, which often happens naturally.

To treat hiccups, try breathing into a paper bag or holding your breath for a few seconds. Both of these actions cause carbon dioxide to build up in the lungs, which might encourage the diaphragm to relax.

Certain medications can also help with long-term hiccups, such as muscle relaxants and anti-spasmodic drugs. Treating problems in the esophagus and digestive tract might also help lessen persistent hiccups. If you deal with hiccups often, contact your healthcare provider to find out what treatment options might be available.

How to Get Rid of Hiccups: Try These Natural Remedies

Fact Checked

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The information in our articles is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.

This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by our trained editorial staff. Note that the numbers in parentheses (1, 2, etc.) are clickable links to medically peer-reviewed studies.

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The information in our articles is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.

By Christine Ruggeri, CHHC

June 3, 2021

Having the hiccups is a mysterious occurrence, and just about everyone wonders how to get rid of hiccups. Unlike other common reflexes, like sneezing and coughing, there’s no known physiologic advantage for the hiccups.

Yet, we’ve all experienced them numerous times in our lives. Every one has her own suggestion for how to get rid of hiccups, but what really works?

Sometimes hiccups occur because the nerves that run from your brain through your lungs and stomach are irritated and cause a sudden spasm. Hiccups can also be due to acid reflux or GERD, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease. Certain medications can cause them as well.

For the most part, they go away on their own after a short period of time. However, in some situations hiccups can last for months or even years.

Whether you are trying to get rid of acute hiccups because they are bothersome or you are suffering from long-term hiccups, there are natural remedies that can help. Read on to find out how to get rid of hiccups for good and when it may be a good time to see a doctor.

What Are Hiccups?

Hiccups are reflexes that cause a sudden contraction of your diaphragm, the primary muscle that’s under your lungs and used in the process of inhalation. After it involuntarily contracts, air abruptly rushes into the lungs and is stopped suddenly by the closure of the vocal cords, or glottis. This is what causes the “hic” sound.

Research published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine shows that a hiccup, referred to in medicine as singultus, is a programmed muscle exercise. We know this because fetuses and premature infants hiccup often. After infancy, hiccuping appears to be useless, but it may occur because of an irritation along the reflex arc.

A hiccup occurs when the vagus nerve and the phrenic nerve send strong signals from the brain stem to the respiratory muscles. The external intercostal muscles (which run between the ribs and help with breathing) and the diaphragm contract and cause a forceful inhalation.

When you hiccup, you may feel a slight tightening sensation in your throat, chest or abdomen. The major sign of a hiccup is the “hic” sound that occurs when your windpipe closes immediately after your diaphragm contracts.

Everyone’s hiccup rate is different, but it’s usually consistent for each hiccup episode, occurring at a frequency of four to 60 hiccups per minute.

Hiccups are said to be persistent when they last longer than 48 hours. When that happens, they can affect food and drink intake, conversation, and concentration.

Studies indicate that this can lead to complications like exhaustion, frustration, insomnia and even potentially fatal consequences, like aspiration pneumonia.

Causes

For most people, hiccups last for a short period and then stop. They can happen at any time, and sometimes they start for no apparent reason at all.

They can also be due to following causes:

• a swollen stomach caused by eating too quickly or overeating
• swallowing air
• drinking carbonated beverages
• sudden excitement
• sudden emotional stress
• consumption of alcohol
• excess smoking
• a sudden change in stomach temperature

In the short term, acute hiccups are most prevalent in newborns, who spend as much as 2. 5 percent of their time hiccuping. Reports show that after infancy, the frequency of hiccups diminishes and only happens occasionally for brief periods throughout life.

Hiccups that last longer than 48 hours may be due to a variety of factors. Researchers suggest that these can include the following health issues or triggers:

• gastrointestinal issues
• central nervous system disorders
• metabolic disorders
• psychogenic disorders
• certain medications

The two nerves that are involved in this involuntary contraction are the vagus and phrenic nerves. The vagus is the longest cranial nerve that contains motor and sensory fibers. It exits from the brain and passes through the neck and thorax to the abdomen.

The phrenic nerve originates in the neck and passes down between the lung and heart to reach the diaphragm. The phrenic nerve stimulates the diaphragm, so it’s known that paralysis to this nerve can lead to persistent hiccups.

For some people, ongoing hiccups are due to GI issues, like acid reflux, bloating and heartburn, which can irritate the diaphragm.

Long-term hiccups may occur because of lesions between the pathway from the central nervous system to the phrenic nerve. This occurs mainly in diseases of the brain stem, such as stroke, tumors, meningitis, encephalitis, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury.

Metabolic problems may also lead to persistent hiccups. They can be a sign of worsening kidney or liver function, for instance.

Research published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine referenced above shows that long-term hiccups are more common in children, adult men and those with comorbid conditions.

How to Get Rid of Hiccups

You’ve probably heard of numerous home remedies on how to get rid of hiccups. What exactly are you trying to accomplish with these methods? Most of these treatments are meant to reset the vagus nerve or allow your body to relax.

One particular action may not stop your hiccups every time, so you may have to try a few of these home remedies until you find what works.

1. Stimulate the Vagus Nerve

The vagus runs from your brain to your stomach. Researchers believe that irritation to this nerve can cause hiccups, so you can try these simple actions to “reset” it so they disappear.

You can “irritate” the pharynx and thereby stimulate the vagus by sipping a glass of cold water, chewing on a lemon or eating a spoonful of raw honey mixed with water.

2. Relax Your Diaphragm

Another goal is to relax the diaphragm and stop the spasms or contractions that cause hiccups from happening. One way to do this is to make the body retain carbon dioxide, which can be done by holding your breath for 10 seconds at a time or breathing into a paper bag.

Breathing into a paper bag increases the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood and makes the diaphragm contract more deeply in order to bring in more oxygen. Reports indicate that this usually helps and is an effective way for how to get rid of hiccups.

Take deep breaths into a small paper bag, but stop if you begin to feel lightheaded.

3. Pull Your Knees to Your Chest

Pulling your knees to your chest compresses your chest, which serves as a counter-irritation and may help stop the contractions that cause hiccups. You can also try leaning forward to compress your chest.

Take deep breaths in and out as you compress your chest and try to reset the signals that cause spasms.

4. Try the Valsalva Maneuver

The Valsalva maneuver is when you blow air out of your lungs while blocking your mouth and nose. This technique is used to increase the pressure in the throat, sinuses and inner ear.

Research reveals that some people use this breathing technique to stop an arrhythmia because it works to reset signals within the body.

To do the Valsalva maneuver, breathe out forcefully for 10–15 seconds as you keep your mouth closed, and pinch your nose. The pressure this puts on your nasal sinuses helps alleviate hiccups.

5. Use Peppermint Oil

Peppermint essential oil can be used to get rid of hiccups because it stimulates belching by relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter. By placing one drop on the roof of your mouth, you can help stop the contractions that lead to them.

Dilute peppermint oil with coconut or grapeseed oil before ingesting it.

6. Try an Acid Reflux Diet

Persistent hiccups can be a common acid reflux symptom. Aside from them, you may experience heartburn, a bitter taste in your mouth, dry mouth, bad breath, burping and flatulence.

Virtually every study done on GERD and acid reflux points to diet as a contributing factor.

Research states that your body is trying to alert you to a problem in your digestive tract. You should also work on slowing down while you eat, chewing your food well and eating smaller meals throughout the day instead of three large meals.

Wondering how to get rid of hiccups by reducing your acid reflux? Do the following:

• Stick to unprocessed, organic foods that are free from GMOs as much as possible.
• Increase your fiber intake to support healthy bacteria in your gut, and eat plenty of probiotic foods.
• Reduce grains, especially when refined, and sugar consumption, and eat high-quality protein. (Stick to grass-fed beef over conventional beef.)
• Reduce your intake of refined vegetable oils, like canola oil.

Some people also find that carbonated drinks, alcohol and spicy foods can lead to hiccups, so do your best to minimize those foods and drinks in your diet.

Eat the following foods to get rid of hiccups that are due to acid reflux:

• leafy greens
• squash
• artichoke
• asparagus
• cucumbers
• watermelon
• honeydew
• bananas
• free-range chicken
• grass-fed beef
• avocado
• yogurt
• kefir
• bone broth
• coconut oil
• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar
• aloe vera
• ginger
• fennel
• parsley

7.

Reduce Stress

Stress is one of the most common causes of short-term hiccups. Next time you get the hiccups, think about how you’re feeling in that moment and whether or not stress may be playing a role in the development of them.

If that’s possible, then practice some simple stress relievers every day. These could include:

• exercising or practicing yoga
• trying meditation or healing prayer
• spending more time in nature
• using stress-reducing essential oils, like lavender and Roman chamomile

8. Try Acupuncture

Case studies show that acupuncture may effectively treat persistent hiccups, even when conventional forms of treatment don’t work. Acupuncture is used to stimulate or irritate the nerves that are responsible for them.

Although there are no controlled studies involving acupuncture and hiccups, some people have been able to cease their long-term hiccups with this form of treatment, so it may be worth a try.

9. Conventional Medications

Most of the time, hiccups go away on their own after a relatively short period of time, and medical treatment from a doctor isn’t necessary. People who have them for longer than two days may need to address the underlying medical issue that causes them.

Some conventional medications that are used to treat long-term hiccups include:

• Chlorpromazine (or Haloperidol): Chlorpromazine is used to relieve prolonged hiccups, control nausea and vomiting, and treat behavioral problems or anxiety disorders. This is typically the first medication prescribed to people suffering from long-term hiccups. Some side effects from this drug include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, constipation and trouble sleeping.
• Gabapentin: Gabapentin is usually used to prevent and control seizures. It is an anticonvulsant drug, which is why it can be used for the treatment of long-term hiccups. It may cause tremors, dizziness and loss of coordination.
• Metoclopramide: Metoclopramide increases muscle contractions in the upper digestive tract, and it’s used to treat heartburn caused by GERD, one of the most common causes of hiccups. High doses or long-term use of this drug can be toxic, leading to serious movement disorders. If you take this drug, make sure to speak to your doctor about the many medicines that interact with it. These include vitamins and herbal products.
• Baclofen: Baclofen is used to treat muscle spasms that are caused by conditions like multiple sclerosis and a spinal cord injury. Side effects from this drug include headache, weakness, nausea and trouble sleeping.
• Proton Pump Inhibitors: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are used to treat gastroesophageal reflux, which promotes hiccup formation. Taking PPIs may lead to increased gas, abdominal pain, digestive issues and headache.

Getting Rid of Hiccups in Newborns

It is common for newborns to get hiccups, and usually they don’t bother them as much as they bother adults. To prevent hiccups in your baby, try to burp him or her throughout a feeding. Burping gets rid of excess gas that may cause hiccups.

It can also help to feed the newborn when she’s calm and let her digest in an upright position for at least 20 minutes before she engages in heavy activity, like bouncing up and down.

Wondering how to get rid of hiccups in your baby? Try changing her position, burping the baby or calming the baby. Giving your baby a pacifier may help relax her diaphragm and stop the hiccups.

If 10 minutes have passed and the baby still has hiccups, try feeding her from the breast or a bottle. This sometimes can be how to get rid of hiccups in a baby.

When to See a Doctor

Hiccups typically last a few minutes or even hours. If they don’t go away within two days, it’s time to speak to your doctor and learn about what may be triggering ongoing hiccups.

There’s no one cure for them, but your health care provider can determine if they are caused by an underlying condition and provides ways for how to get rid of hiccups.

Risks and Side Effects

If your hiccups are so severe that they make it difficult for you to breathe, sleep or eat, or if they last longer than two days, then consult your health care provider.

If your doctor determines that conventional medicine is needed for long-term hiccups, discuss potential interactions with vitamins or supplements.

The natural ways to reduce hiccups listed above are generally safe, but if you begin feeling lightheaded or experience any discomfort, stop using that remedy.

Final Thoughts

• Hiccups are reflexes that cause a sudden contraction that effects your respiratory muscles, and many people wonder how to get rid of hiccups naturally. 
• When you hiccup, you may feel a slight tightening sensation in your throat, chest or abdomen. The major sign of a hiccup is the “hic” sound that occurs when your windpipe closes right after a contraction. 
• Acute hiccups can be caused by overeating, drinking carbonated beverages, drinking alcohol, smoking, sudden excitement, emotional stress, swallowing air or sudden changes in stomach temperature.
• Long-term hiccups (lasting longer than 48 hours) can be caused by gastrointestinal issues, central nervous system disorders, metabolic disorder, psychogenic disorders or certain medications.
• Wonder how to get rid of hiccups? There are a number of ways to stop them, including drinking a glass of water, trying to hold your breath and relieving stress.

Why a child often hiccups, and when to be alert

Health

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Hiccups are a natural physiological reaction of our body, but if it lasts longer than usual or occurs too often, you should be wary.

Why hiccups happen

Hiccups are a reflex contraction of the diaphragm. Spasm occurs when the phrenic nerve is irritated, which, along with other nerves, regulates the functions of breathing and digestion. Excitation in any of the areas where it lies can lead to hiccups. Although there is another way. The work of the phrenic nerve is controlled by the central nervous system, so its irritation can also cause hiccups.

Episodic hiccups do not require treatment. It often occurs in children as a response to irritation of the diaphragm and the gastrointestinal tract, for example, when overeating, eating too cold or, on the contrary, hot food, and also when spitting up. Sometimes the reflex is triggered when the nervous system is excited, which is why hypothermia in all babies is accompanied by hiccups. And naturally impressionable babies can begin to hiccup from fright, and from great surprise, and even from delight.

How to shoot

• In other cases, you need to try to distract the child to something pleasant, give him water or pinch his nose so that he breathes through his mouth for several minutes, taking deep breaths.

What if too often?

If the child hiccups too often or for a long time, the doctor should examine him. Important to exclude serious nervous system disease, diabetes, severe infections (eg, meningitis or subdiaphragmatic abscess), intoxication (eg, uremia), helminthiasis. One of the symptoms of these ailments can be prolonged hiccups.

While still in the womb

Babies start to hiccup even in their mother’s womb. At these moments, the baby makes sharp movements with his whole body, shaking his mother’s insides. Some women are frightened by these sensations and go to the doctor.

And, as it turns out, they do it right. There are two theories that explain the phenomenon of “intrauterine” hiccups. Some doctors believe that it occurs because the baby swallows amniotic fluid, which causes irritation of the diaphragm. Others associate hiccups with hypoxia (oxygen starvation), because with a lack of oxygen, the central nervous system is excited, and hence the phrenic nerve. To calm down, you can do an additional ultrasound and cardiotocography.

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Causes of hiccups in babies – GBUZ “Perinatal center of the city of Armavir” MH KK

The first year of a baby’s life is a wonderful time full of love, tenderness and unexpected discoveries. But in this joyful period, alarming situations arise. For example, many parents are concerned about the fact that their baby often hiccups. Let’s figure out why this happens and what to do.

Content

• Physiological phenomenon
• Overeating
• Extra air
• Flatulence
• Hypothermia and stress
• To drink or not?
• Warning signs
• Procedure

Physiological phenomenon

Hiccups are an absolutely normal phenomenon that accompanies a person throughout his life. Why does it arise? The mechanism is simple: under the influence of certain factors, the diaphragm contracts with a simultaneous sharp closure of the airways. A state occurs that resembles short-term suffocation and is accompanied by a characteristic stifled sound. Such painless, but unpleasant convulsive tremors are repeated several times in a row.

Babies experience hiccups much more often than adults, because all their organs and systems are in the process of maturation. Normally, seizures can occur several times a day and last 10-30 minutes.

Why does the baby hiccup? The reasons are as follows:

1. errors in the process of feeding, leading to overeating, swallowing air (aerophagia) and flatulence
2. hypothermia
3. stress

Let’s consider each factor in detail and find out what to do in order to help the baby.

Overeating

In infancy, hiccups often occur after meals: the stomach overflows with milk or formula, presses on the diaphragm, and it begins to contract. There is only one way to prevent this situation – to control the amount eaten by the crumbs.

When breastfeeding, pediatricians advise to keep the intervals between meals at 1.5-2 hours and stop sucking if the baby eats for more than 15-20 minutes. With artificial nutrition, it is necessary to strictly observe the dosage of the mixture and the intervals between meals.

It is important not to go to the other extreme – to take too long breaks. In this case, the child will eagerly swallow milk during the long-awaited feeding and will definitely overeat. In addition, hunger and thirst can provoke hiccups as a result of reflex irritation of the walls of the stomach and diaphragm. In an infant older than 6 months who is already eating solid foods, cramps may be the result of eating too fast or eating dry foods.

Excess air

If the baby swallows a lot of air during sucking, then a bubble forms in the stomach, which gradually moves up and affects the respiratory muscles. For the prevention of aerophagia, it is recommended:

1. Apply correctly to the chest. It is necessary that the child captures the entire areola of the nipple with his mouth. With abundant milk production, it can be expressed a little before feeding. The position of the crumbs during the meal should be almost vertical
2. Choose your pacifier and bottle wisely. Swallowing air during formula feeding is possible if the nipple is made too wide a hole. Ideally, when the bottle is turned upside down, a few drops of milk per second should be released. During feeding, you need to hold it so that the nipple is constantly filled with liquid. It is advisable to use an anti-colic bottle
3. After a meal, the child should be held upright for 5-10 minutes, pressing his tummy to your chest. Excess air bubbles will come out naturally. The same must be done with an attack of hiccups

Flatulence

Gases that accumulate in the upper intestines press on the stomach and displace the diaphragm. Prevention of flatulence in a baby is the diet of a nursing mother. Whole milk, corn, legumes, black bread, fresh pastries, carbonated drinks, fresh vegetables and fruits can cause increased gas formation. If the tummy swells after the mixture, then it should be changed after consulting with the pediatrician.

Flatulence is relieved by abdominal massage and herbal carminative preparations (with fennel, anise, dill, cumin) or simethicone.

Hypothermia and stress

Why does the baby still hiccup? Other reasons are related to the work of the nervous system. It’s about hypothermia and stress. In these situations, there is irritation of the vagus nerve, passing from the thoracic region to the abdominal region, and spasm of the diaphragm.

The baby can freeze on a walk or in a cold room. It needs to be dressed warmer, covered with another blanket or picked up and warmed.

Sudden sounds, bright lights, strangers, sudden change of scenery, and so on can cause stress in a baby. What to do in this case? Remove the annoying factor, hug the child, stroke him, sing a song, attach to the chest. A grown-up baby can be occupied with an interesting game or a fairy tale.

Watch a short video about hiccups and how to deal with it. Do not forget to read the article to the end

To drink or not?

Drinking is an effective remedy for hiccups. But before 6 months, many breastfed babies receive only milk. It is believed that they do not need additional liquid. If the baby hiccups, then this rule can be broken and give him some warm water from a spoon. This is true if the attack occurred after feeding, because in this case, additional breastfeeding will only exacerbate the problem.

Warning signs

Exhausting hiccups in an infant that does not subside for hours or days may indicate a pathology, especially if it is supplemented by:

1. frequent and profuse regurgitation
2. hyperthermia
3. nervousness, fussiness
4. weeping
5. persistent cough

Such symptoms should promptly seek medical attention. Why might they arise? There are a lot of serious diseases against which abnormal hiccups appear. Among them:

1. infections that can provoke inflammation of the brain – measles, rubella, toxoplasmosis and others
2. traumatic brain injury
3. brain and lung tumors
4. pneumonia
5. gastroesophageal reflux
6. neuritis – diaphragmatic affection etc.

Algorithm of actions

What should parents do if a baby hiccups? Do not panic and try to help him. Here are some tips:

1. Hold baby upright after feeding
2. Give him some warm water
3. Breastfeed if the cause of the hiccups is not overeating
4. Keep him warm in case of hypothermia
5. Provide a calm environment, entertain with a game or book
6. Seek medical attention if seizure persists for more than an hour and other signs of distress occur

Hiccups in a baby after a meal or as a result of fright is a physiological reflex.