What triggers hiccups in the human body. How long do hiccups typically last. Can chronic hiccups be a sign of an underlying health condition. What are some proven methods to stop hiccups quickly. Are there any medical treatments available for persistent hiccups.

The Physiology of Hiccups: What’s Really Happening in Your Body

Hiccups are a common physiological phenomenon that most people experience from time to time. But what exactly is happening in your body when you hiccup? A hiccup occurs in two distinct stages:

1. An involuntary contraction of the diaphragm, the primary muscle responsible for breathing
2. A sudden closure of the vocal cords, producing the characteristic “hic” sound

The diaphragm, located at the base of the lungs, plays a crucial role in the breathing process. When it contracts involuntarily during a hiccup, it causes a sudden intake of air. This is immediately followed by the vocal cords snapping shut, creating the distinctive sound we associate with hiccups.

The Role of the Phrenic Nerve

The phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm, is integral to the hiccup mechanism. Irritation or stimulation of this nerve can trigger the involuntary contractions that lead to hiccups. This explains why hiccups can be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from eating habits to medical conditions that affect nerve function.

Common Triggers: Why Do We Get Hiccups?

Hiccups can occur seemingly out of nowhere, but there are several known triggers that can increase the likelihood of experiencing them. Some of the most common causes include:

• Eating too quickly or consuming large portions
• Swallowing air while eating or drinking
• Consuming carbonated beverages
• Eating spicy or very hot foods
• Drinking alcohol
• Sudden temperature changes in the stomach (e.g., drinking very cold water)
• Emotional states such as excitement or stress

Do certain medical conditions increase the risk of hiccups? Yes, several health issues can contribute to the occurrence of hiccups, including:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Tumors or infections affecting the diaphragm
• Brain disorders that impact the respiratory center
• Metabolic disorders like diabetes or kidney failure

The Duration Dilemma: When Hiccups Become a Concern

Most hiccup episodes are brief and resolve on their own within a few minutes to a few hours. However, in some cases, hiccups can persist for an extended period. Hiccups are typically categorized based on their duration:

• Acute hiccups: Lasting less than 48 hours
• Persistent hiccups: Lasting more than 48 hours but less than 1 month
• Intractable hiccups: Lasting more than 1 month

When should you be concerned about hiccups? If hiccups persist for more than 48 hours or significantly interfere with eating, sleeping, or daily activities, it’s advisable to consult a healthcare professional. Prolonged hiccups can sometimes indicate an underlying medical condition that requires attention.

Home Remedies: Popular Methods to Stop Hiccups

While there’s no scientifically proven cure for hiccups, many people swear by various home remedies. Some popular methods to try include:

• Holding your breath for a short period
• Breathing into a paper bag
• Drinking a glass of water quickly
• Swallowing a teaspoon of granulated sugar
• Pulling on your tongue
• Biting on a lemon
• Gargling with ice water

While these remedies lack scientific validation, they are generally harmless to try. The effectiveness of these methods may vary from person to person, and what works for one individual might not work for another.

The Science Behind Home Remedies

Many popular hiccup remedies aim to interrupt the cycle of diaphragm contractions or stimulate the vagus nerve, which is involved in the hiccup reflex. For example, holding your breath increases carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which may help relax the diaphragm. Similarly, drinking water or swallowing sugar may stimulate the vagus nerve, potentially stopping the hiccup reflex.

Medical Interventions: When Home Remedies Aren’t Enough

For cases of persistent or intractable hiccups, medical intervention may be necessary. Healthcare providers may consider the following approaches:

• Medications: Various drugs can be prescribed to address hiccups, including:
  • Baclofen: A muscle relaxant that can help reduce diaphragm contractions
  • Chlorpromazine: An antipsychotic medication that can also help with hiccups
  • Metoclopramide: A drug that increases stomach motility and may alleviate hiccups
• Nerve blocks: In some cases, blocking the phrenic nerve with an injection can provide relief
• Surgical interventions: For severe, treatment-resistant cases, surgical procedures to disable the phrenic nerve may be considered as a last resort

Are there any risks associated with medical treatments for hiccups? As with any medical intervention, there can be potential side effects or complications. It’s crucial to discuss the benefits and risks of any treatment with a healthcare provider before proceeding.

The Impact of Chronic Hiccups: More Than Just an Annoyance

While occasional hiccups are generally harmless, chronic hiccups can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. Persistent hiccups can lead to:

• Sleep disturbances
• Difficulty eating and drinking
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Emotional distress and anxiety
• Social embarrassment

How can chronic hiccups affect mental health? The persistent nature of chronic hiccups can lead to frustration, anxiety, and even depression. The constant interruption of daily activities and the potential for social embarrassment can take a toll on an individual’s emotional well-being. In such cases, a multidisciplinary approach involving both physical and mental health support may be beneficial.

Hiccups in Special Populations: Pregnancy, Infants, and the Elderly

Hiccups can affect people of all ages, but certain populations may experience them differently or require special considerations:

Hiccups During Pregnancy

Pregnant women may experience an increase in hiccups due to:

• Hormonal changes affecting the diaphragm
• The growing uterus putting pressure on the stomach
• Increased instances of acid reflux

While generally harmless, persistent hiccups during pregnancy should be discussed with a healthcare provider to rule out any underlying issues.

Hiccups in Infants

Hiccups are common in newborns and infants. They often occur during or after feeding and are generally not a cause for concern. However, if hiccups are frequent or seem to cause distress, parents should consult a pediatrician.

Hiccups in the Elderly

Older adults may be more susceptible to chronic hiccups due to:

• Age-related changes in the nervous system
• Increased likelihood of underlying medical conditions
• Medication side effects

Persistent hiccups in the elderly should be evaluated by a healthcare professional to rule out any serious underlying causes.

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 overeating
• Limit consumption of carbonated beverages
• Practice stress-reduction techniques like deep breathing or meditation
• Maintain good posture while eating to reduce air swallowing
• Avoid sudden temperature changes in food and drink

Can dietary changes help prevent hiccups? In some cases, yes. Identifying and avoiding personal trigger foods or beverages can be helpful. For individuals prone to hiccups, keeping a food diary to track potential triggers may provide valuable insights.

The Role of Lifestyle Factors

Certain lifestyle habits can contribute to the frequency of hiccups. Consider the following:

• Smoking: Can irritate the diaphragm and increase the likelihood of hiccups
• Alcohol consumption: May relax the diaphragm and lead to hiccups
• Lack of sleep: Can affect overall nervous system function, potentially influencing hiccup occurrence

Addressing these factors may help reduce the frequency of hiccup episodes for some individuals.

The Evolutionary Perspective: Why Do We Hiccup?

The exact evolutionary purpose of hiccups remains a subject of debate among scientists. Some theories suggest that hiccups may be a vestigial reflex from our evolutionary past. One intriguing hypothesis proposes that hiccups may be a remnant of an ancient respiratory mechanism found in amphibians.

The Amphibian Connection

This theory suggests that the hiccup reflex may be related to the way amphibians breathe. In tadpoles, a similar mechanism helps to prevent water from entering the lungs while allowing them to take in oxygen through their gills. As humans evolved, this reflex may have persisted without serving a clear purpose.

Alternative Theories

Other theories about the evolutionary significance of hiccups include:

• A mechanism to clear air from the stomach of young mammals during nursing
• A way to strengthen and coordinate the muscles involved in breathing
• A reflex that helps prepare the fetus for breathing outside the womb

While these theories are intriguing, more research is needed to fully understand the evolutionary origins of hiccups.

Hiccups in Popular Culture: Myths, Legends, and Superstitions

Hiccups have been a part of human experience for millennia, and as such, they’ve found their way into various cultural beliefs and practices. Some interesting cultural perspectives on hiccups include:

• Ancient Greeks believed hiccups were a sign of divine displeasure
• In some cultures, hiccups are thought to occur when someone is thinking or speaking about you
• Various superstitions suggest that saying specific phrases or performing certain actions can cure hiccups

How do cultural beliefs impact the way people approach hiccups? Cultural perspectives can influence both the perceived significance of hiccups and the methods people use to try to stop them. While many of these beliefs lack scientific basis, they demonstrate the universal nature of the hiccup experience across different societies.

Hiccups in Literature and Media

Hiccups have also made their way into various forms of entertainment:

• In children’s literature, hiccups are often portrayed as a humorous ailment
• Some TV shows and movies have used prolonged hiccup episodes as plot devices
• There are even world records for the longest bout of hiccups, highlighting the fascination people have with this phenomenon

These cultural representations often emphasize the unpredictable and sometimes comical nature of hiccups, reflecting common experiences and perceptions.

Future Research: Unraveling the Mysteries of Hiccups

While we’ve learned much about hiccups over the years, there’s still much to discover. Current and future research areas in the study of hiccups include:

• Neurological mechanisms: Further understanding the brain pathways involved in the hiccup reflex
• Genetic factors: Investigating whether certain genetic variations may predispose individuals to frequent or chronic hiccups
• Novel treatments: Developing more effective interventions for chronic hiccups, potentially including targeted nerve stimulation techniques
• Predictive models: Creating algorithms to identify individuals at risk for developing chronic hiccups

What potential breakthroughs might we see in hiccup research? As our understanding of neurology and physiology advances, we may develop more precise treatments for chronic hiccups. Additionally, improved imaging techniques could provide new insights into the exact mechanisms triggering hiccups in different individuals.

The Role of Technology in Hiccup Research

Emerging technologies are playing an increasingly important role in hiccup research:

• Artificial Intelligence: May help analyze large datasets to identify patterns in hiccup occurrence and treatment efficacy
• Wearable Devices: Could potentially monitor physiological signs to predict or detect the onset of hiccups
• Virtual Reality: Might be used to study the impact of different environmental factors on hiccup occurrence

These technological advancements could lead to more personalized and effective approaches to managing hiccups in the future.

Hiccups | MedlinePlus

Also called: Hiccough

What are hiccups?

Have you ever wondered what is happening when you hiccup? There are two parts to a hiccup. The first is an involuntary movement of your diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle at the base of your lungs. It is the main muscle used for breathing. The second part of a hiccup is a quick closing of your vocal cords. This is what causes the “hic” sound you make.

What causes hiccups?

Hiccups can start and stop for no obvious reason. But they often happen when something irritates your diaphragm, such as:

• Eating too quickly
• Eating too much
• Eating hot or spicy foods
• Drinking alcohol
• Drinking carbonated drinks
• Diseases that irritate the nerves that control the diaphragm
• Feeling nervous or excited
• A bloated stomach
• Certain medicines
• Abdominal surgery
• Metabolic disorders
• Central nervous system disorders

How can I get rid of hiccups?

Hiccups usually go away on their own after a few minutes. You have probably heard different suggestions about how to cure hiccups. There is no proof that they work, but they are not harmful, so you could try them. They include:

• Breathing into a paper bag
• Drinking or sipping a glass of cold water
• Holding your breath
• Gargling with ice water

What are the treatments for chronic hiccups?

Some people have chronic hiccups. This means that the hiccups last more than a few days or keep coming back. Chronic hiccups can interfere with your sleep, eating, drinking, and talking. If you have chronic hiccups, contact your health care provider. If you have a condition that is causing the hiccups, treating that condition may help. Otherwise, treatment options include medicines, surgery, and other procedures.

• Chronic Hiccups

  (Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center)

• Hiccups

  (Medical Encyclopedia)

  Also in Spanish

• Hiccups

  (Merck & Co. , Inc.)

  Also in Spanish

• What Causes Hiccups?

  (Nemours Foundation)

  Also in Spanish

• ClinicalTrials. gov: Hiccup

  (National Institutes of Health)

• Article: Hiccups due to Chiari type I malformation.

• Article: What percentage of patients with cancer develop hiccups with oxaliplatin- or. ..

• Article: A randomized, double-blinded feasibility trial of educational materials for hiccups in…

• Hiccups — see more articles

How to Make Them Stop and More

Hiccups are caused by the diaphragm involuntarily contracting. Some common causes for this contraction include drinking carbonated beverages, eating a large meal, swallowing too much air, or stress.

Hiccups are repetitive, uncontrollable contractions of the diaphragm, the muscle structure just below your lungs.

The diaphragm marks the boundary between your chest and abdomen, and it also regulates breathing. When your diaphragm contracts, your lungs take in oxygen. When your diaphragm relaxes, your lungs release carbon dioxide.

The diaphragm contracting out of rhythm is what causes hiccups. Each spasm of the diaphragm makes the larynx (voice box) and vocal cords close suddenly. This results in a sudden rush of air into the lungs. Your body reacts with a gasp or chirp, creating the sound characteristic of hiccups.

There’s no way to anticipate hiccups. With each spasm, there’s usually a slight tightening of the chest or throat prior to you making the distinctive hiccup sound.

Most cases of hiccups start and end abruptly, for no noticeable reason. Episodes generally last only a few minutes.

Did you know?

The medical term for hiccups is singultus.

Numerous causes of hiccups have been identified. However, there’s no definitive list of triggers. Hiccups often come and go for no apparent reason.

Common causes of short-term hiccups may include:

• overeating
• eating spicy food
• consuming alcohol
• drinking carbonated beverages, like sodas
• consuming very hot or very cold foods
• a sudden change in air temperature
• aerophagia, which is swallowing too much air
• swallowing air while chewing gum
• excitement or emotional stress

There are several factors that can increase your likelihood of developing hiccups. You may be more susceptible if you:

• are male
• experience intense mental or emotional responses, ranging from anxiety to excitement
• have had surgery, especially abdominal surgery
• have received general anesthesia

Hiccups and your baby

Hiccups can occur at any age. They can even occur while a fetus is still in the womb.

Hiccups are also normal in newborns, are rarely bothersome for them, and don’t typically require home remedies or treatment.

Was this helpful?

Most hiccups aren’t an emergency or anything to worry about. However, a prolonged episode can be uncomfortable and disruptive to your daily life.

Contact a doctor if you have hiccups that last longer than 2 days. The doctor can determine the severity of your hiccups in relation to your overall health and other conditions.

There are numerous options for treating hiccups. Typically, a short-term case of hiccups will take care of itself. However, the discomfort may make waiting out hiccups unbearable if they last longer than a few minutes.

Home remedies

Not all of these have been proven to stop hiccups, but you can try the following potential treatments for hiccups at home:

• Breathe into a paper bag.
• Eat a teaspoon of granulated sugar.
• Hold your breath.
• Drink a glass of cold water.
• Pull on your tongue.
• Lift your uvula, which is the fleshy piece of tissue that’s suspended above the back of your throat, with a spoon.
• Attempt to purposefully gasp or belch.
• Bring your knees to your chest and maintain this position.
• Try the Valsalva maneuver by shutting your mouth and nose and exhaling forcibly.
• Relax and breathe in a slow, controlled manner.

Medications

Treating any underlying causes of your hiccups will usually make them go away.

If your hiccups last for a while and have no obvious cause, a doctor may recommend several anti-hiccup medications. The more commonly used medications include:

• antipsychotic medications chlorpromazine and haloperidol
• benzodiazepines, a class of tranquilizers
• seizure medications, such as gabapentin (Neurontin)
• diphenhydramine (Benadryl), an antihistamine
• metoclopramide (Reglan), an anti-nausea drug
• baclofen, a muscle relaxant
• nifedipine (Procardia, Procardia XL), a blood pressure medication

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved any prescription medications for the treatment of hiccups. If a doctor recommends any of the prescription medications above, it’ll be an example of off-label drug use.

Off-label drug use

Off-label drug use means a drug that’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for one purpose is used for a different purpose that hasn’t yet been approved.

However, a doctor can still use the drug for that purpose. This is because the FDA regulates the testing and approval of drugs, but not how doctors use them to treat their patients. So your doctor can prescribe a medication however they think is best for your care.

Massage

A doctor may perform a carotid sinus massage to help stop long lasting hiccups. This involves rubbing the main carotid artery in the neck.

Invasive procedures

There are also more invasive options, which can be used to end extreme cases of hiccups. They include:

• nasogastric intubation, which is the insertion of a tube through your nose into your stomach
• gastric lavage (stomach pumping)
• an anesthetic injection to block the phrenic nerve, which is located in the diaphragm
• surgical implantation of a diaphragmatic pacemaker, a battery-powered device that stimulates your diaphragm and regulates breathing

Hiccups that last longer than 48 hours are considered persistent. Hiccups that last longer than 2 months are considered intractable, or difficult to manage.

These types of long-term hiccups are categorized by the type of irritant that caused the episode.

Nerve injury or irritation

The majority of persistent hiccups are caused by injury or irritation to either the vagus or phrenic nerve. The vagus and phrenic nerves control the movement of your diaphragm. These nerves may be affected by:

• irritation of your eardrum, which may be caused by a foreign object
• throat irritation or soreness
• goiter
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• an esophageal cyst or tumor

Central nervous system (CNS) damage

Other causes of hiccups may involve the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord. If the CNS is damaged, your body may lose the ability to control hiccups.

CNS damage that may lead to persistent hiccups includes:

• stroke
• multiple sclerosis (MS)
• tumors
• head trauma or brain injury
• meningitis and encephalitis, which are infections that can cause swelling in the brain
• hydrocephalus, or the accumulation of fluid on the brain
• neurosyphilis and other brain infections

Other causes

Hiccups that last for longer periods can also be caused by:

• misuse of alcohol
• tobacco use
• a reaction to anesthesia after surgery
• certain classes of medications, including barbiturates, steroids, and tranquilizers
• electrolyte imbalance
• diabetes
• kidney failure
• arteriovenous malformation, a condition in which arteries and veins are tangled in the brain
• Parkinson’s disease
• cancer and chemotherapy treatments

Medical procedures

Sometimes, a medical procedure can accidentally cause you to develop long-term hiccups. These procedures are used to treat or diagnose other conditions and include:

• use of catheters to access the heart muscle
• placement of an esophageal stent to prop open the esophagus
• bronchoscopy, in which a doctor uses a thin, lighted tube with a camera on the end to examine your lungs and airways
• tracheostomy, or the creation of a surgical opening in the neck to allow breathing around an airway obstruction

Diagnosis

If the cause of your hiccups is unclear, a doctor may recommend tests. These can help detect any underlying disease or condition.

The following tests may be useful in determining the cause of persistent or intractable hiccups:

• blood tests to identify signs of infection, diabetes, or kidney disease
• liver function tests
• imaging of the diaphragm with a chest X-ray, CT scan, or MRI
• echocardiogram to assess heart function
• endoscopy, in which a doctor uses a thin, lighted tube with a camera on the end to investigate your esophagus, windpipe, stomach, and intestine
• bronchoscopy

A long-term episode of hiccups can be uncomfortable and even harmful to your health. If left untreated, prolonged hiccups can disturb your sleeping and eating patterns, leading to:

• sleeplessness
• exhaustion
• malnutrition
• weight loss
• dehydration

There’s no proven method for preventing hiccups. However, if you experience hiccups frequently, you can try to reduce your exposure to known triggers.

Following this advice may also help reduce your susceptibility to hiccups:

• Try not to overeat.
• Avoid carbonated beverages.
• Protect yourself from sudden temperature changes.
• Don’t drink alcohol.
• Remain calm, and try to avoid intense emotional or physical reactions.

Hiccups have a wide range of possible triggers, from drinking soda and eating certain foods to medication use and underlying conditions. A number of possible treatments are also available.

In rare instances, hiccups can last longer than 48 hours. If your hiccups last longer than 48 hours, don’t respond to treatment, or you aren’t sure what’s causing them, see a doctor for a diagnosis.

Also, see a doctor or seek emergency help if you’re having numbness and coordination issues alongside your persistent hiccups. These may be symptoms of a stroke.

How to get rid of hiccups quickly and easily

June 1, 2020

Likbez

Health

Eat a lemon, have sex, or breathe into a bag.

Where does hiccups come from

Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and plays a vital role in breathing.

The movements of the diaphragm are controlled by the brain. Sometimes he gives incorrect signals, causing her to contract faster than necessary. With each spasm, the muscle presses on the lungs and pushes air out of them. It passes under pressure through the larynx and closes the glottis and epiglottis. This process is accompanied by a characteristic sound. Spasms are repeated, hiccups occur.

Physiologists do not always understand what exactly causes diaphragmatic contractions. There are many possible reasons: from accidental swallowing of air to dangerous diseases of the nervous system.

Robert Provine

neuroscientist, author of Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccups, commentary to Vox

We still don’t really know where hiccups come from. Therefore, her therapy has not improved since the time of Plato.

However, whatever causes hiccups can be stopped with simple methods.

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How to get rid of hiccups

Most ways to quickly stop respiratory spasms have one of two goals:

• measure the concentration of carbon dioxide in the lungs and blood. Feeling the threat of suffocation, the body quickly recovers and normalizes the work of the diaphragm.
• Stimulate the vagus nerve. It links the brain and the digestive system and is also involved in the process of respiration. Stimulation causes the brain to switch to new sensations and stop transmitting incorrect signals to the diaphragm.

Choose any option you like. And move on to another if the previous one didn’t work.

Hold your breath

Take a deep breath and hold it for 10-20 seconds. Then exhale slowly. Repeat if necessary.

Breathe into a paper bag

Take a small paper (not plastic!) bag and cover your nose and mouth with it. Slowly exhale and inhale so that the bag inflates and deflates. Continue for 15 seconds.

Breathe slowly.

Inhale deeply, counting to five, and exhale in the same way. Do 5-7 reps.

Embrace your knees

Find a place where you can sit comfortably and raise your knees to chest level. Grasp your legs with your hands and try to press them more tightly to the body, while leaning forward. Sit in this position for 20-30 seconds.

Drink a glass of cold water

Do it quickly. To stimulate the vagus nerve even more effectively, you can drink through a straw, plugging your ears with your fingers, pressing on your closed eyes, or squeezing the wings of your nose.

Suck on an ice cube

Suck it on for a few minutes. And swallow when it shrinks to a small size.

Eat something with a sharp taste

For example, a slice of lemon or a tomato seasoned generously with vinegar.

Try to induce a gag reflex

This can be done by pressing your fingers or a spoon on the base (root) of the tongue. The inevitable spasm of the esophagus will stop the contractions of the diaphragm.

Stick out your tongue as far as you can

To be sure, pull it out and down with your fingers. This will also put pressure on the root of the tongue and provoke a spasm of the esophagus.

Put sugar on the tongue

Approximately a teaspoon, trying to place the crystals as close as possible to the root of the tongue. Let the sand dissolve or do not swallow for at least 5-10 seconds.

Inhale something with a strong smell

Ammonia or ammonia will do.

Massage the carotid artery

It runs on both sides of the neck. This is the paired artery that you press with your fingers when you try to feel for a pulse under the lower jaw.

Lie on your back, turn your head to the left and massage the artery on the right side in a circular motion for 5-10 seconds.

Do a rectal massage

Simply place your finger in the anus. This non-standard method was discovered by doctors at the Bnei Zion Medical Center (Haifa, Israel). This is how they stopped the persistent hiccups in a 60-year-old patient.

In 2006, doctors even received the Ig Nobel Prize for their discovery.

Have sex

Francis Fesmire, the doctor who published the first study on the benefits of rectal massage, later said that he would have advised sex instead of a finger in the anus.

Francis M. Fesmire

emergency medicine specialist, commenting to the New Scientist

Orgasm results in incredible stimulation of the vagus nerve. From now on, I will recommend sex as a cure for intractable hiccups.

Get distracted

Often, to get rid of hiccups, it is enough to stop concentrating on it. Take a Chinese or English lesson online, complete a crossword puzzle, or try mentally calculating 112 ÷ 4 × 2.5.

What to do if you can’t stop hiccuping

Attacks of diaphragmatic contraction usually last a few minutes and are not dangerous. But if you have hiccups for more than 48 hours in a row or cramps cause problems with eating, sleeping, breathing, see a therapist as soon as possible. Such hiccups are a sign of serious illness. Only a doctor can diagnose them.

This article was first published in September 2016. In June 2020, we updated the text.

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Why hiccups are needed, and how a person could hiccup for 68 years in a row (3 photos + video) | Health

Hiccups come at the most inopportune moment and often cause a lot of discomfort. And although scientists say that this incomprehensible reflex of the body passes on its own after a while, a person tries to stop hiccuping as soon as possible, because such a process looks and sounds not very good.

An American hiccups all his life

A unique case happened to a man from the USA. Charles Osborne started hiccuping at 1922 at the age of 28, while slaughtering a pig, and this reflex did not stop for 68 years. Doctors could not explain this behavior of the body and cure the problem. From the beginning of the attack, Charles hiccupped 40 times a minute, then the number was reduced to 20-25 times. During all this time, the American hiccuped approximately 715,000,000 times. The man lived a normal life and died at 96 from a stomach ulcer a year after the hiccups finally stopped.

With hiccups, the daffragma begins to contract frequently and incorrectly, creating cramps in the abdomen and disturbing breathing

Protective reflex

Many people remember the phrase: “If you hiccup, someone remembers you”, but the memories have nothing to do with hiccups. This is a protective reflex that occurs in the body, which begins due to convulsive contractions of the diaphragm along with the muscles of the sternum. All this happens after the glottis abruptly closes. Body movements become similar to convulsions, while they are accompanied by funny sounds.
Hiccups are related to the same reflexes as coughing and sneezing. The body tries to get rid of unnecessary and superfluous, in this case – air. When a person eats quickly or a lot, or talks while eating, he stays in one position for a long time. In such cases, excess air enters the stomach. But hiccups can begin if a person is cold, worried or scared for a long time.

Tips from Hippocrates and doctors

As soon as the stomach gets rid of excess air, the hiccups stop. According to doctors, this takes a small amount of time – from 10 to 20 minutes. But when the body is constantly bouncing and spasms are felt inside, those 20 minutes feel like an eternity. Therefore, a person tries in every possible way to get rid of the reflex in the old ways.

When slow drinking and holding your breath don’t help, you can try medical advice. Hippocrates himself got rid of hiccups in the following way: he sneezed, sniffing hot ground pepper. That is, he tried to get rid of another with one reflex. With a strong sneeze, the diaphragm goes off the hiccup rhythm and calms down.

You can also swallow something sour, bitter or sweet, but in small quantities. Such products, getting into the stomach, distract it from hiccups and force it to engage in the secretion of gastric juice. As a result, saliva secretion increases, which also suppresses the reflex well.

Holding air is one way to get rid of hiccups, but it does not always help

The danger of hiccups hint to a person that he has health problems. Active hiccupping for a long time leads to the fact that the diaphragm begins to contract often and incorrectly, there are pains in the abdomen and even cramps in the body, it becomes difficult for a person to breathe.