How to get rid of hiccups: Causes, prevention, and treatment

Hiccups often occur suddenly and may quickly become bothersome. Although hiccups typically resolve within a few minutes, people may try a variety of unusual and creative ways to get rid of hiccups fast.

The medical term for hiccups is singultus. In terms of physiology, a hiccup occurs when the diaphragm and intercostal muscles suddenly contract involuntarily. The larynx, or voice box, contracts at the same time, and the vocal folds close, effectively blocking the flow of air.

This article discusses the causes of hiccups and how to treat and prevent them. It also looks at chronic hiccups and hiccups in infants and answers some frequently asked questions.

Fast facts on hiccups:

• Eating or drinking too quickly often causes hiccups.
• They usually resolve on their own with no medical intervention.
• Hiccups affect everyone, from babies to older adults.

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The exact cause of hiccups is not always known. However, any condition that irritates the diaphragmatic nerves can potentially lead to hiccups. Many other factors can also play a role.

According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, possible triggers of hiccups include:

• eating spicy foods
• drinking hot liquids
• eating a large meal
• drinking carbonated beverages
• eating too fast
• taking certain medications

Another possible trigger is experiencing strong emotions or stress.

In the vast majority of cases, hiccups go away on their own within a few minutes. Treating any underlying conditions that cause hiccups may help reduce their frequency.

Below are some tips and home remedies for dealing with a bout of hiccups.

Breathing and posture

Regardless of where they are when hiccups begin, people can try:

• breathing in and holding the breath for about 10 seconds, then inhaling two more times before exhaling
• breathing into a paper bag but taking care not to cover the head with the bag
• bringing the knees to the chest and hugging them
• compressing the chest gently by leaning forward

Eating and drinking

Several suggested techniques for stopping hiccups involve food and drink. They include:

• gargling with iced water
• placing a couple of drops of vinegar in the mouth
• placing some granulated sugar on the tongue and then swallowing it
• sipping very cold water slowly
• biting a slice of lemon

Pressure points

Other techniques that might work for some people include:

• pulling gently on the tongue, which may stimulate the vagus nerve and ease diaphragm spasms
• pressing lightly on the diaphragm
• placing gentle pressure on each side of the nose while swallowing

If hiccups are persistent or severe and other treatments have proven ineffective, a doctor may prescribe medication. They may consider this the best option if a person is:

• losing weight as a result of being unable to eat properly
• sleeping abnormally or experiencing insomnia
• experiencing symptoms of depression

The doctor may recommend different medications, including:

• baclofen (Lioresal), a muscle relaxant
• chlorpromazine (Largactil), an antipsychotic medication
• gabapentin (Neurontin), which doctors initially used to treat epilepsy
• haloperidol (Haldol), an antipsychotic medication
• metoclopramide (Reglan), a medication that can also treat nausea

Certain triggers cause most cases of hiccups. People may be able to reduce the likelihood of hiccups occurring by avoiding the following:

• eating or drinking too quickly
• drinking alcohol or carbonated beverages
• eating spicy foods
• smoking
• suddenly changing the temperature in the stomach by eating or drinking something very cold after something very hot, or vice versa
• chewing gum

Hiccups sometimes occur due to an underlying medical condition, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In such cases, a person may be able to prevent hiccups by treating the condition that causes them.

Babies often get hiccups, which are a standard part of their development and do not typically disturb them. However, hiccups can sometimes disrupt feeding and sleeping.

If hiccups occur during a feeding, it may be possible to get rid of them by:

• changing the baby’s position
• burping the baby
• calming the baby

Frequent hiccups in a baby could be a sign of a medical condition. Parents or caregivers should speak with a doctor if hiccups occur often or upset the baby.

According to the Guinness World Records, Charles Osborne is the person who has had the longest attack of hiccups. He hiccupped continuously for 68 years, from 1922 to 1990.

However, doctors define hiccups that last more than 48 hours as chronic or persistent. Hiccups are intractable if they remain present for more than a month.

Both chronic and intractable hiccups may have an adverse effect on a person’s quality of life. Chronic hiccups can lead to exhaustion, insomnia, and, if they prevent a person from eating, weight loss.

Chronic hiccups can have a wide variety of causes, including:

• neurological conditions
• tumors or lesions
• metabolic abnormalities
• gastrointestinal tract disorders

In most cases, hiccups resolve on their own within a short period. However, they may sometimes persist and affect sleep, eating, or other aspects of everyday life.

Hiccups rarely require medical treatment, but a doctor may prescribe medications if they are severe, persistent, and unresponsive to other treatments.

Below, we answer some of the most common questions about hiccups.

How do you get rid of hiccups instantly?

There is no guaranteed way to get rid of hiccups instantly.

However, the following methods may help:

• breathing into a paper bag
• holding the breath
• slowly drinking or sipping cold water
• biting a slice of lemon
• tasting a drop of vinegar
• swallowing granulated sugar

What is the main cause of hiccups?

Various triggers can cause hiccups. The most common cause is bloating of the stomach due to drinking a carbonated drink or eating a large meal.

Is hiccupping dangerous?

Hiccupping in itself is not dangerous.

However, if hiccups become chronic, they may affect a person’s quality of life.

Are frequent hiccups a sign of something serious?

In some cases, frequent hiccups may indicate an underlying health condition. Persistent hiccups have associations with various conditions, including:

• tumors
• pancreatitis
• hepatitis
• liver cancer

Hiccups typically only last a few minutes before disappearing on their own.

However, there are many techniques that may help get rid of hiccups. Methods to try include holding the breath, sipping very cold water, and biting a slice of lemon.

In some cases, hiccups may become chronic and last longer than 48 hours. Chronic or frequent hiccups may require further evaluation by a healthcare professional to determine the cause.

Why Do I Keep Getting Hiccups? 7 Causes

Why Do I Keep Getting Hiccups? 7 Causes

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• Why do I keep getting hiccups?

• What is a hiccup?

• 1. Eating too much or too fast

• 2. Swallowing air

• 3. Acid reflux

• 4. Drinking too much alcohol

• 5. Pregnancy

• 6. Stress

• 7. Damage to your central nervous system

• How to get rid of hiccups

• When to see a doctor

• Insider’s takeaway

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This article was medically reviewed by Jason R. McKnight, MD, MS, a family medicine physician and clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine. 

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Our stories are reviewed by medical professionals to ensure you get the most accurate and useful information about your health and wellness. For more information, visit our medical review board.

Drinking alcohol can irritate the lining of your stomach, causing hiccups.

nicoletaionescu

• Why do I keep getting hiccups?

• What is a hiccup?

• 1. Eating too much or too fast

• 2. Swallowing air

• 3. Acid reflux

• 4. Drinking too much alcohol

• 5. Pregnancy

• 6. Stress

• 7. Damage to your central nervous system

• How to get rid of hiccups

• When to see a doctor

• Insider’s takeaway

• You may keep getting hiccups if you eat too much too fast or are under a lot of stress.
• Drinking carbonated water, chewing gum, and smoking can all cause hiccups from swallowing air.
• Chronic hiccups that don’t disappear after 48 hrs can be from a serious medical condition like diabetes.

Why do I keep getting hiccups?

Hiccups can be annoying, especially if you get them on a regular basis. 

Most of the time, hiccups are caused by everyday behaviors, like eating too quickly or drinking alcohol, and they usually go away on their own within a few minutes to several hours. 

But in some cases, hiccups can last a lot longer — more than two days — and may be a sign of an underlying issue like acid reflux or damage to your central nervous system, which may require medical treatment.

There is no certain method that can stop hiccups. In fact, the longest known and recorded bout of hiccups lasted 68 years. However, some over-the-counter or prescription medications may help if your hiccups persist for more than two days.

Here are seven reasons why you might get the hiccups, what you can do to stop hiccupping, and when it’s time to see a doctor about them.

What is a hiccup?

“Hiccups are caused by spasms of the muscles that control breathing,” says Troy Madsen, MD, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Utah.

Specifically, your diaphragm, the large muscle at the base of your lungs, and the muscles in your chest can spasm suddenly. This is “similar to a muscle spasm you might feel in your calf muscle,” Madsen says.

When these muscles spasm, this leads you to breathe in rapidly and causes your throat to close off very briefly, leading to the “hic” sound of hiccups.

1. Eating too much or too fast

Eating too much or too quickly can cause your stomach to expand beyond its normal size.

As your stomach expands, it can press on or irritate your diaphragm, which sits at the top of your abdomen, Madsen says. This then leads to your diaphragm sharply spasming or contracting, triggering a hiccup.

“Chewing your food well prevents air from being trapped within the food particles, thus reducing the chance of hiccups,” says Subhankar Chakraborty, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

If you have hiccups from overeating, you may need to wait until the food is digested until you feel better. But in the meantime, you can take a walk to help your stomach empty more quickly. Also, make sure not to lie down, as this can slow stomach emptying.

2. Swallowing air

Your stomach can also expand from swallowing air, which pushes on your diaphragm and triggers hiccups. This can happen in several different ways, including:

• Chewing gum: Even if you don’t realize it, you may be swallowing air as you chew gum, especially if you open your mouth while chewing.
• Carbonated drinks: Swallowing the carbon dioxide bubbles in drinks like soda and seltzer can fill your stomach with gas and trigger burping or hiccups.
• Smoking: People who smoke constantly swallow air, which may cause hiccups.
• Eating too fast: Eating quickly increases the amount of air that you swallow.

If you’ve swallowed too much air, burping may help release some of it, but you should also stop chewing gum, drinking soda, or smoking until the hiccups subside.

3. Acid reflux

Acid reflux is a condition that happens when stomach acid flows up into your throat or esophagus. Many things can trigger acid reflux including:

• Eating spicy or fried food
• Consuming alcohol or coffee
• Eating late at night

Reflux can cause hiccups because “the esophagus passes next to the diaphragm, and the irritation in this area can lead to spasms of this large muscle,” Madsen says.

To stop a bout of reflux-related hiccups, it may help to take over the counter antacid medications like Tums or Pepcid.

4. Drinking too much alcohol

There are two main reasons that drinking alcohol can cause hiccups:

1. Alcohol is highly acidic and can irritate the lining of your stomach and esophagus, which can cause hiccups. It can also trigger acid reflux, which has a similar irritating effect, Chakraborty says.
2. Certain types of alcohol are carbonated, like beer and mixed drinks. Just like when you drink soda, the carbon dioxide expands your stomach and leads to hiccups, Madsen says.

Cutting down your drinking or avoiding carbonated drinks may help you avoid bouts of hiccups.

5. Pregnancy

A growing baby may put pressure on the diaphragm, which can trigger hiccups. Acid reflux is also a common side effect of pregnancy and known to trigger hiccups.

There’s not much you can do about a growing fetus but there are ways to manage heartburn-related hiccups during pregnancy like avoiding trigger foods, eating smaller more frequent meals, and neutralizing stomach acid with some milk or yogurt.

6. Stress

“It’s unclear exactly how stress causes hiccups,” Madsen says, but there are a couple of theories about how it happens.

1. Accidentally swallowing air. “When we’re stressed we often hyperventilate, and some of that air might make it into our stomach instead of into our lungs,” Madsen says. When this happens, your stomach expands, leading to hiccups.
2. Nervous system disruption. When you feel especially stressed or anxious, this can disturb the nerve pathways between your brain and your diaphragm, triggering hiccups.

If you’re hiccupping and feeling overwhelmed with stress, there are several relaxation methods you can try, such as breathing exercises and meditation.

7. Damage to your central nervous system

If your hiccups last an especially long time, this may be a sign of underlying damage or abnormality of your hiccup reflux, says Alison Kearney, MRCP, a palliative care doctor at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in Australia.

Long-term hiccups are rare and fall into two main categories:

1. Persistent hiccups, which last longer than 48 hours.
2. Intractable hiccups, which last for longer than one month.

Long-term hiccups may be a sign that you have damage to your brain or central nervous system, Kearney says. This is because you have several nerves that transmit information between your brain and upper abdomen, including your diaphragm.

“This means that there are parts of the brain which, if damaged by tumor or stroke, can induce hiccups,” Kearney says.

Your normal hiccup reflex can also be disrupted by nerve-damaging conditions like:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Multiple sclerosis
• Meningitis
• Diabetes
• Encephalitis

How to get rid of hiccups

There’s no sure-fire way to get rid of hiccups and they generally resolve on their own. However, you can try various unproven home remedies such as drinking water quickly, holding your breath, or breathing into a paper bag.

“There are no large studies regarding the efficacy of home remedies, but they are generally harmless,” says Hanan Tanuos, MD, FAAP, director of pediatric primary care at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

If your hiccups are a symptom of a serious condition, then curing the hiccups means treating whatever the underlying medical condition is, says Chakraborty.

If you have persistent or intractable hiccups, then it’s time to turn to medications like: 

• Metoclopramide: An over-the-counter medication for stomach and esophageal problems
• Chlorpromazine: a prescription drug approved for hiccups

When to see a doctor

It’s best to see your health care provider for an evaluation if your hiccups last more than 48 hours straight, says Karen W. Lin, MD, professor at the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health in the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.  

According to Chakraborty, a variety of medical conditions may also cause long-term hiccups, which include:

• Nervous system disorders such as stroke, brain trauma, or brain tumor
• Digestive issues like hiatal hernia or intestinal ulcers
• Respiratory disorders such as pneumonia, bronchitis, or asthma
• Cardiovascular conditions like pericardial inflammation, aneurysm of the aorta, or myocardial ischemia
• Medications like narcotics, sedatives, steroids, and chemotherapy medicines

Insider’s takeaway

“Hiccups can be caused by a number of things but rarely are something that requires a trip to the ER or to your doctor,” Madsen says. 

In most cases, they’re caused by an everyday issue like eating too quickly, feeling anxious, or swallowing air, and hiccups generally go away on their own in a matter of minutes to hours. 

“If hiccups last more than 48 hours, though, it would be worth talking with your doctor who may consider further testing or treatment for your hiccups,” says Madsen.

Erin Heger

Erin Heger is a freelance journalist located in the Kansas City area. She primarily covers stories related to healthcare policy, maternal mental health, parenting, and personal finance. Her work been featured in The Atlantic, Rewire.News, Refinery29, HuffPost, and more. 

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Carla Delgado

Freelance Reporter, Insider Reviews

Carla is a Filipino freelance health & culture journalist with bylines in Insider, Architectural Digest, Elemental, Observer, and Mental Floss. Outside of writing, she works for local theatre productions as a stage manager and assistant sound operator.
Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.

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What does hiccup mean: why does a person hiccup

Published:

January 24, 2023, 16:40

• nur.kz/esoterics/signs/1869017-ikota-primeta-k-cemu-celovek-ikaet/”>

Man covering his mouth with both hands: Freepik

Many consider hiccups to be a sign that someone is thinking about the person hiccuping at the moment. Is this so and how to interpret the phenomenon depending on when the hiccups occurred? Candidate of Medical Sciences Vladimir Vasilenko, preacher Shamil Alyautdinov and medical specialist Emilia N. Moretto shared their opinion on this matter.

Causes and signs why a person hiccups

Hiccups cause discomfort to people. The causes and signs associated with intermittent spasm allow us to better understand its nature and essence.

Why does a person hiccup? This is due to involuntary jerky contractions of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles caused by hypothermia, overeating, excess alcohol in the blood, irritation of the vagus and phrenic nerve, tumor formation in the abdominal cavity, damage to the central nervous system, ENT organs, gastrointestinal tract and metabolic functions.

The mechanism of hiccups is simple: there is a short inhalation without exhalation, which is accompanied by a short suffocation and a strangled sound associated with a sharp closure of the glottis. Candidate of Medical Sciences Vladimir Vasilenko believes that the cause of hiccups is the hasty swallowing of food along with air.

What does hiccups mean? In medicine, it means a violation of the function of external respiration and the removal of air from the stomach, and among the people this phenomenon has become a sign that a hiccuping person has become the subject of discussion, memories, passion or hostility of a person, a group of people.

The Poles believe that hiccups attack when the offended person remembers, while the Irish prefer to romanticize hiccups, calling them the dreams of a secret lover. Here are the most famous signs of a hiccuping person:

• Sudden hiccups are a sign of envy.
• Someone’s sympathy causes slight hiccups.
• Short-term hiccups portend a good harvest and favorable weather.

In many religions, the meaning of hiccups is associated with people’s thoughts. What does hiccups mean in Islam? Preacher Shamil Alyautdinov notes that in Islam, hiccups do not pose any harm, both for everyday life and for performing religious rituals (prayer). The sacrament of prayer is considered perfect, even if the praying hiccups in the process, since his intentions were pure and innocent.

Many people believe that hiccups speak of a person’s defenselessness against evil spirits. What should I say to get rid of the hiccups? It is necessary to list the names of all close people who are ready to successfully fight for the soul of a hiccup attacked by demons. On one of the names, the hiccups should end.

If this does not happen, then the popular saying comes into play: “Hiccups, hiccups, go to Fedot, from Fedot to Yakov, from Yakov to everyone, and from everyone, and from Fedot, and from Yakov go hiccups, to your swamps. Bow down to the mud in the deep quagmire.”

The girl says the saying: Freepik

Chronological signs associated with hiccups

Emilia N. Moretto believes that prolonged hiccups are extremely rare. Among the people, any hiccups are given special importance, even considering the day on which the spasm began.

What does hiccups mean by day of the week

Hiccups on a certain day, indicates important events or experiences that cover a person:

• On Monday they hiccup if someone remembers a person.
• Hiccups on Tuesday are associated with longing for a loved one.
• On Wednesday, diaphragmatic spasm is associated with important news and a serious conversation.
• On Thursday, hiccups are a sign that a long-awaited and important meeting is approaching.
• Why hiccups on Friday? She portends disagreements with a loved one.
• Saturday hiccups – an attack of jealousy and a conflict with a partner.
• Sunday hiccups are a harbinger of happy and joyful events.

To prevent hiccups from getting worse and making you vulnerable to negative energy, cover your mouth with your hand while hiccupping.

What does hiccups mean at different times of the day

To interpret hiccups as signs, not only the day of the week is important, but also the time of its occurrence:

• Hiccups in the early morning warn that a person’s heart is not free. He feels passion and boundless love for someone, and this feeling is mutual. Also expect gifts or a pleasant pastime in the company of friends. If you don’t experience this and didn’t plan to, beware of betrayal.
• Daytime hiccups portends a pleasant meeting with a benevolent person. If a girl had a hearty lunch and hiccups attacked her, such a sign is a harbinger of the fulfillment of a cherished dream.

Girl with a pillow and a cup in her hand: Freepik

• Evening hiccups portend conflicts and disputes. Financial expenses and large purchases made on emotions are likely.
• Hiccups at night warns of the appearance of unexpected guests on the doorstep, the risk of parting with a loved one and a permanent partner. Nighttime hiccups can predict that a secret admirer has appeared who dreams of meeting a hiccup.

If we take into account the interpretation of the cause of hiccups by time and day of the week, the description of the sign will be more accurate. Use them to respond in time to a warning or take advantage of a lucky break.

Hiccups are not only a physiological symptom, but also an important sign that should not be ignored. Having studied its causes and interpretations according to signs, use the tips based on centuries of experience and folk wisdom so as not to miss an important moment in life.

Original article: https://www.nur.kz/esoterics/signs/1869017-ikota-primeta-k-cemu-celovek-ikaet/

Hiccups after eating

hiccups after eating

This pathology is an unpleasant, but not fatal deviation from the norm. This process occurs due to the reflex contraction of the diaphragm, which provokes a more impetuous inhalation of atmospheric air and a very rapid closure of the vocal cords, which are regulators of the volume of gas passing through the larynx. Such a process is accompanied by a rather specific, recognizable sound. Most often, hiccups appear after eating . In this article, we will try to deal with this problem and find ways to stop it.

Causes of hiccups after eating

Spasm of the diaphragm – this process can bring a lot of discomfort and causes of hiccups after eating may be different, but they are all associated with increased irritation of the nerve receptors of the vagus and sympathetic nerves “serving” the diaphragm.

Not only medical professionals, but also the common man will not be out of place to know what are the causes of hiccups after eating :

• One of the sources of the considered discomfort are diseases of the cerebral cortex, affecting the areas that are responsible for the respiratory centers.
• Diseases affecting the nerve endings extending from the brain cells.
• Overeating can provoke the manifestation of hiccups.
• This may be a reaction of the human body to a specific food product, for example, hot spices, certain plant components with a specific smell.
• Hypothermia can also provoke hiccups, mainly for young children.
• Too cold or, on the contrary, hot dishes can cause hiccups.
• Wrong diet: food in the “dry food”, food “on the go”.
• Causes of hiccups after eating can be associated with the individual characteristics of the body.
• Hiccups can also be one of the symptoms of a more severe pathology, such as myocardial infarction.
• Tumor of the digestive tract, both benign and malignant.
• Multiple diseases of the central nervous system.
• Pneumonia can be the cause of hiccups after eating.
• Uremia – poisoning of the body with protein metabolism products due to impaired kidney function.
• Herniated disc.
• Increased intracranial pressure.
• Gastritis is an inflammatory process or degenerative changes in the mucous membrane inside the stomach.
• Consequence of a nervous tic.
• Hiccups after eating may occur in the postoperative period if surgery involved the spine or gastrointestinal tract.
• Neoplasms affecting the spinal cord.
• The cause of unpleasant reflexes can be intravenous anesthesia with the use of the drug “Brietal” (sodium methohexital).
• This reflex can be provoked by some everyday reasons, which can be of a periodic nature.
• The mood of the person with whom he sits at the table can influence the occurrence of the considered discomfort. The digestive process is negatively affected by both a depressed and too excited state.
• The cause of hiccups after eating can also be of a neurotic nature. For example, excitement before a responsible exam, speaking in front of a full house.
• Traumatic brain injury.
• Encephalitis – inflammation of the membranes of the brain.
• But not only spasm of the diaphragm can provoke hiccups, but also muscle contractions affecting the esophagus. The reason for this process may be stagnant food.
• Diabetes mellitus.
• Ignoring basic nutritional rules: talking while eating, chewing food poorly, swallowing large portions, reading books and newspapers, watching TV or working on a computer, along with eating. Scattering attention to several things at once leads to poor digestion of food, and hence to hiccups.
• Eating in an unnatural position for the work of the digestive tract, when it is difficult to move food along the passage.
• Meningitis is an inflammatory process that affects the brain.

By itself, hiccups are harmless, but they can be an indicator that something has gone wrong in the body. And if such attacks become more frequent, this fact should not be ignored, because it can indicate the development of a rather severe pathology in the body. And how quickly it will be detected and adequate measures taken depends on the fate and life of a person.

Why hiccups start after eating

Probably, there is no person on Earth who at least once in his life would not be plagued by hiccups. It causes a lot of discomfort, but does not threaten human health. If hiccups appear once and rarely enough, then there is no pathology in this case. A little patience and within 1-3 minutes the attack will pass on its own, it will be enough to drink a few sips of water. So why does hiccups start after eating?

This question is asked by many, trying to find the answer to it on their own. The main cause of this pathological manifestation is irritation of the nerve endings of the diaphragm, less often – irritation of the walls of the esophagus. Under normal conditions, the diaphragm functions in its normal rhythm. Inhale – it “goes” down, allowing the breathing apparatus to collect the required amount of air. Exhalation – the diaphragm rises, pushing carbon dioxide out of the human body. If an irritating effect is exerted on her, the rhythm of work is lost, and she begins to move in jerks. Portions of incoming air are different. A sharp intake of a portion of air into the larynx, which is then supplied to the vocal cords, and we get a characteristic, well-known sound.

But this is the direct source of hiccups, and the reasons that provoke him to take this step are quite diverse. Sometimes it is enough to drink soda water, and hiccups are guaranteed – it all depends on the individual characteristics of the human body. Even in a healthy person, if no countermeasures are taken, this unpleasant process can last from five minutes to half an hour.

If the hiccups do not go away longer, you should seek the advice of a qualified doctor, as such symptoms may indicate a serious pathology in the patient.

There is also a conditional division of the hiccups that have arisen: reflex seizures are called episodic, caused by various living conditions. Prolonged hiccups are called seizures caused by one of the diseases of organic origin, while the transformation of one type into another does not occur.

Hiccups after eating in adults

This somewhat uncomfortable process is familiar to every person from an early age and, often, it is not taken seriously. “Someone remembers,” some will say. But if hiccups after eating in adults occur sporadically (celebrating a birthday the day before or going to barbecue with friends), then there is no point in worrying much, next time you just need to monitor the quantity and quality of the food you eat and there will be no problems with hiccups.

Reflex sharp contraction of the diaphragm is a physiological process. And for it to happen, there must be a good reason. And if this reason is similar to the one voiced above, then, indeed, it is advisable to monitor what and how you eat, not to overeat and not to overcool. But, if after analyzing the situation preceding the onset of hiccups after eating in adults, it is not possible to determine the cause of its appearance by the person himself, and the attacks do not go away for a long time, then you should not joke with such symptoms. The hiccup itself will not harm the human body, except that it will deliver a few unpleasant minutes (or hours) to its owner, but it can signal a deeper and more serious pathology that affects his body.

If the body of an adult is healthy, and hiccups get it quite often, doctors call constant overeating and hence the stretching of the walls of the stomach one of the main reasons for this pathology. This fact causes hiccups in nine out of ten hiccups. Therefore, a culture of nutrition is very important, which must be instilled in a person from an early age.

Hiccups after eating in a child

A small children’s body is so vulnerable, and reacts to any external or internal stimulus. Especially often, parents have to observe hiccups in their babies, thinking that the child is simply overcooled. But hiccups after eating in a child can occur for other reasons. What are they and is there a need to sound the alarm about this?

Many young mothers are interested in the question: “Why does the baby hiccup and is it possible to help him get rid of hiccups faster?” Pediatricians explain this reflex physiological process by the fact that under the influence of certain factors, the epiglottic area spasms, preventing oxygen from passing through the respiratory tract normally. At the same time, the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm of the chest begin to contract incorrectly, from where such a familiar characteristic sound arises.

If it is cool in the room or outside and the baby starts to hiccup, do not rush to wrap him up – simply, due to the imperfection of thermoregulatory abilities, his body begins to adapt to the conditions around him. A short period of time will be enough for the hiccups to go away on their own.

But most often you can observe hiccups after eating in a child. There are several reasons for this:

• The digestive tract, like the baby’s body, is not yet perfect and continues to grow and develop.
• In the process of feeding, it is necessary to ensure that the child chews food well.
• Due to their innate activity, many babies continue to spin at the table, doing a lot of other actions in parallel with eating. At the same time, his attention is scattered, distracted from the process of eating food. In such a situation, the stomach is not ready to work, which provokes hiccups.
• It is worth making sure that the baby does not chat while eating. Together with food, he also swallows portions of air, which, trying to get out of the child’s body, lead to spasm of muscle tissues and vocal cords.
• Foods that are too dry should not be given to the child. An outdoor sandwich or a few biscuits can cause hiccups in a child.
• A baby can also hiccup from drinking fizzy drinks.

If a small child or schoolchild is prone to hiccups, it is not superfluous to consult a pediatrician. If any domestic factors are the cause of the discomfort, it is enough to exclude them from the baby’s life and the problem will be solved. If it is not possible to eliminate them, then you should try to keep the intensity of the stimulus to a minimum. It is likely that the child will grow up and this problem will go away by itself.

But if hiccups have organic roots, then it is urgently necessary to fully examine the baby so as not to miss any serious illness at an early stage. In any case, brushing aside the problem and self-medicating is not worth it. After all, children are not always able to say what worries them.

Hiccups in a newborn after eating

Sometimes pregnant women feel rhythmic pulsations in their abdomen. Asking a question to an obstetrician-gynecologist, usually, she gets the answer that it’s just her baby hiccups. Doctors know that the fetus, being still in the sixth or eighth week of development, can already get hiccups.

After the child is born, this problem does not go away, making young parents worry. Many of them believe that with hiccups, their baby begins to experience discomfort, pain symptoms, but pediatricians are in a hurry to assure such that hiccups do not bring any discomfort to the baby. The causes of this reflex process may be different, but most often hiccups occur in a newborn after eating.

Such a result of feeding can be:

• If the baby eats very actively and greedily, simultaneously swallowing portions of air, which then try to leave the body.
• A similar situation arises if a young mother has too much milk, it flows quite actively and the child simply tries to swallow it all. In this situation, mother should express some milk before feeding. But you shouldn’t be too zealous either. The more you drain breast milk, the more of it a woman’s body will produce by the next feeding.
• Another moment that can provoke hiccups in a newborn may be that after eating the baby’s stomach is full and begins to press on the diaphragm, which triggers the hiccup mechanism.
• When formula-fed, the cause of hiccups may be too large a hole in the nipple.

Reflex spasms are not entirely harmless, they can cause the baby to vomit profusely, and in some cases even vomiting, which prevents him from falling asleep, which quickly exhausts the child’s nervous system. Often occurring hiccups, immediately after a meal, should alert the young mother, perhaps she is not feeding her child correctly, and there may be another, more serious reason. But only a specialist can answer this question.

Diagnosis of hiccups after eating

If the problem under consideration begins to bother a child or an adult, then you should not postpone going to the doctor. Diagnosis of hiccups after eating includes:

• Analysis of patient complaints. The doctor is interested in how long the hiccups appeared, how often, intensively and for a long time it gets the patient.
• The doctor takes anamnesis. He is especially interested in the presence of diabetes mellitus, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and pathologies that provoke an increase in blood glucose levels.
• If necessary, the patient will have to consult a psychiatrist, neurologist, surgeon and/or gastroenterologist.

Treatment of hiccups after eating

Hiccups, as a symptomatology, are not specific, clearly indicating a specific disease. If there are isolated cases of its occurrence, then there is no need to introduce any therapeutic treatment. The specialist can only advise the patient to reconsider his attitude to the regimen and quality of nutrition. If an attack nevertheless happened, doctors advise in this situation to take a few sips of water or, after taking a deep breath, hold the exhalation for as long as a person can withstand.

If we turn to the experience of our ancestors, then there you can find a lot of simple, but quite effective tips.

• If a hiccups attack has begun, then you can take a piece of sour or bitter fruit (grapefruit, lemon, others) into your mouth, lemon juice or a little diluted vinegar will do.
• You can drink a large cup of water in small sips after eating. You should drink slowly, measuredly. If this technique is not very effective, you can do the same, only by tilting your torso forward (as if reaching for an outstretched arm).
• Less pleasant, but no less effective, is the method when, by pressing on the tongue at its base, the gag reflex is evoked.

If an organic pathology has been diagnosed, then the treatment of hiccups after eating includes therapy aimed at stopping the disease that causes discomfort. For example, if the cause of hiccups lies in a pathological violation of the integrity of the walls or contents of the stomach (gastritis), then the gastroenterologist will prescribe a full course of treatment for this disease. If the source of hiccups is meningitis, then effective measures of complex therapy are prescribed by a neuropathologist.

Medical statistics show that quite often the cause of hiccups is increased stretching of the gastric walls and an excess of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the patient’s blood. Sometimes it is sufficient to remove such gases from the digestive tract. For this, drugs are prescribed that relax the muscles of the esophageal valve. These can be mint drops, motilium, domperidone, cerucal, metoclopramide or domrid.

Cerucal is recommended to be taken half an hour before meals. An adult patient is prescribed a dosage – one tablet three to four times throughout the day. For adolescents who are already 14 years old, the amount of the drug administered is determined by the dose from half to the whole tablet, taken two to three times during the day. If necessary, the dosage can be increased, but it should not exceed two tablets (20 mg) or six tablets per day.

Based on the clinical picture, the attending physician may prescribe the administration of this drug in the form of intramuscular and intravenous injections.

Adult patients and children over 14 years of age one to three times a day, one ampoule, the volume of which is 10 mg.

For children from two years to 14 years – the recommended amount is calculated as 0.1 mg of the drug per kilogram of the baby’s weight. If therapeutic efficacy requires high doses, they can be increased, but the maximum dosage should not exceed the daily figure of 0.5 mg per kilogram of body weight of the child.

This drug is contraindicated for use if the patient has an increased individual intolerance to the component composition of the drug, as well as if there is a history of intestinal obstruction or perforation, pheochromocytoma, internal bleeding, a tendency to epileptic seizures, convulsions, hypersensitivity to sulfites, bronchial asthma. Do not prescribe the drug to women in the first trimester of pregnancy or during the period of breastfeeding a newborn baby and children under two years of age.

Muscle relaxants, such as baclosan, baclofen, and lioresal, are also used to “fight” hiccups.

Baclofen is administered to the body with food intake. The starting dosage is determined in the amount of 5 mg (one tablet) or half a tablet with an active substance concentration of 10 mg, taken three times during the day. Then the dosage begins to increase at intervals of three days. Adult patients are usually given an increase of 30-75 mg daily.

If it becomes necessary to use high therapeutic doses (from 0.075 to 0.1 g), it will be easier to drink tablets with a concentration of 25 mg of the active substance. The maximum allowable daily amount of the drug is 0.1 g.

For children aged one to two years, the daily dosage is prescribed in the range of 10-20 mg.

Babies from two to six daily dosage is prescribed in the range of 20 – 30 mg.

For children from six to ten years old, the daily dosage is determined in the range of 30-60 mg.

For adolescents over ten years old, the calculation of the daily dosage is carried out according to the formula 1. 5 – 2 mg per kilogram of the child’s weight.

A contraindication to taking the drug is the tendency of the patient’s body to epileptic seizures, in Parkinson’s disease, in case of increased intolerance to the components of the drug, as well as in the chronic form of kidney dysfunction.

With increased caution, it is necessary to prescribe this drug if the patient has a history of cerebrovascular insufficiency, atherosclerotic lesions of the brain vessels, with peptic ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

To cope with hiccups, the attending physician may introduce dimethicone, Gascon drop, zeolate into the treatment protocol.

Dimethicone is carried to the preparations of the group of adsorbents. The drug is recommended to use one to two tablets after each meal and immediately before going to bed. Or one tablespoon of the drug in the form of a gel, taken before meals three to six times throughout the day.

Dimethicone contraindications include only hypersensitivity to its component composition. In the event of an allergic reaction, the drug should be discontinued by prescribing another drug in this group, for example, corticosteroids.

If hiccups are particularly persistent, the attending physician has to introduce antipsychotic drugs into the therapy protocol, which effectively affect the reflex centers in the patient’s cerebral cortex. For example, chlorpromazine, chlorpromazine, or haloperidol may be prescribed.

The neuroleptic chlorpromazine is injected into the patient’s body before meals. In this case, the minimum recommended dosages are prescribed – one to three tablets taken two to three times throughout the day. If therapeutically necessary, the dosage can be gradually increased. The duration of taking the drug is determined by the attending doctor individually.

Contraindications for taking this group of drugs are quite extensive and are described in more detail in the instructions attached to the drug. But the main limitations are hypersensitivity to chlorpromazine and / or other components of chlorpromazine, severe renal and / or hepatic dysfunction, impaired hematopoiesis, disorders affecting the spinal cord or brain, acute phase of traumatic brain injury, severe cardiovascular pathologies, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, thromboembolism, myxedema, angle-closure glaucoma, and some other pathologies. You should not prescribe this drug to women during pregnancy or lactation, as well as to children whose age has not reached one year.

But since in nine cases out of ten the patient has a stretching of the walls of the stomach, which is the result of excessive food intake, the first thing the doctor recommends is to reconsider your diet and diet.

Prevention of hiccups after eating

This reflex discomfort can be of both physiological and psychological genesis, so the prevention of hiccups after eating includes simple but effective tips that allow a person to protect his body in both of these directions.

• The first and most relevant advice is to follow a food culture:
  • Do not overeat.
  • Portions should be small and meals should be frequent.
  • When eating, one should not talk, read newspapers, watch TV, play computer games.
  • Chew food thoroughly.
  • Do not eat “on the go” and “dry food”.
• The atmosphere of the meal should be calm. You should not sit down to eat if a person is excited or, conversely, depressed.
• If hiccups after eating appeared due to worries about the upcoming responsible event, you should try to calm down and switch your attention to another subject.
• You can find your own, individual way to distract yourself, for example, tie a bright ribbon on your wrist or draw a funny face on the inside of your palm, and, if necessary, look at it.
• Some try to scare the hiccup. This should not be done. A person (both a child and an adult) runs the risk of getting a mental disorder instead of hiccups.
• A simple exercise will also help to calm down: you need to take a deep breath and try not to exhale, as long as you have enough patience, then slowly, slowly, exhale. At the same time, it would not hurt to divert your thoughts to something pleasant.
• If a responsible event is planned, the prevention of hiccups after eating can be taking a sedative medication. It can be a tablet of any sedative drug or a simple tea made from lemon balm, valerian, thyme, motherwort and other herbs that have sedative effects. You can hold a glycine tablet under your tongue.
• Outdoor walks are also effective.
• Complete rest.
• Hypothermia should be avoided.

These simple tips will help you forget about hiccups forever, unless of course its cause is one of the diseases of an organic nature.

Prediction of hiccups after eating

It all depends on the source that triggers the mechanism that provokes the process of hiccups. If the cause of this symptom is one of the diseases, then the prognosis of hiccups after eating directly depends on the timeliness and effectiveness of the treatment, but, mostly, it is positive.

If the attacks of reflex spasms are of a domestic nature, then it is enough for a person to reconsider his lifestyle and listen to the above tips and the prognosis of hiccups after eating, in this case, will be simply wonderful. A person will forever forget about such a nuisance as hiccups.

What person does not like to eat well. But for some, this “good” translates into huge amounts of food consumed, for others, it’s small portions of gourmet dishes. But hiccups after eating can “get” both of them. If hiccups appear rarely, from time to time, then you should not worry, you just need to reconsider your diet, maybe some foods just do not suit you. But if hiccups appear with enviable constancy, it should not be ignored. It is worth consulting with a specialist who will help to find out the cause of this pathology and, if necessary, prescribe treatment therapy.