Hic, Hic, Hic Up

Simply Waiting is the Best Remedy for Hiccups

​Irritating the patient and delighting the people around him/her, hiccups are common in most people. They serve no purpose but cause problems and minor nuisances but prolonged hiccups are indicative of medical problems.

Few Seconds To Decades Together
Hiccups occur 4-60 times per minute and mostly vanish away after 30 or more hiccups. Anything that lasts over a few minutes is a matter of concern. Some hiccups last over 48 hours and are considered persistent or protracted. Some last beyond a month and are termed intractable. There is one uncommon incidence of a hiccup that lasted for over 6 decades continuously! Never does this minor nuisance indicate a major medical problem, even when they last for longer periods. Rarely they are signs of a medical problem, mostly of something that causes irritation of one of the nerves in the chest such as neck tumors, goiters, infections near the diaphragm or hiatal hernia. Apart from such medical conditions, continuously hiccupping causes difficulties in eating, drinking, sleeping and talking, all of which are the basis for a healthy life.

Hiccups are more pronounced during evening hours, commonly seen a few days before the menstrual cycle starts and subsides drastically during pregnancy.

The Mystery Remains Unsolved
The National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD) describes hiccups as an involuntary spasmodic contraction of the muscle at the base of the lungs followed by the rapid closure of the vocal cords. The root cause behind hiccups remains a mystery till date, but there are certain factors that are associated with an increased risk of causing hiccups:
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1. Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as consumption of excess alcohol, spicy foods, eating too much food and drinking carbonated drinks.
2. Extreme emotions such as excitement or stress. Stress is dangerous and can lead to depression and mental disorders too. Counter stress with active techniques given at www.firsteatright.com.
3. Gastric bloating due to food, alcohol or air.
4. Conditions attacking the central nervous system, gastrointestinal conditions, liver problems, cancer, tumor, lesions, pregnancy and hepatitis.
5. Extreme feelings such as fear, shock, hysteria and personality disorder.
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Hiccups love men-they are more common in them that almost 82% of intractable or persistent hiccups occur in men and also those of unknown origin are likelier in them. There is no age restriction for hiccups and it can occur even to the fetus in the womb, pre-term infants spend 2.5% of their time hiccupping and females hiccupping is more during early adulthood compared to males. 

Stick Out Your Tongue to Stop Hiccups

Stop the ‘Hic’
Hiccups usually go away on their own in a few minutes or hours without medical treatment. Many common home remedies are suggested and are supported to work good on the individual, but there are no authentic proofs to back their relevance and effectiveness.
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1. Hold your breath for a short time and then breathe out doing this for a couple of times continuously.
2. Sip ice water
3. Bite into a lemon
4. Gargle your mouth with water
5. Eat some granulated sugar
6. Taste a pinch of vinegar
7. Lean forward such that you gently compress your chest
8. Keep your tongue out
9. Breathe in and out of a paper bag. Never use a plastic bag nor cover your head into the bag
10. Sit down and hug your knees closely to the chest
    
    

If the ‘hic’ persists even after trying these, it is advisable to meet your physician. You doctor might prescribe drugs to stop the hiccups or ask you to stop taking certain medications that can trigger hiccups. Surgeries are performed to stop hiccups, but these are extremely rare and executed when all other options are ruled out. One way or the other, it is necessary to stop hiccups as they can lead to complications otherwise. The person might lose weight due to an inability to eat properly between hiccups, find difficulty in falling asleep (insomnia), fatigue, difficulty in communicating with another person, develop depression and experience delayed wound healing, increased infection risk and bleeding.
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This universal mystery remains to be solved. Avoid drinking alcohol, sodas, changes in temperature and eating rapidly to stop hiccups from developing.

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