Description

The hiccups are repeated spasms or sudden movements of the diaphragm that you can't control. The diaphragm is the muscle that separates your chest from your stomach area and plays an important role in breathing. A spasm in the diaphragm causes the vocal cords to suddenly close to, the production of a "hic" sound.

Eat a large meal, drinking alcoholic beverages or drinks, or excited, all of a sudden can cause hiccups. In some cases, hiccups may be a sign of an underlying medical problem. For most people, hiccups usually lasts only a few minutes. Rarely, hiccups may continue for months. When was the last time that long, which can result in weight loss and extreme tiredness.

Symptoms

Symptoms include uncontrollable spasm in the diaphragm, and a "hic" sound. Sometimes you may feel a slight tightening sensation in his chest, in the stomach area or in the throat.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment to see your health care provider if hiccups last more than 48 hours or if they are so severe that they cause problems with eating, sleeping or breathing.

Causes

The most common triggers for hiccups that lasts less than 48 hours include:

  • The soft drinks.
  • Drinking too much alcohol.
  • Eating too much.
  • Be excited or under emotional stress.
  • Experiencing sudden changes in temperature.
  • The swallowing of air, as when chewing gum or smoking.

The problems that can cause hiccups last more than 48 hours include damage to the nerves or irritation, central nervous system disorders, metabolic disorders, and certain drug and alcohol problems.

Nerve damage or irritation

One of the causes of long-term hiccups is damage to or irritation of the nerves vagus or the nerves phrenic. These nerves supply the muscle of the diaphragm.

The factors that can damage or irritate these nerves are:

  • A hair or something else in your ear touching your eardrum.
  • A tumor, cyst or growth of the thyroid gland in the neck.
  • The stomach acid that accumulates in the esophagus, the muscular tube that delivers food from the mouth to the stomach.
  • Sore throat or laryngitis.

Disorders of the Central nervous system

A tumor or an infection of the central nervous system or damage to your central nervous system due to an injury can disrupt your body's normal control of the hiccup reflex.

Examples include:

  • Inflammation of the brain, which is also known as encephalitis.
  • Inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, which is also known as the meningitis.
  • Multiple sclerosis, or hardening of the tissue in the brain or in the spinal cord, which can cause paralysis or tremors.
  • Stroke.
  • Severe injury to the brain.
  • Tumors.

Metabolic problems

Long-term hiccups can result when your body's metabolism doesn't work properly.

Examples of metabolic disorders include:

  • Diabetes.
  • Electrolyte imbalance, which is when the levels of potassium, sodium and other electrolytes are too high or too low.
  • Kidney disease.

Certain medications and alcohol problems

Use of certain medicines, or problems with alcohol can cause long-term hiccups.

Examples include:

  • Medications that cause you to feel relaxed and sleepy, such as sedatives or other drugs used in anesthesia.
  • A steroid called dexamethasone, which is used to relieve inflammation in conditions such as arthritis, asthma and kidney problems.
  • Other steroids.
  • Alcohol use disorder.

Risk factors

Men are more likely to develop long-term hiccups than females. Other factors that may increase your risk of hiccups include:

  • Mental or emotional issues. Anxiety, stress, and emotion have been linked to some cases of the hiccups.
  • Surgery. Some people get hiccups after general anesthesia or procedures involving organs in the stomach area.

Complications

Course hiccup can interfere with eating, drinking, sleeping, and talking. Hiccups may also worsen the pain.

Diagnosis

During the physical exam, the doctor may perform a neurological exam to check your:

  • Balance and coordination.
  • The muscle strength and tone.
  • Reflections.
  • The view and the sense of touch.

If your doctor thinks that an underlying medical condition may be the cause of your hiccups, the doctor may recommend one or more of the following tests.

Laboratory tests

Blood samples can be checked for signs of diabetes, infection, or kidney disease.

Imaging tests

Imaging tests may be able to detect problems inside of your body that may be affecting your diaphragm or the nerve that controls the diaphragm, called the phrenic nerve. Or these tests can reveal problems with a main nerve in your nervous system, called the vagus nerve. Imaging tests may include an x-ray, a ct scan or an mri .

Endoscopic tests

These procedures use a thin, flexible tube called an endoscope, which contains a tiny camera that passes through the throat into the esophagus, sometimes called the channel of power. The purpose is to check if there are problems in the esophagus or the trachea.

Treatment

Most cases of hiccups go away on their own without medical treatment. If an underlying medical condition that is causing the hiccup, the treatment of this condition can stop hiccups.

If hiccups last more than two days, the medication or certain procedures may be required.

Medications

Drugs used for long-term treatment include hiccups baclofen, chlorpromazine, and metoclopramide.

Procedures

If less invasive treatments are not effective, your health care provider may recommend an injection of a local anesthetic to block the phrenic nerve to stop the hiccups.

Another option is to surgically implant a battery-operated device to deliver mild electrical stimulation to your vagus nerve. This procedure is most commonly used to treat epilepsy, but has also helped to control long-term hiccups.

Lifestyle and home remedies

There is No sure way to stop the hiccups. But if hiccups last more than a couple of minutes, these home remedies can provide relief, although it has not been shown to:

  • Breathing into a paper bag.
  • Gargle with ice water.
  • Hold your breath.
  • Sip of cold water.

If you have a hiccup, lifestyle changes can help, such as:

  • Avoid carbonated beverages and foods that give you gas.
  • Eat smaller meals.

Alternative medicine

When long-term hiccups do not respond to other remedies, alternative treatments, such as hypnosis and acupuncture, can help.

Preparing for your appointment

Initially you can talk with your family doctor about your course of hiccups. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist if you have long-term or serious hiccups.

What you can do

Consider writing a list that includes:

  • Detailed descriptions of your symptoms.
  • Information about the health problems I had.
  • The information about your parents or siblings of health problems.
  • Medications and supplements that you take.
  • The questions you want to ask your health care provider.

What to expect from your health care provider

Your health care provider may ask:

  • When he made his hiccups to start?
  • How often do they occur?
  • What aggravates or relieves them?
  • What medications are you taking?
  • Have you had a sore throat or ear pain?
  • Do you have symptoms of indigestion, bloating?
  • Have you had a sore throat or changes in your voice?
  • Has had pain in the chest, cough, or difficulty breathing?
  • Do you have headaches or other symptoms which can be linked to your brain or nervous system?

The preparation for the questions they will help you make the most of your time with your health care provider.

Symptoms and treatment of Hypo -