A doctor with 23 years of experience tells whether it is worth paying attention to hiccups at all.
Hiccups are a sharp and short sigh, which occurs as a result of convulsive contraction of the diaphragm, external intercostal muscles, as well as scalene and sternocleidomastoid. The sound that accompanies the hiccups is due to the rapid closure of the glottis. The frequency of hiccups can be up to 60 times per minute, that is, every second. The usual hiccups last up to 2 days, persistent for up to a month and constant for over a month.
Short-term hiccups may occur
- with banal overeating,
- drinking carbonated drinks, alcohol, very hot or cold food,
- a sharp change in ambient temperature,
- in stressful situations,
- with excessive smoking, which is called one after another;
- with aerophagia (swallowing air). So, for example, it happens with babies.
- during gastroscopy,
- during anesthesia
- when using certain medications, for example, barbiturates.
Hiccups happen with diseases fromstimulating the vagus or phrenic nerve, such as goiter (an increase in the volume of the thyroid gland in various diseases), cysts or tumors of the neck, laryngitis; or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory organs and much more.
If the hiccups are persistent, then this is a serious concern, because it can be a sign of tumors or inflammatory brain damage, multiple sclerosis, head trauma, tumors of the abdominal cavity, abscess of the subphrenic space, metabolic disorders and other dangerous conditions.
Constant hiccups can lead to serious consequences - mental stress, insomnia, dehydration, weight loss.
What to do when hiccups develop?
1. Hold the breath;
2. Conduct a Valsalva test - this is a forced exhalation with a closed mouth and nose;
3. Eat a slice of lemon;
4. Hold cold water in your mouth. Some sources recommend rinsing your mouth with ice water;
5. Draw a full chest of air and slowly exhale through half-closed lips (that is, create positive pressure at the end of exhalation);
6. Bring the legs, bent at the knees to the chest and hug them with your arms, pressing firmly;
7. Eat a piece of stale bread or dryers;
8. Take a few large sips of water, holding your breath;
9. Finally, he will try to inhale ammonia.
If all this together or one of the proposed remedies did not work, and hiccups last more than 2 days, then you need to go to the doctor who must examine you, find the cause and prescribe treatment.
