The diaphragm is a muscle in your body that “separates the heart and lungs from the abdominal cavity” and it is crucial for breathing.
Hiccups occur when the intake of air is restricted momentarily. This happens when the diaphragm abruptly contracts simultaneously with “a contraction of the voice box, or larynx, and a total closure of the glottis.” In simpler terms, when the diaphragm muscles spasm, the vocal cord shut, and this is what causes them.
What causes it
When this happens, air rushes into the lungs creating the ‘hic’ sound. This sound is where the term hiccup came from.
The medicine world refers to hiccups as “synchronous diaphragmatic flutter.” They can happen for no reason whatsoever. They also come once or in bouts, and as most of us know they are ‘rhythmic’ which means they happen at comparatively constant interludes.
The stomach is placed right below the diaphragm. Hiccups result when the stomach is expanded or bloated through eating too much or drinking too much, irritating the diaphragm. When this happens, it may cause a spasm as you breathe in.
When a person eats too fast, they may end up swallowing excess air causing this synchronous diaphragmatic flutter problem. This is especially true when eating spicy food.
Ever noticed that drunk people hiccup frequently? Although the cause is not clear, the alcohol may encourage acid reflexes that irritate the esophagus which leads to this problem.
Drinking a soda too fast often triggers hiccups, although usually not a series of them. This may be because of the CO2 and the fizziness of the drink that may irritate the diaphragm.
Smoking causes hiccups when a person swallows too much air too quickly. Nicotine gum, on the other hand, causes the throat muscles to constrict. Swallowing too much nicotine from the gum can also cause too much irritation leading to this problem.
These are some of the medical conditions that are connected to hiccups:
Intractable hiccups are continuous, nonstop hiccups. People can have them for hours or for days. However, although rare, they sometimes last for months. If you go over two months and you have persistent hiccups, then these are known as intractable synchronous diaphragmatic flutters. These can cause serious health problems such as:
In this case, then its best to see a medical professional. Although the cause is unclear, they can be the result of problems such as “cancer, infection, and stroke to mental health problems.”
If you are wondering what to do for this synchronous diaphragmatic flutter problem or if there is a cure for hiccups, the truth is that they are common and only mildly annoying. Unless they recur often, or last too long these are the common hiccups solutions. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t, Some of them are old wives tales, but they are well worth a try.
If you are wondering if there is hiccup treatment medication, there are. Although doctors are not quick to prescribe them. However, if there are no obvious causes then the doctor may prescribe these anti-hiccup medications:
If there are no remedies, then there are some invasive procedures that are for ending extreme hiccup conditions:
There are also more invasive options, which can be used to end extreme cases of hiccups.
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