How to stop Hiccups

Hiccups ( sometimes called Hiccoughs ) are very common and almost affects every one ..

simply , the reason we experience Hiccups is an irritation in a dome-shaped muscle which separates the chest from the abdomen known as the diaphragm .

diaphragm irritation causes involuntary spasms leading to quick intake of breath that is suddenly stopped by the closure of the vocal cords (glottis) ,

This closure causes the characteristic “hiccup” sound .

Men are more likely to have hiccups than women

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Signs & Symptoms of Hiccups :

– The characteristic sound of a hiccup, That’s No. 1 for sure 😀 , The rate of having hiccups usually ranges between 4 – 60 Hiccups per minute .

– a slight discomfort in the chest , abdomen or throat .

Duration :

– usually for a few minutes to a few hours.

seeing a doctor is important if Hiccups last longer than 48 hours as it could be related to other serious conditions .

I- in case of Adults , teenagers & children :

Causes :

– swallowing too much air Quickly , either by eating or drinking too fast

– Emotional stress , excitement or being in a Nervous state where the breathing rate is faster than normal

– A sudden change in stomach temperature by ingesting Hot and Cold foods or drinks

– Excessive consumption of alcohol

Treatment of Hiccups :

The goal is to get the body distracted from focusing on the diaphragm and calm down again , this can be achieved by :

– Taking a deep breath and holding it in for about 10 seconds , then slowly letting it out

– Eating a tea spoonful of sugar or Honey

– Drinking continuously a glass of water

– Breathing into a paper bag for a minute .

in most cases , Hiccups usually go away on their own within a few minutes or a few hours and do not require any treatments .

Chlorpromazine is the only medication approved for hiccups by the US Food and Drug Administration.

II- in case of Newborns :

” Babies or newborns can hiccup too 🙂 ”

Causes :

–  swallowing air while feeding them too fast .

– sudden drop in temperature of the body.

Treatment :

Most often, hiccups disappear within a couple of minutes. So, it is better for the parents to wait for a few minutes before trying to cure hiccups in their newborn baby.

– hold the baby upright and Gently pat on the back of the baby in order to help him or her to burp , . . burping will help to cure the hiccup if it’s caused due to swallowing of air by releasing the pressure on the stomach.

Hint : Babies should not be fed while they are having hiccups.

>> if the baby burps and have hiccups alot , check the nipple of the milk bottle in order to prevent the swallowing of air while feeding  :

fill the bottle with milk and then turn it upside down , If the milk comes out in continuous drops then the nipple size is right. , But if it comes out in a stream or does not drip at all then nipple of the bottle should be changed .

Interesting Fact :

Even a fetus inside his mother’s uterus can have hiccups! … this is termed as fetal hiccups and occurs after 8 weeks of pregnancy ( after the development of the fetal nervous system )

According to health experts, it is normal for fetuses to hiccup and these movements prepare the babies lungs for breathing after birth .

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Resources :

– BBC Health official website

– Myoclinic official website