Hiccups are sudden involuntary contractions of the diaphragm and other muscles of the chest followed by glottis closure and vocal cord vibration, thus producing a characteristic"hic" noise which may repeat several times per minute.
What’s the diaphragm, the diaphragm is the most effective muscle of breathing, it's a large dome-shaped muscle located at the base of the lungs and it the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen.
Each contraction is followed by a contraction of the vocal cords resulting in a sudden rush of air into the lungs and classical the hick sound. Hiccups may occur in bouts or they may occur individually, they are often rhythmic meaning that the interval between each hiccup is relatively constant they are a temporary minor problem but prolonged hiccups may signal a major medical problem. what causes hiccups no one really knows. Seriously most of the time hiccups just happen spontaneously with no reason as to why but hiccup. But scientist have some ideas because hiccups happen when there's a disturbance in the nerve pathways that lead from the brain to the Diaphragm
Causes of hiccup
For hiccups that last less than 48 hours common triggers; may include
Eating too quickly or too much
Swallowing air along with chewing gum sucking on candy
Drinking much of alcohol
Sudden changes in temperature
Drinking carbonated beverages
When you're super excited or super stressed
For hiccups that last longer than 48 hours
Gastrointestinal disorders, such as gastroesophageal reflux, for example;
Changes in blood electrolytes , such as a decrease in calcium, potassium or sodium;
Kidney failure, which causes excess urea in the blood;
Decreased CO2 in the bloodstream, caused by rapid breathing;
Infections such as gastroenteritis or pneumonia;
Respiratory or abdominal inflammations such as bronchitis, esophagitis, pericarditis, cholecystitis, hepatitis or inflammatory bowel disease;
Surgery in the chest or abdomen region;
Brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, meningitis or brain cancer
It is important to note that hiccups that last longer than 48 hours must be investigated by a physician to determine the cause. The doctor will perform a physical examination and a neurological exam to check your balance and coordination, eyesight, muscle tone and strength and reflexes. if any underlying medical condition is suspected the doctor may recommend blood tests to check for signs of diabetes infection or kidney disease, imaging tests such as chest x-ray, CT scan or MRI scan to detect the anatomical abnormalities that may be affecting the vagus nerve phrenic, nerve or diaphragm endoscopic tests to check for problems in the windpipe.
What can be done to stop the hiccup?
The exact cause of most cases of hiccups is uncertain there are plenty of home remedies that may or may not work, these won't hurt you so there's typically no harm in trying them. Here we list a few
Holding your breath: When you hold your breath, there is an increase in carbon dioxide levels in your body. Our body notices this increase and sends information that causes the diaphragm to contract in order to guarantee the respiratory rate.
Lying on your back for some few minutes; this may relax the diaphragm stopping the spasms
Drinking cold water: Cold water causes a change in temperature that stimulates our vagus nerve, which acts on the diaphragm.
Biting on a slice of lemon
Eating sugar: swallowing a teaspoon of granulated sugar could have more or less the same effect only it does the job with a scratchy sweetness instead of an icy shock
Getting a scare: When getting scared, a person releases a substance in his body called catecholamine, which has the function of regulating the so-called phrenic nerve, which also acts in the action of the diaphragm
Laughter: laughing at something hilarious can also help.You can watch some comedy or someone making you laugh
