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For most people, hiccups are little more
than a nuisance that occasionally interrupt life. But
for some people, hiccups are constant and they can cause
extreme fatigue, weight loss, sleeplessness, dehydration,
irregular heartbeat and depression. For these people,
hiccup relief may soon be available in the form of an injection.
What are hiccups? This
is a common condition characterized by the repeated
involuntary spasmodic contractions of the diaphragm,
followed by sudden closure of the glottis, which checks
the inflow of air and produces the characteristic sounds.
What causes hiccups? Mild hiccups
are most often a reaction to common digestive disturbances.
In the opinion of the Hiccups Organization website Editor
hiccups are most often caused by food, either an odd mix of
ingrediants or certain kind of food, such as spicy food and
baking soda or baking powder. For example a
bagle sandwich with basil leaves, cheese, fruit and black pepper may
contribute to a hiccups attack and indigestion, especially if eaten fast!
Regardless of food, there are times when people hiccup for
no apparent reason. No one knows for sure why these
episodes happen, however experts know that even infants
hiccup and the reflex occurs intermittently throughout
life. Chronic or consistent hiccups can be a sign of
a serious medical problem.
What causes chronic or consistent hiccups?
Virtually anything that affects the head, chest, or
abdomen such as kidney failure, liver disease, cancer
( cancer nutrition
information can be important with a hiccups &
cancer relationship), nervous system problems, ulcers,
arteriosclerosis heart disease,
or heart attack can cause a hiccups attack.
Contractions of the diaphragm are caused
by stimulation of the vagus nerve either by the brain
or by irritation anywhere along the length of the nerve.
The vagus sends a signal to the phrenic nerve which
leads to the diaphragm. The diaphragm then spasms causing
the hiccup.
What
generic prescription drugs do doctors prescribe to stop hiccups?
Two of the most common drugs are prochlorperazine
and chlorpromazine. Intractable hiccups may require
surgery to cut the link between the phrenic nerve and
the diaphragm, as a means of stopping the spasms.
Hiccups in Babies and Kids
Babies usually get hiccups because they swallow too much air
when feeding, a common occurence with babies and infants in particular.
If baby hiccups seem too frequent or serious please consider experimenting by
using breast pumps more. It's
possible bottle feeding of breast milk may result in less air being
swallowed than breast feeding alone. However, that could be reversed
as each baby and feeding situation is unique.
The stomach gets bigger and squeezes the
diaphragm. Sucking hard or eating too much can make
hiccups worse. It helps to burp the baby often when
feeding.
Older children get hiccups from drinking too much soda
or eating too much too fast. An upset or too-full stomach
can lead to hiccups. Hiccups can hurt, but they are
usually harmless. And they don’t last very long.
However, since your kids health
is so important to you if your kid gets frequent or severe hiccups we
suggest you take the child to the doctor for a check-up.
Hiccup Tips
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- swallow it fast
- if the hiccups don’t stop right away . . .
do it 3 or more times - once every 2 minutes
- For younger children, use 1 teaspoon of corn syrup
- Give babies a swallow of water
- Have child lie down.
Seek Medical Attention if:
- Your child has the hiccups with a very bad stomach
pain or is spitting up blood
- Your child’s hiccups lasted longer than 3
hours
- Your child had his or her
drug store prescriptions medicine and the kids hiccups started or got worse
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