Once hiccups start, it’s often difficult to stop them. Some people hiccup when they’re suddenly startled or flustered, while others try to hold their breath or use other methods when the hiccups persist for a long time. Hiccups usually stop after a certain period, but they can also continue for a long time, regardless of one’s will. We’ve looked into why hiccups occur and how to stop them.
The Principle of Hiccups
A hiccup is a sudden contraction of the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. It occurs when the diaphragm, responsible for allowing air to escape the lungs, suddenly contracts, causing the vocal cords, which should be open during inhalation, to close abruptly, producing the characteristic hiccup sound. Hiccups are more common in premature infants and newborns compared to adults. Infants and young children may experience hiccups without any apparent reason. While the frequency of hiccups tends to decrease in adulthood, persistent and recurrent hiccups are more commonly observed in adult males, according to research.
How to Stop Hiccups?
People who usually have a full stomach and eat quickly without chewing well can often hiccup, so it is good to have a habit of eating small amounts of warm food well chewed. Also, if you stimulate yourself to restore the balance between your own breathing and diaphragm movement, it disappears. Stimulating the inside of the tongue with a non-sharp object (like a spoon) to the point of gagging can also help.
Does Drinking Water Help?
Drinking cold water can stimulate the two nerves. If you drink cold water quickly, the esophagus, which is controlled by the vagus nerve, is stimulated, and the hiccups stop. Warm water may not stimulate the esophagus as much, making it harder to stop the hiccups. The important thing here is to divert nerve stimulation elsewhere.
The Principle of Valsalva Maneuver
Applying pressure to the chest and utilizing the ‘Valsalva maneuver’ is a technique that involves blocking the nose and mouth while exhaling four to five times can also be effective in stopping hiccups. The Valsalva maneuver involves increasing internal pressure by exhaling against a closed airway. This activation of the parasympathetic nervous system helps stabilize the diaphragmatic spasm. It produces a similar effect to drinking cold water while blocking the nose.
A Spoonful of Sugar Can Help!
If you put a spoonful of sugar on the tip of your tongue and let it melt, the hiccups will stop. The intense sweet taste stimulates the nerves and muscles, causing a sudden reaction in the diaphragm muscles, leading to a spasm that interrupts hiccups.
Dangerous When Persistent
While hiccups typically resolve within 20-30 minutes, persistent and prolonged cases may raise concerns about an underlying serious medical condition. In some instances, patients experiencing persistent and repetitive hiccups have been diagnosed with conditions such as gastric cancer through endoscopic examinations. Therefore, experts advise individuals experiencing prolonged and recurrent hiccups to seek medical attention for a thorough diagnosis.
Increase Abdominal Pressure
The most effective way to easily stop hiccups is to increase abdominal pressure. Eating food or holding your breath is the most common method, but there are also methods to stimulate the trachea, such as pulling your tongue or tickling the roof of your mouth. An example of a method that makes you breathless by exercising is lightly going up and down the stairs. Pressing both knees to the chest to stimulate the diaphragm or trimming to reduce the expansion of the stomach is also a method.
Intractable Hiccups
If you hiccup for more than 48 hours or it recurs frequently, you may need to suspect intractable hiccups. In such cases, treatments such as diaphragm nerve compression or sedation, intravenous injection of vitamin B1, etc. can be performed. If it still doesn’t stop, you might suspect other diseases such as stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, thyroid, myocardial infarction, esophagitis, etc.
Hiccups When Drinking Alcohol
Drinking anything in large quantities can cause the stomach to expand and trigger hiccups, especially when drinking beer or carbonated beverages. The stomach is located just below the left diaphragm, and if the stomach expands, it can stimulate the diaphragm and cause hiccups. Alcohol stimulates the digestive organs including the esophagus, causing hiccups and increasing acid production, which can lead to acid reflux.
Stop Hiccups By Sneezing
One of the ways to stop hiccups is to stimulate the inside of the nose to sneeze. It is known to be good for stopping hiccups by soaking 5-7 strong calming cloves in water and eating them divided into 2-3 times a day. If you have hiccups because you can’t eat well, put a clove of garlic in your mouth chew it, and swallow it when you’re about to hiccup.
By. Shin Young Jeon
Most Commented