Hiccup Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
An hiccup is an involuntary contraction (myoclonic jerk) of the diaphragm that may repeat several times per minute. In Latin it’s called singultus for its action of catching the breath when sobbing. The hiccup is a involuntary activity between a reflex arc. Once triggered, the reflex triggers a powerful contraction of the diaphragm followed roughly 0.25 minute later by closing of the vocal cords, which leads to the timeless “hic” sound.
Hiccups may happen independently, or they might occur in bouts. The rhythm of this hiccup, or the period between hiccups, will be relatively steady.
A bout of hiccups, generally speaking, resolves itself without any intervention, but many home remedies are frequently utilized to try to shorten the length. Medical treatment is sometimes necessary in cases of chronic hiccups.
Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm — the muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen and plays an important role in breathing. Each contraction is followed by a sudden closure of your vocal cords, which produces the characteristic “hic” sound.
Hiccups may result from a large meal, alcoholic or carbonated beverages or sudden excitement. In some cases, hiccups may be a sign of an underlying medical condition. For most people, a bout of hiccups usually lasts only a few minutes. Rarely, hiccups may persist for months. This can result in weight loss and exhaustion.
Symptoms of hiccup
- A single or a series of breathing diaphragm spasms, of variable spacing and duration.
- A brief (less than one half second), unexpected, shoulder, abdomen, throat, or full body tremor.
- Hiccups may present as an audible chirp, squeak, “hupp”, or if controlled, a quick inhaling gasp, sigh, or sniff.
- Hiccups may present as brief but distracting or painful, frequent or occasional interruptions in normal breathing, with sudden momentary pain of the throat, chest, and/or abdomen.
Hiccupping is a symptom. It may sometimes be accompanied by a slight tightening sensation in your chest, abdomen or throat.
Hiccup causes
The most common triggers for hiccups that last less than 48 hours include:
- Excitement or emotional stress
- Sudden temperature changes
- Swallowing air with chewing gum or sucking on candy
- Drinking carbonated beverages
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Eating too much
- Intense emotions such as fear, anxiety, excitement, joy,
