Permanent hiccups: causes and treatment

Many people wonder what hiccups are. In fact, science has not yet given a definite answer, since the reasons for its appearance can be very different. However, most physicians are inclined to believe that this phenomenon means a physiological process whose main task is to remove excess air from the stomach. As a rule, this symptom lasts no more than 5 minutes and does not require treatment. However, it also happens that there is a constant hiccup in an adult. We will discuss further the causes and treatment of this condition.

What does a long hiccup mean?

Worried about hiccups? The causes of this ailment can be very different. In most cases, the symptom indicates more serious diseases of the internal organs. Here are just the main disorders leading to the appearance of prolonged hiccups:

• disruption of the central nervous system;
• various intestinal infections (helminthiasis, giardiasis);
• inflammation of the stomach and gall bladder;
• serious liver damage;
• diabetes.

Of course, the final cause of the pathology can be identified only after examination of the patient. As a rule, with such a symptom, people turn to a therapist or a neurologist. However, if the disease is the result of a more serious illness, the patient may be redirected to another specialist.

Types of hiccups

To understand how to get rid of the constant hiccups, you must first understand the types of disease, since the whole medical process directly depends on this. Long hiccups are usually divided into 4 types:

1. Peripheral. Symptom occurs against a background of impaired functioning of the diaphragm nerves. Most often, this leads to inflammation of the gallbladder, various pathologies of the stomach or inflammation of some vagus nerve.
2. Toxic. The appearance of discomfort usually occurs due to the penetration of a large amount of harmful substances into the patient's body. As a rule, a similar symptom is observed in patients after poisoning or anesthesia.
3. Central. This type of symptom is the most common and the longest in time. As a rule, pathology occurs due to damage to certain parts of the brain after a stroke.

It should also be noted that there is another kind of hiccups, which is extremely rare, but also takes place - a reflected reduction in the diaphragm. Such a disorder usually occurs after damage to the organs of the reproductive system, for example, with giardiasis and helminthiasis. As a rule, the disease occurs in males.

Causes

Permanent hiccups in an adult can occur for a number of reasons. In most cases, the pathological process can stretch for a period of 2 to 3 days. However, medicine knows cases where the symptom has not haunted people for several months or even a year. Therefore, a long hiccup is a serious reason to seek the help of a therapist. Only by the results of the survey and analyzes can we identify the root cause of the ailment. As a rule, doctors first of all pay attention to 10 main factors leading to the appearance of hiccups:

• the use of certain drugs - medications that affect the hormonal background, drugs for general anesthesia, barbiturates;
• brain tumors - they can be both malignant and benign in nature;
• metabolic diseases - this category includes gout, uremia, obesity and diabetes;
• worms - some varieties of parasites are able to lay their larvae not only in the intestine, but also in the organs of the respiratory system;
• gastrointestinal diseases - gastric ulcer, gastritis, reflux, stenosis and other disorders can lead to the appearance of excess air in the stomach;
• damage to the liver and kidneys - special attention should be paid to diseases that can be inherited;
• various intestinal infections - bacteria vital products can cause intoxication of the body and attacks of diaphragm contraction;
• severe body injuries - special attention should be paid to damage to the skull, as well as soft tissues of the chest organs;
• damage to the cardiovascular or nervous system - nervousness, heart attack, depressive syndrome, stroke and other diseases.

As for diseases of a chronic nature, such disorders can be caused after prolonged hypothermia of the body or severe fright. In addition, hiccups often occur after eating food while in a hurry. If the disorder does not stop over time, the doctor may recommend surgery, but this happens infrequently.

Symptoms

Now you know why persistent hiccups can appear and torment the patient. However, in order not to confuse this disease with other disorders of the central nervous system, for example, a nervous tic, you need to know about the symptoms that accompany the disease. Here are just the most common ones:

• profuse salivation - evidence of damage to the cells of the nervous system;
• pain when swallowing - damage to the respiratory system;
• a feeling of heaviness in the esophagus - an indicator of gastrointestinal diseases;
• pain attacks in the side and back - this happens with damage to the liver and kidneys;
• sudden cough - indicates the presence of parasite larvae in the organs of the respiratory system;
• migraine - can talk about brain damage;
• Heartburn is a clear symptom of gastritis and stomach ulcers.

It is also worth noting that a prolonged hiccup may be accompanied by pain in the shoulders and back - this is quite normal. When a person feels a contraction of the muscles of the diaphragm, he involuntarily begins to strain his chest. This symptom is especially aggravated with osteochondrosis.

Diagnostics

Before proceeding with the treatment of persistent hiccups, the GP will need to identify the cause of the ailment. You can do this using three simple methods, a description of which can be found below:

1. Anamnesis - the collection of data based on the patient’s medical history, accompanying symptoms, as well as personal words of the patient.
2. Laboratory tests - they are usually prescribed to detect serious diseases (diabetes, internal infections, and so on).
3. Instrumental studies - this category includes ECG, endoscopy of the throat and stomach, examination of the chest.

Also, for all patients suffering from prolonged hiccups, doctors will strongly recommend an MRI scan to exclude the possibility of developing cancerous tumors. If the diagnosis is confirmed, further treatment will be carried out by a neurologist or surgeon.

Causes of persistent hiccups in a child

Sometimes parents are faced with a similar problem. And many of them are wondering why the child constantly hiccups. Therefore, let's consider the main causes of this ailment in children:

• nervous excitement of the child's psyche - the baby can begin to hiccup only because he was very scared and nervous;
• food with a predominance of dry food - special attention should be paid to flour products, which often provoke hiccups;
• hypothermia - in some cases, the cause of the symptom becomes a long stay on the street in the cold season;
• overeating - children can often consume more food than they need, so the stomach stops working normally;
• thirst - in rare cases, the symptom is provoked by prolonged thirst (especially true for the summer season).

Of course, the treatment procedure will entirely depend on the variety and cause of the pathology. If the symptom does not disappear within a few days, then the help of a specialist should not be neglected. Otherwise, the disease can develop into a chronic stage.

Hiccups

As a rule, such an ailment usually resolves itself a few minutes after the occurrence. However, incessant hiccups may be the result of some more serious disease, which requires immediate medical intervention. Prescribe drugs can only be a specialist after examination, when the picture of the pathology will be completely clear. Here are just the main drugs that help fight hiccups:

• "Ranitidine" or "Omeprazole" - means aimed at regulating the acid balance in the stomach and reducing the amount of gas in it;
• "Haloperidol" or "Aminazine" - drugs that are prescribed for muscle relaxation (including the diaphragm);
• "Gabapentin" - a kind of respiratory stabilizer that eliminates the feeling of suffocation and shortness of breath (it is prescribed even for bronchial asthma);
• "Ketamine" - a medication against pain symptoms, which is usually used as an adjunct to treatment;
• "Sedafiton" - pills against nervous tension (prescribed for mental illness, for example, depressive syndrome).

It is worth noting that for complex treatment several drugs can be prescribed at once, the task of each of which is to overcome a certain ailment. Of course, all medicines should be taken strictly according to the instructions or on the recommendation of a specialist. Needless to say, only a qualified doctor can prescribe the drug to a child. Remember that self-medication often leads to poor health, especially when it comes to children.

Other treatments

In some cases, it is not possible to eliminate the problem with the help of medications. Then the doctor may advise the patient to undergo other procedures that are aimed at combating an unpleasant symptom. The list below shows only the most commonly assigned ones:

1. Inhalation. As a rule, carbon dioxide is used during such procedures, which helps to activate the respiratory center, which makes the respiratory system work more correctly.
2. Insertion of a catheter. If the unpleasant symptom cannot be eliminated with the help of medications, then the doctor can insert a thin tube into the patient's airways. The main drawback of the procedure is the discomfort.
3. Novocainic blockade. This technique is used extremely rarely, for example, if a prolonged hiccup was caused by inflammation of the internal organs of the chest.

If an unpleasant symptom occurs with a certain frequency, then classic preventive measures can cope with it. These include proper nutrition, regular breathing exercises, sports, as well as refusal (at least for a while) from bad habits.

How to get rid of hiccups at home?

If for some reason you can’t visit the clinic, but you don’t really want to endure hiccups, you can use special techniques that should help cope with the disease. In the list below you will find a detailed description of each of them:

1. Drink plenty of cold water. The most common and most effective way to deal with persistent hiccups. To implement it, you will need to drink cold water for several minutes. Lower temperatures will calm the vagus nerve and cause the diaphragm muscles to return to normal.
2. Consumption of sugar and salt. If you mix a few sweet and salty grains, and then start to dissolve them in your mouth, then this can help get rid of hiccups. Different tastes greatly irritate nerve receptors, as a result of which the vagus nerve calms down, and hiccups disappear in a matter of minutes.
3. Activation of reflex zones. This "grandfather" method helps to cope with a symptom that has arisen against the background of various psychological disorders. It will be enough to touch a hot kettle or watch a horror movie. If the nervous system focuses on reflexes, then the hiccups will pass quickly.

However, not in all cases an unpleasant symptom arises due to the presence of a vagus nerve in the body. Sometimes the cause of hiccups becomes a banal violation of the respiratory functions. Special breathing exercises will help to cope with the symptom:

• alternation of a deep breath and air retention;
• intense inflating a ball or paper bag;
• slow exhalation (5 seconds) of a large volume of air;
• lifting the body on the exhale (swing of the press);
• even breathing with hand pressure on the chest.

If none of the above methods help, try to take radical measures - call a gag reflex. This procedure will allow you to get rid of excess air in the stomach, prevent intoxication in case of poisoning, focus the attention of the nervous system on the reflex and relax the diaphragm.

The effects of prolonged hiccups

As a rule, frequent attacks do not entail any serious complications. But still, in some cases, hiccups can adversely affect the patient's condition. Most often, a similar symptom leads to the following consequences:

• long healing of sutures after surgery;
• inability to have a conversation;
• fatigue;
• sudden weight loss;
• insomnia.

Needless to say, a person who suffers from hiccups for a long time will simply feel uncomfortable surrounded by other people. Sometimes this condition even leads to serious moral damage. Well, loss of mood and depression often cause a stroke. Therefore, one should not deny the fact that prolonged hiccups require medical intervention.

Also, do not forget that in most cases such an ailment is a symptom of a more serious disease associated with impaired functioning of the digestive tract, respiratory or nervous system, or even the musculoskeletal system. If such an ailment is not diagnosed in time, then it can lead to serious complications. The consequences of a disease of the internal organs can be far more serious than the frequent reduction of the diaphragm.

Conclusion

We hope that now you will not ask yourself the question of what to do with a constant hiccup. The causes of such a disorder can be quite different, so you should not neglect the advice of a specialist if you have time to visit the clinic in the coming days. Well, or you can try to cope with an unpleasant symptom yourself by applying one or more of the methods described by us. Just do not forget that constant hiccups are not normal. If you neglect your health, sooner or later it will lead to a deterioration in well-being. Needless to say, you need to be especially careful about the symptom that manifests itself in a child?