There are many causes of hiccups. Scientists have about a dozen factors that lead to this unpleasant symptom. If hiccups are not associated with any disease, then getting rid of it is easy enough. There are several ways that can both cure hiccups and prevent its appearance.
Why does she arise
Despite the fact that the exact causes of hiccups are still not fully understood, there are the following conditions that contribute to its occurrence:
- People who eat dry food very often suffer from this trouble.
- A similar problem exists with spicy food lovers.
- Eating quickly also leads to hiccups.
- Hot food irritates the larynx and esophagus, which also causes this unpleasant symptom.
- People with diseased intestines and poor small bowel obstruction are at risk.
- There is such a thing as alcoholic hiccups.
- Very often it is associated with any kind of stress, as well as stress, fear, shock, and hysteria.
- Diseases that affect the incidence of hiccups are known. These include pathologies of the endocrine system.
- Sometimes during a cold, accompanied by a cough and irritation of the throat, hiccups also occur.
The symptom itself is a contraction of the diaphragm in the form of a cramp. And the reason is a short-term narrowing of the glottis.
How to get rid
Very often people are interested in: how to cure hiccups at home? There are many ways that can help get rid of an unpleasant phenomenon. Many of them are quite simple and nevertheless very effective. You can, for example, take advantage of special exercises or eat foods that expand the glottis and stop diaphragm cramps. Some methods are so unusual that they look like a children's game. If this symptom occurs often enough, you should review the daily menu or seek help from a specialist.
Massage and Exercise
Good breathing exercises help cope with hiccups. As much air as possible should be inhaled and held in the lungs. If the first time did not work, repeat again. You can also complicate the exercises a bit. For example, after inhalation, the tip of the tongue is protruded, hands clutching the ears and nose. Then they count thirty seconds and exhale. A diaphragm massage also helps.
You can make forward inclinations so that the ribcage shrinks somewhat. And also roll a sheet of paper in a bag, lean it against your mouth and do breathing exercises. Some abrupt movements help some people. For example, you can lie on the floor and rise sharply. If it did not work out the first time, then usually the exercises are repeated until the hiccups pass.
Water and food
In addition to holding your breath, regular drinking water also helps to cope with an unpleasant symptom. It can be drunk through a tube or just from a glass in large sips. Water is recommended to drink in an inclined position. To do this, a hiccup bends over the bath and drinks a glass of water with slow sips. The principle of operation of this method is that from the throat the remnants of food that can irritate it and thereby cause hiccups are removed.
In addition to water, it is recommended to drink some acidic drink to activate the digestive process. You can also use something sweet. For example, just pour half a teaspoon of sugar on the tongue, hold it for a bit and eat.
Other methods
Sometimes it’s enough just to argue with a person that he will pass hiccups. Surprisingly, this method often works. Often spasms pass, thanks to fear. To do this, for example, you can slam a paper bag or just palms. The main thing is that the cotton comes from behind or to the side of the hiccup and becomes unexpected for him.
You need magnesium to relax your muscles. It is present in the following products: brown rice, chocolate and in almost all dried fruits. Therefore, sometimes it’s enough to eat a few pieces of dried apricots, prunes or figs daily to get rid of an obsessive symptom.
Hiccup in a child
There is a rather original method that helps save the baby from trouble. You will need a red ribbon or a thick thread that binds the child's head. It should be at the bridge of the nose. The kid will be busy watching the tape in front of his eyes, so he will forget about everything else.
There are other ways to cure hiccups in a child. For example, children, starting at the age of five, may well hold their breath for ten or fifteen seconds. Front bends and plain water also help.
Drug treatment
Such treatment is required only if hiccups pose a threat to human health or if it does not go away for a long time. In any other cases, it is completely not difficult to cure hiccups both at home and at work. Sometimes these symptoms are caused by chronic diseases, and then medical care is already required for the patient to stop his suffering. The most common drug is Chlorpromazine, which is taken one tablet three times a day. And you can also use a good tool "Baclofen", which is also taken three times a day, one capsule.
The drugs "Midazolam" and "Cerucal" are much milder. All of them can be discharged to patients only on the recommendation of the attending physician. Using these funds only because of a single case is highly discouraged, since they have a number of side effects and contraindications.
Decoctions and infusions
Another question: how can herbs be cured of hiccups? Not bad proved to be a decoction of chamomile, which has an antispasmodic property. However, any plants having a similar effect can be used in the treatment of hiccups. Chamomile tea, as a rule, is present in the kitchen of many people, and therefore it is not difficult to quickly prepare a medicine from it. One tea bag per cup of water is enough to completely get rid of hiccups. Drink it slowly, in small sips.
You can use lemon water. For this, a slice of citrus with peel is poured with boiling water. Once the drink has cooled, the lemon is removed and squeezed the juice back into the glass. The resulting product is drunk in small sips, trying to drown out the hiccups.
Hiccups in an uncomfortable place
Sometimes this symptom occurs in places where you absolutely do not want to attract attention. How to cure hiccups in public transport? In such cases, it is advised to quietly lean forward and create pressure on the stomach. If this does not help, then they do exactly the opposite. Lean back (for example, on the back of the seat on the bus) and quietly stretch. If you have any sucking candy with you, then you can use it. Sometimes a simple distraction helps. For example, you need to consider something or carefully consider. But the best way is still holding your breath.
When to see a doctor
Sometimes hiccups take on such forms that you should seek the help of specialists.
- If the symptom is accompanied by chest pain.
- Hiccups too long, lasting more than one hour, should alert.
- An adverse symptom is a daily or hiccup that appears too often.
In what cases can they recommend in the clinic how to cure hiccups? First you should do an x-ray and check the condition of the esophagus. The doctor will prescribe the medicine depending on the result.
Small children
In infants, this symptom is most often associated with an improper diet. How to get rid of hiccups in a newborn? As a rule, it appears for the following reasons:
- Due to the incorrect position of the baby's body. It swallows too much air during feeding, and as a result, the diaphragm contracts. Mother should just change the baby’s pose.
- Sometimes it is very important for a newborn to burp when feeding. Mother should give him this opportunity and only then apply to the next breast. The fact is that hiccups very often appear as a result of a glut of the stomach.
- If a child very often experiences a similar symptom, then most likely he will simply overeat. As a result, an extended stomach causes cramping of the diaphragm. Doctors recommend slightly reducing the amount of milk and observe the reaction of the child.
Some signs should alert parents. For example, if the baby experiences pain while pressing on the tummy, and also often spits up, then he may have gastroesophageal reflux.
Hiccups from alcohol
How to get rid of an unpleasant symptom after intoxication?
Alcohol negatively affects the diaphragm and stomach. In addition, this unpleasant symptom can also be provoked by smoking. After all, cigarettes very often accompany drinking. Also, during a feast, a person, as a rule, does not control the amount of food eaten. All three factors overlap and ultimately cause hiccups. In a drunk person, it can last long enough. The fact is that his nerve endings are noticeably blocked, the functioning of the vestibular apparatus is disrupted. Alcohol also adversely affects the brain, not allowing you to concentrate. If a person has diseases of the stomach or intestines, then hiccups after alcohol are provided to him.
How to cure hiccups after alcohol? The first way is with water or breath holding. And you can drink in different poses. Sometimes leaning forward or lying down helps. You can also stand upright, raise your chin up and gently drink water in small sips. In a word, each person must find a method that is most suitable for him.
In the event that the symptom does not disappear within two days, it makes sense to consult a doctor where they will advise how to cure hiccups. In the hospital, the patient will be prescribed carbon dioxide procedures or a catheter will be inserted to irritate the nerve endings.