What Exactly are Hiccups and Causes?
Hiccup also known as Hiccough (Common English), Singultus / synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (Scientific name), hichki (Hindi/Urdu), uchaki (Marathi), Vikkal (Tamil), Ekkillu (Telugu), Ge (Chinese), hipo (Spanish), soluco (Portuguese), hikka (Bengali), ikota (Russian), cegukan (Indonesian). A hiccup is a common irritation of the diaphragmatic nerves which results involuntary inhalation of air. Hiccups are caused by ischemia, or lack of blood supply to the diaphragm. The annoying and often embarrassing hics of hiccups are caused by involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, the large sheet of muscles underlying your lungs. As a result, the diaphragm undergoes the spasmodic periodic movements that we call hiccups. The contractions lead to abrupt, uncontrollable intakes of air. A lowering of the diaphragm and the sudden closure of the vocal cords result in the characteristic hiccup sound. Spicy foods, overeating, swallowing air, drinking carbonated beverages or too much alcohol, sudden excitement, and emotional stress can bring on a case of hiccups. Hiccups may also be brought on by indigestion and drinking carbonated drinks, and can also occur during pregnancy.
Hiccups Home Remedies
Hiccups usually resolve within a few minutes or hours. But attacks lasts for several minutes, usually with a brief interval in between attacks. A number of simple cures for the hiccups have been passed down through the generations: Drink a glass of water from the opposite side of the glass. Pull on your earlobes. Have someone sneak up on you and yell “Boo!” to scare the hiccups out of you. Not a one of these can be proved to work but they won’t hurt, either. Here are self-tested remedies may bring them under control sooner. 13 Hiccups Herbal Home Remedies. Stop embarrassing hiccups right way naturally, instantly with simple natural treatment.
- Honey + Castor Oil: This is very simple and easy cure. Take 2 teaspoonful of honey with 1 teaspoonful of castor oil. Every 2 or 3 minutes dip your index finger into the mixture and then lick your finger.
- Hiccups for Baby: Give babies a sip of water with honey.
- Jaggery: This is Indian folk rescue that works instantly. Take a piece of jaggery. Finish eating it and then drink 1 glass of water.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: It is very useful in the treatment of hiccups. Put a few drops onto a cube of sugar and slowly let it dissolve in your mouth.
- Restore Normal Breathing: The simplest remedy for hiccups is to hold your breath. Take a deep breath and hold it as long as you can behind the belly button. Swallow when you feel a hic coming. Alternatively, take a deep breath and hold it for ten seconds. Without exhaling, take another breath and hold for five seconds more. Then, still without exhaling, take a third small breath and hold for an additional five seconds. Holding your breath causes a buildup of carbon dioxide in your lungs, which can help restore normal breathing.
- Alternate Nostril Pranayama: This also works as instant hiccup stopper. Inhale through the left nostril while closing the right nostril with your thumb, hold your breath for just a moment, swallow, exhale through your right nostril while closing the left nostril with your ring and little finger, repeat same steps with starting by inhaling through the right nostril. Continue for 5 minutes.
- Lemon: This stop hiccups instantly. Squirt some lemon juice to the back of your throat, or suck a piece of fresh lemon.
- Try gargling with water. This essentially forces you to hold your breath.
- Breathing Technique: This relieve hiccups right a way. Cup your hands around your nose and mouth and keep re breathing your exhaled breath. You can get the same effect by breathing into a paper bag. This will force you to inhale your own carbon dioxide, which naturally relaxes the muscles of the diaphragm. Continue for 1 or 2 minutes. Your hiccups should quickly be relieved.
- Quick Trick: Take quick sips from a glass of water, or suck on a slice of lemon, a dill pickle, or an ice cube.
- Interrupt Breathing: Swallow a teaspoon of white sugar. The challenge of getting the dry crystals down your throat is distracting and can interrupt breathing and the hiccup response.
- Calm a Diaphragm: Lean forward or lie down and pull your knees up to your chest. Compressing your chest in this way may help calm a diaphragm that is in spasm.
- Sesame Oil: This is effective to treat the root and chronic constipation. Hiccups can also occur due to chronic constipation, bloating, and gases in the colon. If this appears to be the situation, do enema, using 1 cup warm sesame oil for the enema. Try to retain the oil for at least 2 to 3 minutes, longer if possible. The warm oil in the rectum will relax the diaphragm and internal muscles and help alleviate the hiccups.
Prolonged Hiccups or Hiccups for 2 Days
Frequent, prolonged attacks of hiccups, which are extremely rare, may lead to severe exhaustion. There are certain serious pathological hiccups, such as cardiac hiccups, which occur in persons having congestive heart failure; uremic hiccups, which occur due to renal failure (when the kidneys do not perform their function) and the resulting toxicity of uric acid in the blood; and cerebral hiccups, due to cerebral pathology. These serious hiccups require medical attention and treatment. If the home remedies aren’t helpful and your hiccups are continuing longer than 2 days, see your doctor.