Hiccups are a common physiological phenomenon, which may result from a full meal, or from emotional changes such as excitement, too much stress, and anxiety. Generally speaking, hiccups only last for a few minutes or a few hours. Although they may cause discomfort or even embarrassment, they are basically harmless. However, in some cases, hiccups may be a sign of an underlying disease.
Hiccups are clinically called hiccups and are caused by sudden involuntary and powerful spastic contractions of the diaphragm. People’s breath and breath are inseparable from the diaphragm located between the chest and abdomen. When you inhale, the diaphragm pulls down and draws air into the lungs; when you exhale, the diaphragm pushes up to expel air. Muscle movement is regulated by nerves. When the phrenic nerve is stimulated (eating too fast, swallowing cold air, mood changes, brain disease, etc.), spastic contraction may occur, causing the body to inhale a large amount of air at the same time. The gap between the vocal cords suddenly narrowed and a “hiccup” sound was made.
Another type of abnormal exhaust that is similar to hiccups is belching, which is caused by transient relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. As we swallow food, air will also enter the stomach. The accumulation of air causes the stomach to expand and the sphincter muscles to relax. Body muscles such as the diaphragm and abdominal muscles help the stomach push the air to the esophagus and then expel it from the mouth (sometimes the nose). The sound of stomach qi from the throat is often longer. Such patients may be accompanied by bloating, lack of gastrointestinal motility, and indigestion.
The persistence of hiccups is an important basis for clinical judgment of whether it is a pathological hiccup. More than 48 hours is a persistent or intractable hiccup. Patients should seek medical attention in time to find out potential causes, such as gastroesophagus, thoracic mediastinum, brain, etc. Whether there is a disease. For pathological hiccups, clinical treatment methods include the following: chlorpromazine, metoclopramide, baclofen and other drug treatments; acupuncture, acupoint injection, and nerve interference or stimulation, hypnosis and other therapies. If none of the above methods work, the doctor may recommend surgery. Clinically, unilateral or bilateral phrenic nerve block is often used to treat intractable hiccups. However, blocking the phrenic nerve directly may lead to permanent loss of diaphragm function and cause other accidents. Therefore, this type of operation should be selected with caution.
For physiological hiccups, there are many folk therapies in life, such as holding your breath, drinking a few mouthfuls of warm water, exhaling into a paper bag and putting your head on, etc. These methods may work by blocking nerve conduction related to hiccups. But the specific mechanism is still unclear. The choice of methods varies from person to person. For example, for people who have cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, do not choose the method of sudden shock.
