Causes and Treatment of Hiccups
Hiccups are an annoying little occurrence that happen when the diaphragm contracts and spasms involuntarily. The diaphragm is located between the chest and the stomach. When the diaphragm becomes irritated, a person’s breathing becomes irregular, which causes a hiccupping sound.
Hiccups are classified into three groups. They are: transient or acute hiccups, persistent, and intractable. Transient or acute hiccups are brief and may only happen for a few moments. Persistent hiccups can last for over forty-eight hours. Intractable hiccups can last for months and are usually a sign that there is an underlying medical condition.
Hiccups may be caused by overeating, eating too fast, suddenly becoming excited, eating hot or spicy foods, a stomach condition, kidney problems, or a lung infection. The only obvious symptom that a person has hiccups is that they are making a hiccupping sound. Some people will have as many as sixty hiccups a minute! Before the hiccups begin, a person will feel a tightening in their stomach or throat.
Most hiccups will disappear on their own as quickly as they appeared. A person with persistent or intractable hiccups should be concerned, as this condition will last for days and even months. This article discusses several home remedies to treat hiccups.
Home remedies to treat hiccups
When a person gets hiccups, they should drink plenty of water in short periods of time. A spoon-size serving of peanut butter will help hiccups dissipate. Hiccups can also be cured by taking deep, focused breaths. Try licking a tablespoon of sugar. A person with hiccups can gargle with warm water to get them to stop. If a person is having hiccups, try to divert their attention.
Make a mixture of yogurt and two teaspoons of salt. Eat the mixture slowly. Boil two cups of water and mix in a ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder. After the mixture has boiled, filter it. Use the filtrate to ease the hiccups. Sucking on ice cubes will instantly stop hiccups. Or, instead of sucking on ice cubes, try sucking on a piece of ginger. A mixture of ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds with ½ teaspoon of ghee can help stop hiccups immediately.
This article does a good job of explaining the different types of hiccups. I didn’t even know there was a difference until I came across a summary on the Mayo Clinic website. Some of the home remedies listed here are pretty interesting, I will have to add them to my list.