In medical terms, a hiccup is described as a spasm of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is an umbrella shaped muscle just below the lungs. It moves down to facilitate breathing air in and moves up when the air needs to be pushed out of the lungs. When the diaphragm is irritated, the movement is jerky, causing an individual to suck air in quickly. When the rushing air hits the vocal chords, a hiccup sound is produced.
What causes hiccups in adults is very often related to the food they eat or the way they eat their food. When people eat too fast, they swallow air, and they do not chew their food well. This may result in hiccups, and it may be the body’s reflex action to prevent choking. Even babies have hiccups when they suckle too fast or drink too much. The stomach, which lies below the diaphragm, gets stretched when we eat or drink too much, and the diaphragm may get irritated, leading to hiccups. Drinking too much alcohol is known to cause hiccups. Hot and spicy foods are likely to cause hiccups in adults and in children. This is why the most common of home remedies for hiccups is to drink a glass of water immediately.
Symptoms of hiccups, loudness, and rapidity may vary from one individual to another. Usually a bout of hiccups lasts no longer than a few minutes and a person may have anywhere from 4 to 30 hiccups per minute. Hiccups treatment with medical professionals may be needed only when the episode lasts longer than a day or two. Home remedies for hiccups may be as simple as holding your breadth for a few minutes. The build up of carbon dioxide in the blood stops the hiccups. Swallowing a spoonful of sugar or corn syrup is one of the home remedies of hiccups followed around the world. Chewing on pieces of ginger or eating curds with salt is also said to clear hiccups. A bout of hiccups may be a source of annoyance or embarrassment for the person suffering, but it is often a cause for amusement for those around. Popular belief that frightening a person makes hiccups disappear leads to further merriment as everyone tries to scare the person with the hiccups.
Placing an ice pack over the diaphragm and drinking ice water can cure hiccups fast as it relieves the spasms of the diaphragm. Another effective among home remedies for hiccups is to hold the nose and drink tiny sips of water. This sipping of water should be continued without a break till you get a feeling that the water might start coming from your nose. In most cases, it is found that the hiccups stop after about 24 and 25 sips of water. The adventurous can turn themselves upside down. Try standing on your head or you could lie across a small foot stool with your head towards the floor. By doing this you can stop the hiccups.
Another effective one among the home remedies for hiccups is drinking chamomile tea. Make sure to steep the tea for about half an hour before drinking it. Chamomile has muscle relaxant properties that and help ease the contractions that cause the hiccups. For those looking for a good remedy for curing hiccup problems and are wary about trying hiccups treatment medication available, you can try this instead. Smell some black pepper and see the hiccups disappear. Try sucking on some fresh lemon or swallow a little cider vinegar (about one teaspoon) and get quick relief from hiccups. Sucking on a piece of ginger helps provide relief from any pain and also is a great remedy for hiccups.
answered by G R