The other day, a lecturer, namely Ms. Sujath, aged about 27 years,s was brought to me by her father because she was continuously getting hiccups for the last week and said that they tried all home remedies like asking her to drink water of a mug continuously. Also, suddenly strained with a painful knock, but nothing could stop the hiccups.
The hiccups are generally harmless, but persistent or severe hiccups can sometimes be a sign of an underlying medical cause that requires treatment. If someone experiences hiccups that last longer than 48 hours or significantly interfere with routine life, it’s recommended to consult a medical expert.
The muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen is called the diaphragm. Hiccups are involuntary spasms of the diaphragm, leading to a sudden influx of air and the distinctive “hic” sound. These spasms are typically caused by various stimuli, including eating any item too fast or too much, drinking carbonated beverages, or sudden changes in temperature too.
In some cases, as the air rushes into the lungs, the vocal cords (the space between the vocal cords) suddenly close, producing the “hic” sound. Various factors can irritate the nerves that control the diaphragm and trigger the spasms. Some people, when they are excited suddenly or feel stress, swallow too much air, certain medications, or powerful vapours, do get hiccups. Some people mention a fantasy often describes hiccups as the repercussion of someone missing a person.
Hiccup, otherwise called singultus, is a medical term for hiccups; broadly is a common disturbance produced by a spasm of the diaphragm followed by sudden closure of the glottis during an inspiratory effort. A characteristic sound is produced as the glottis closes, and discomfort may be experienced as thoracic pressure is lowered by continued contraction of the diaphragm. Hiccup is usually of short duration but may persist for days or weeks. Hiccup is most often of unknown cause, presumably resulting from functional gastrointestinal disturbances. Occasionally, hiccups are a sign of serious disease, such as central nervous system disorders (encephalitis, tumor), uremia, herpes zoster, and pleural or abdominal procedures that invade or irritate the diaphragm. Prolonged hiccups are sometimes thought to be psychogenic in origin. Hiccups usually subside spontaneously or when the initiating disease has been successfully treated. In persistent, debilitating hiccups, local anesthesia or actual crushing of one of the phrenic nerves may be required (crushing theoretically produces paralysis of only several months, but permanent paralysis is frequent) as described by Cecil, the other medical text.
Causes in detail:
Getting excited suddenly may cause hiccups. In some cases, hiccups may be a sign of an underlying medical issue. For most people, hiccups usually last only a few minutes. Rarely, hiccups may continue for months. When they last that long, they can result in weight loss and extreme tiredness.
Symptoms
Symptoms include uncontrolled spasms in the diaphragm and a “hic” sound. Sometimes may feel a slight tightening sensation in the chest, stomach area or throat or if they’re so severe that they cause issues with eating, sleeping or breathing. Issues that may cause hiccups to last more than 48 hours to be examined critically as they can include nerve damage or irritation, central nervous system disorders, metabolic issues, and certain drug, alcohol problems, chewing gum or smoking.
Nerve damage or irritation
A cause of long-term hiccups is damage to or irritation of, the vagus nerves or phrenic nerves. These nerves supply the diaphragm muscle. Factors that may damage or irritate these nerves include a hair or something else in the ear touching the eardrum. A tumor, cyst, or growth on the thyroid gland in the neck. Regurgitation of acids in the stomach that backs up into the oesophagus, the muscular tube that delivers food from the mouth to the stomach, can also cause hiccups. Sore throat or laryngitis do in some people generate hiccups.
Central nervous system disorders
A tumor or infection in the central nervous system or damage to the central nervous system due to an injury can disrupt the body’s normal control of the hiccup reflex. Inflammation of the brain, also is known as encephalitis or brain swelling, where inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, also known as meningitis, causes hiccups. Multiple sclerosis is the hardening of tissue in the brain or spinal cord that can result in paralysis or tremors. Stroke, serious brain injury, and tumours of different types produce hiccups.
Metabolic issues
Long-term hiccups may result when the body’s metabolism doesn’t work properly. Examples of metabolic issues include: Diabetes, electrolyte imbalance that is when the levels of potassium, sodium and other electrolytes are too high or too low in the body also kidney disease.
Certain drugs and alcohol issues
Use of certain drugs or problems with alcohol may cause long-term hiccups. Examples include medicines that cause one to feel relaxed and sleepy, such as sedatives or other drugs used for anaesthesia. A steroid called dexamethasone, which is used to relieve inflammation in conditions such as arthritis, asthma, and kidney problems, and other steroids, including alcohol disorder, can provoke hiccups. (To be concluded).
