| | | | | Diagnosis of Hiccups |
| A hiccup or hiccough (normally pronounced "HICK-up" | | | | If you have persistent hiccups (lasting for more than 48 |
| IPA: /?h?k?p/; hiccough is an archaic and now disused | | | | hours), see your GP and tell them how long and how |
| spelling), is the spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm | | | | frequently you have been hiccupping. Your GP will |
| that repeat several times per minute. In humans, the | | | | examine you and may take blood and urine samples |
| abrupt rush of air into the lungs causes the epiglottis to | | | | to work out the cause of your persistent hiccups, and |
| close, creating the "hic" listen (help·info) noise. In | | | | may also arrange for a computerised tomography (CT |
| medicine, it is known as synchronous diaphragmatic | | | | scan) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan) to |
| flutter (SDF), or singultus. | | | | be done. |
| Hiccups Causes | | | | Treatments and drugs |
| While many cases develop spontaneously, hiccups are | | | | Medication. Several forms of medication may be |
| known to be triggered by specific events, such as | | | | effective for treating hiccups. The most commonly |
| eating too quickly, being hungry for long, taking a cold | | | | used is chlorpromazine (Thorazine). Other medications |
| drink while eating a hot meal, burping, eating very hot or | | | | that may be helpful include metoclopramide (Reglan), |
| spicy food, laughing vigorously or coughing, drinking | | | | anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines and baclofen |
| alcoholic beverages in excess, crying out loud (sobbing | | | | (Lioresal). |
| causes air to enter the stomach), some smoking | | | | Nasogastric (NG) tube. If your stomach is distended, a |
| situations where abnormal inhalation can occur (in | | | | thin, flexible tube inserted through your nose and into |
| tobacco or other smoke like cannabis, perhaps | | | | your stomach (nasogastric tube) may stop hiccups by |
| triggered by precursors to coughing), electrolyte | | | | providing relief from stomach distention. The tube |
| imbalance, talking too long, clearing the throat, by some | | | | usually is removed as soon as the hiccups stop. |
| of the stronger opiate painkillers such as Heroin, | | | | Emergency Department Care |
| Morphine, and Oxycodone or from lack of vitamins. | | | | Generations of physicians have yet to discover a |
| Any other practices that might irritate the diaphragm | | | | definitive cure for hiccups. A statement from the Mayo |
| such as eating too much (especially fatty foods) or | | | | Clinic expressed the situation perfectly in 1932, "The |
| drinking too much (drunk people hiccup) can make you | | | | amount of knowledge on any subject such as this can |
| prone to having hiccups. | | | | be considered as being in inverse proportion to the |
| Signs And Symptoms | | | | number of different treatments suggested and tried |
| Hiccups produce a repetitive jerking of the diaphragm | | | | for it." |
| and temporary closure of the airway. A tyipical sound | | | | Direct therapy at the cause of the hiccups, if identified, |
| is produced. | | | | and then to the hiccups themselves, if needed. |
| How long do hiccups last? | | | | Treatments can be divided into the categories of |
| Hiccups usually stop within a few minutes to a few | | | | pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic, and other. |
| hours. | | | | For more severe, persistent hiccups, your doctor may |
| Hiccups that last longer than 48 hours are called | | | | try medications to manage your hiccups. |
| persistent hiccups. Hiccups that last longer than a | | | | Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) is usually the first |
| month are called intractable hiccups. While very rare, | | | | prescription medication tried for hiccups, although drugs |
| intractable hiccups can cause exhaustion, lack of sleep, | | | | such as baclofen (Lioresal) and medications used to |
| and weight loss. Both persistent and intractable hiccups | | | | treat convulsions such as phenytoin (Dilantin) have also |
| may be a sign of a more serious health problem and | | | | been successful. |
| must be checked by a doctor. | | | | |