In daily life, everyone has experienced hiccups, and few people associate hiccups with diseases. Although most hiccups are normal and do not cause harm to health, some hiccups may be a harbinger of disease. For example, frequent hiccups may be an early warning of stomach problems.
Why do people hiccup
Hiccups are actually a product of human evolution and a protective response of the body. Between the thoracic cavity and the abdominal cavity, there is a thick cap-like muscle membrane called the diaphragm, which separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity.
Like other organs in the body, the diaphragm has nerve distribution and blood supply. Once the diaphragm is stimulated, the nerves transmit the stimulation to the brain, which sends instructions to cause the diaphragm to contract paroxysmal and spasmodic, resulting in hiccups.
Most of this stimulation comes from the pressure of the distended stomach. Therefore, people often experience hiccups in life because they are in a hurry to eat or swallow a lot of air when talking while eating. Temporary hiccups may also occur after being stimulated by cold and eating hard or spicy food.
Frequent hiccups are ‘warning’ for stomach inflammation
Most hiccups are accidental, and if they are frequent, they may be caused by certain diseases. If you often experience belching and hiccups, or even involuntarily hiccups without eating, it may indicate that the stomach is infected with Helicobacter pylori.
Helicobacter pylori infection causes gastritis, and patients may experience upper abdominal pain, stomach pain, fullness after eating, loss of appetite and belching.
For patients with Helicobacter pylori infection, it is recommended that their family members also do a Helicobacter pylori test to prevent cross-infection.
Persistent hiccups called “hiccups”
Persistent hiccups may be a disease called hiccups. Hiccups that are frequent or last for more than 24 hours are called refractory hiccups.
Some hiccups occur because the patient is under too much pressure. Often, the examination shows that the patient has no organic disease, and the treatment is also very difficult. Most doctors can only relieve the patient’s hiccups.
Teach you how to stop hiccup
01 Take a deep breath and hold it
Lift your chest and take a deep, full breath with all your strength, then hold it in without exhaling. Exhale until you can’t hold it any longer. Repeat 3 to 5 times to effectively relieve the hiccups.
02 Exhale and inhale into the plastic bag
Modern medical research believes that hiccups are caused by too little carbon dioxide in the body, so hiccups can be stopped by increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the body.
You can find an airtight plastic bag, fasten the plastic bag tightly to your mouth and nose, and then exhale and inhale, so that you will not burp after a while.
03 Press the tongue
Press the tongue firmly with a clean spoon, and after a few minutes, the hiccups will usually stop.
Hospital Tip:
If you also have frequent hiccups, you should consider whether it is an early warning of stomach disease. At this time, you need to go to the hospital for relevant examinations in time to clarify the cause and improve symptomatic treatment. Of course, if you have occasional hiccups that can be improved with simple conditioning, don’t worry too much.