Hiccups

A hiccup is the sound that results when air entering the mouth and nose is cut off unexpectedly. Hiccups happen when the diaphragm — the muscle that controls your breathing, located between chest and stomach — is restricted and goes into spasm. The spasm causes you to inhale suddenly. While the air travels to the lungs, the windpipe opening, called the "glottis," shuts down. Thereafter, the air flow stops and your vocal cords rapidly lock, creating a hiccup.

People of all ages can experience hiccups anytime, anywhere. Most people in the throes of hiccups have no idea what triggered them. Anything that irritates the diaphragm can lead to hiccups. This may include eating too fast or eating too much. At other times, just getting excited or nervous invites hiccups. For some, drinking soda or any carbonated liquid, or inhaling chemical fumes, can set off an episode. Babies commonly hiccup after a feeding because they have swallowed air. In rare cases, hiccups may continue for long periods, even days or weeks. This can occur in people suffering from pneumonia, kidney failure, gastrointestinal disorders or even alcoholism. These conditions may irritate the diaphragm or nerves, triggering prolonged hiccups. In severe episodes of persistent hiccups, a person may need surgery to have the nerve supplying the diaphragm severed or paralyzed. In certain cases, the drug "thorazine" has been prescribed.

What to Do

Talk to your doctor if you have sharp stomach pain along with your hiccups; if your hiccups persist for hours; if your hiccups began soon after you took medicine prescribed by a doctor; if you have pneumonia, kidney failure or a gastrointestinal disorder; if you suffer from alcoholism; or if you spit or cough up blood.

Special Concerns for Children With Hiccups

If your baby gets the hiccups, burping may make them go away. Some babies have been known to hiccup from stress. In this case, it may help to do whatever it takes to quiet or calm the infant. For a child, give him or her something to drink to hasten the resolution of the hiccups. Offer a teaspoon of dry granulated sugar to your child if he or she is old enough to handle this amount of sugar without choking. Call your child's doctor if the child has hiccups that are prolonged (lasting longer than 20 to 30 minutes), or has hiccups in association with another illness such as a prolonged cough, muscle weakness on one side of the body, or severe vomiting.

Self-care Steps for Hiccups

Generally, hiccups cause no harm and go away on their own in a very short time. If they do not, try any one of the following:

• Hold your breath for a few minutes.

• Try eating a teaspoon of dry granulated sugar.

• Using a paper bag covering your mouth, breathe in and out.

• Drink eight ounces of water quickly.

• Slowly eat a piece of bread with nothing on it.