Africa-Press – Eritrea. Once in a while, you will experience involuntary contraction of your diaphragm. This in turn causes your vocal cords to close very briefly, producing the characteristic sound of a hiccup.
Sometimes it can be accompanied by a slight tightening in the chest or throat. This can be a result of heavy eating, taking too much alcohol or drinking a carbonated drink.
In some instances, you might experience a hiccup when you develop sudden excitement or emotional stress. Sudden changes in temperature and swallowing air with chewing gum or sucking on candy can also trigger a hiccup.
Studies have shown that men are much more likely to develop long-term hiccups than women. However, health experts warn that having a hiccup might also be associated with an underlying medical condition, especially if it lasts for a longer period of time. They last just a few minutes in most cases.
“Make an appointment to see your doctor if your hiccups last more than 48 hours or if they are so severe that they cause problems with eating, sleeping or breathing,” Mayo Clinic warns said.
“Strokes or brain tumors involving the brain stem, and some chronic medical disorders such as renal failure have also been reported to cause hiccups.” Experts warn that prolonged hiccups may interfere with one’s eating, sleeping, speech and even wound healing after surgery.
“Most cases of hiccups go away on their own without medical treatment. If an underlying medical condition is causing your hiccups, treatment of that illness may eliminate the hiccups,” experts say.
Even though there are drugs used in the treatment of long-term cases, doctors may recommend injections where necessary. However, in mild cases that occur while at home you are advised to breathe into a paper bag or gargle with ice water to stop the occurrence.
Holding your breath and sipping cold water are also some of the touted relievers should you have a hiccup attack while at home. Blowing a balloon, biting on a lemon, taking deep slow breaths or sitting down and pulling your knees to your chest for one minute can also do the magic. The best remedies however are avoiding carbonated beverages and gas-producing foods and eating smaller meals.
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