What’s worse than a loud fart in a quiet room? Hiccups!
All jokes aside, hiccups that usually last a couple of minutes could persist for months. As confirmed by Guinness World Records, the longest bout of hiccups lasted 68 years! So what causes hiccups and how do you stop them? Read on to find out.
When you hiccup:
- Your diaphragm pulls down between breaths, making you suck in air.
- The glottis (space between the vocal cords) closes to stop more air from entering.
- These actions make the ‘hic’ sound of the hiccup.
What causes hiccups?
Despite varying theories, hiccups can occur for several physical and emotional reasons. These include:
- Eating too much or too quickly.
- Feeling nervous or excited.
- Drinking carbonated beverages or too much alcohol.
- Stress.
- Sudden temperature change.
- Swallowing air while sucking on candy or chewing gum.
When does it become serious?
Most of the time, hiccups last for a few minutes. However, if they linger around for a few days, they’re called ‘persistent’. If they go on for a few months, they’re known as ‘intractable’. This kind of hiccup can indicate larger, underlying conditions including:
- Cancer and tumours.
- Stroke.
- Disorders of the stomach or oesophagus.
- Pleurisy of the diaphragm.
- Uremia (a buildup of toxins in your blood).
- Pneumonia.
- Bowel diseases.
- Pancreatitis and bladder irritation.
How to stop hiccups?
Since the exact cause of hiccups is uncertain, some remedies may or may not do the trick. You could try:
- Drinking water quickly.
- Swallowing granulated sugar, dry pieces of bread,
- or crushed ice.
- Gently pulling on your tongue.
- Gently rubbing your eyeballs.
- Gargling water.
- Breathing into a paper bag (do not use a plastic bag).
As for persistent and irritable hiccups, get prescription drugs from your doctor.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, WebMD, Positive Parenting Malaysia
