Hiccups Home Remedies - How to Get Rid of Hiccups

Hiccups also called is Singultus. Hiccups are sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. Diaphragm barrier device is used to prevent pregnancy Hiccups is a large sheet of muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. Hiccups appear to serve no purpose in humans or other mammals. Often, only one hemidiaphragm is affected. The left hemidiaphragm is affected in 80% of cases, although bilateral involvement may occur. Some people hiccup in response to alcohol or spicy foods and drinks. Stress and excitement also are possible instigators. Hiccups occur 4-60 times per minute until a certain number has been delivered. Typically, this is fewer than 4 or more than 30. The frequency is relatively constant for a given individual and varies inversely with arterial PCO 2 . Loudness and rapidity of hiccups are unrelated. Hiccups are more common in the evening and may continue for a few waking hours. Hiccups occur most frequently during the first half of the menstrual cycle, especially in the few days before menstruation, and decrease markedly during pregnancy. Hiccups occur at any age and in utero. Preterm infants spend up to 2.5% of their time hiccupping. Although hiccups occur less frequently with advancing age, intractable hiccups are more common in adult life. Females develop hiccups more frequently during early adulthood than males of the same age. Overall incidence of hiccups is equal between males and females; however, protracted and intractable hiccups occur more frequently in men (82% of cases). Persistent and intractable hiccups frequently are associated with an underlying pathological process and may induce significant morbidity.

Many conditions are associated with hiccups or many causes are associated with hiccups. First is abdominal surgery ,any disease or disorder that irritates the nerves that control the diaphragm (such as pleurisy or pneumonia ) ,hot and spicy foods or liquids ,noxious fumes amd stroke or tumor affecting the "hiccup center" in the brain. Typical causes include gastric distention (ie, food, alcohol, air), sudden changes in ambient or gastric temperature, and use of alcohol and/or tobacco in excess. Psychogenic causes (ie, excitement, stress) also may elicit hiccups. Sometimes preceded by a small tightening sensation in your chest, abdomen or throat, are the only signs and symptoms associated with hiccups. People may have as few as four hiccups a minute or, rarely, as many as 60 hiccups a minute. Three tpyes of hiccups.Premary is transient or acute hiccups-This is the most common form of hiccups. Transient hiccups include hiccup episodes that last less than 48 hours. Most bouts of transient hiccups last only a few minutes. Secondry is Persistent hiccups-These hiccups last longer than 48 hours, but less than a month and Third is Intractable hiccups- Hiccups fall into this category when they last more than two months. Treatment of hiccups is Medication. Several forms of medication may be effective for treating hiccups. The most commonly used is chlorpromazine (Thorazine). Other medications that may be helpful include metoclopramide (Reglan), anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines and baclofen (Lioresal). Carotid sinus massage-Carotid artery - a blood vessel that supplies blood to your brain - divides into its two main branches. Massage of your carotid sinus may help eliminate hiccups.

Home Remedies for Hiccups

• Anise seed (for infants) Pour a cupful of boiling water over a teaspoonful of anise seeds; steep; give the baby one or two teaspoonsful. It often cures immediately. Nursing the baby will frequently stop the hiccups, too.
• Apple cider vinegar Slowly sip a glass of warm water mixed with one teaspoon of vinegar. Works better when the water is drunk from the far side of the glass.
• Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) Mix two teaspoonsful of baking soda, two teaspoonsful of aromatic spirits of ammonia with four ounces of peppermint water. Dose: one tablespoonful; repeat if necessary.
• Breathing  Breathe into a small paper bag that is tightly pressed around your mouth. Or try spreading your arms out like a "T" and take a very deep breath. Repeat several times. Or try taking a deep breath and holding it as long as you can.
• Chamomile  Put 1 drop of chamomile essential oil in a brown paper bag; hold bag over nose and mouth; breathe in and out slowly and deeply through the nose.
• Camphor  Mix three drops of spirits of Camphor in half a glassful of water and drink.
• Collar bones  Put strong pressure on the collar bones.
• Honey  Take a teaspoon of honey.
• Ice  Eat or suck on a piece of ice.
• Lemon  Mix the juice of one lemon in half a glass of water; drink; repeat if the first drink didn't stop the hiccups.
• Lemon/salt  Put a teaspoonful of salt on half a lemon and then suck the juice out of the lemon.
• Lemon/bitters  Eat a slice of lemon which has been soaked in angostura bitters.
• Orange  Drink the juice from 1/2 an orange.
• Peanut butter  Eat 1 teaspoon of peanut butter.
• Pepper, red  Pour a half pint of boiling water over a quarter of a red pepper; steep; drink a wineglassful. If no red pepper is available, use five drops of tincture of Capsicum in a tablespoonful of water.
• Pineapple juice  Take a few rapid swallows of canned pineapple juice. Repeat hourly if necessary.
• Sugar  Cure hiccups by placing a teaspoon of sugar on the tongue and washing it down with a glass of cold water. Another sugar remedy suggests swallowing it dry.
• Sugar and lemon  Soak a cube of sugar in fresh lemon juice and let it dissolve in your mouth.