noun. a quick, involuntary inhalation that follows a spasm of the diaphragm and is suddenly checked by closure of the glottis, producing a short, relatively sharp sound. Usually hiccups. the condition of having such spasms: She got the hiccups just as she began to speak.

nf. hiccup intransitive verb, countable noun. When you hiccup, or when you have hiccups, you make repeated sharp sounds in your throat, often because you have been eating or drinking too quickly.

/ḍakāra/ nf. belch intransitive verb, countable noun. If someone belches, they make a sudden noise, called a belch, in their throat because air has risen up from their stomach.

1 : a spasmodic inhalation with closure of the glottis accompanied by a peculiar sound. 2 : an attack of hiccuping —usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction. 3a : a slight irregularity, error, or malfunction a few hiccups in the computer system.

Hiccups are caused by involuntary contractions of your diaphragm — the muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen and plays an important role in breathing. This involuntary contraction causes your vocal cords to close very briefly, which produces the characteristic sound of a hiccup.

Centuries ago, people claimed hiccups meant a growth spurt for children. Today, we understand the mechanics of a hiccup: When the diaphragm — a muscle situated between the lungs and the stomach — becomes irritated, it begins to spasm.

Things you can do yourself to stop or prevent hiccups

1. breathe into a paper bag (do not put it over your head)
2. pull your knees up to your chest and lean forward.
3. sip ice-cold water.
4. swallow some granulated sugar.
5. bite on a lemon or taste vinegar.
6. hold your breath for a short time.

Things to eat or drink

1. Drink ice water.
2. Drink from the opposite side of the glass.
3. Slowly drink a glass of warm water without stopping to breathe.
4. Drink water through a cloth or paper towel.
5. Suck on an ice cube.
6. Gargle ice water.
7. Eat a spoonful of honey or peanut butter.
8. Eat some sugar.

How do I treat hiccups?

• Drinking water quickly.
• Swallowing granulated sugar, dry pieces of bread, or crushed ice.
• Gently pulling on your tongue.
• Gagging (sticking a finger down your throat).
• Gently rubbing your eyeballs.
• Gargling water.
• Holding your breath.
• Breathing into a paper bag (do not use a plastic bag).

Various agents have been reported to cure hiccups. Chlorpromazine appears to be the drug of choice. Haloperidol and metoclopramide have been used successfully. Several anticonvulsant agents (eg, phenytoin, valproic acid, and carbamazepine) have effectively treated intractable hiccups in typical anticonvulsant doses.

Hiccups can be disruptive – making it more difficult to eat, drink, sleep, or talk, for example – but they can also be frustratingly painful. “Sometimes they can cause pain because of the constant spasmodic contraction and the closing of the glottis,” Dr. Nab said.

The vagus nerve extends from the brain stem to the abdomen, while the phrenic nerves send signals from the brain to the diaphragm. While hiccups are little more than a temporary annoyance for most of us, they can become all-consuming.

Pesky hiccups that refuse to subside may even be symptoms of heart muscle damage or a heart attack. “Persistent or intractable hiccups can indicate inflammation around the heart or a pending heart attack,” Pfanner said.

Holding breath benefits Holding your breath, as well as generally improving breathing and lung function, has useful, potentially lifesaving benefits, including: increasing life span by preserving the health of stem cells.

The theory is that this has to do with how sugar affects the vagus nerve, which connects your brain and your stomach. The teaspoon of sugar manages to stop your diaphragm from spasming, and in turn ends your hiccups instantly.

Drink a glass of warm water very slowly, all the way down without breathing. Take a thin slice of lemon, place it on the tongue and suck it like a sweet. Burping – some people find that if they consume a fizzy drink and burp, their hiccups go away. However, some doctors warn that sodas may also trigger hiccups.

Anecdotally, taking tiny sips of water, drinking with your ears held, eating a spoonful of peanut butter, or in the case of spice-induced hiccups, drinking milk can help. A friend of mine recommended forcing yourself to gag, which also stimulates the vagus nerve.

Letting a spoonful of sugar dissolve on your tongue, tickling the roof of your mouth with a Q-tip, or sticking your fingers in your ears all stimulate branches of the vagus nerve, and the overload on other vagus nerve endings may put a stop to hiccups.

Hiccups are caused by ancient ancestors in the sea One theory suggests that hiccups are linked to evolution and our ancient ancestors tho lived in the sea. The theory suggests that once a hiccup has started, it is kept going by a simple motor reflex that we may have inherited from an amphibian ancestor like a tadpole.

Probably the most popular is holding your breath while counting to 10 or breathing into a brown paper bag, both of which raise the level of C02 in the blood which helps stop hiccups. Stimulating the vagus nerve also helps. The pharyngeal nerve can be stimulated by drinking from the wrong side of the cup.

The following may trigger hiccups: hot or spicy food that irritates the phrenic nerve, which is near the esophagus. gas in the stomach that presses against the diaphragm. eating too much or Causing stomach distension.

Similarly, pulling the tip of your tongue, putting your fingers in your ears or gently pressing on your eyeballs can all stimulate the vagus nerve. Think of it as distracting the body from your hiccups by making something else dramatic happen to it.

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. The following treatments may be considered for hiccups that have lasted longer than two days.

Hiccups lasting longer than 48 hours are classed as chronic and considered a serious medical condition. In addition to being incredibly irritating, chronic hiccups often disrupt sleep and can make it difficult to eat or drink.

It is caused by irritation of the vagus nerves or phrenic nerves, which serve the diaphragm muscle. Hiccups often occur during emotional stress or after drinking carbonated drinks or alcohol.

Chronic hiccups are repeated, unintentional contractions of the breathing muscles that continue for a long period of time. Regular hiccups often develop after eating a large meal or drinking a carbonated beverage, and they typically go away on their own after a couple minutes.

Some illnesses for which continuing hiccups may be a symptom include: pleurisy of the diaphragm, pneumonia, uremia, alcoholism, disorders of the stomach or esophagus, and bowel diseases. Hiccups may also be associated with pancreatitis, pregnancy, bladder irritation, liver cancer or hepatitis.

In extraordinarily rare cases, hiccups can last for more than a month. These are known as “intractable hiccups.” Other terms to describe the same condition include “chronic hiccups” and “intractable singultus” — which is another way to say hiccups.

Hiccups are often caused by many everyday situations, including distention of the stomach (which can be the result of overeating), swallowing air, or drinking carbonated beverages. They usually go away on their own, but episodes that last longer than 48 hours could be a sign of certain medical problems.

The stomach, which is situated right below the diaphragm, becomes distended and irritates it. This will cause the diaphragm to contract, as it does when we breathe in. Carbonated fizzy drinks can cause hiccups, and alcohol is another common cause of hiccups.