INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HICCUPS

by Henry Writer · May 2, 2022

Allow the writer to say, there is nothing more annoying than hiccups. They occur so suddenly and so unexpectedly. One minute everything is okay, you are chilled enjoying an online casino game and the next you are almost out of your chair cause of this problem. They are so frustrating. Also known as hiccoughs are sudden spontaneous spasms of the diaphragm muscle. The hiccup sound is created when the voice box snap shut due to muscle spasms. Means they can occur at any time and anywhere, that’s just irritating. And most times they can last for a few minutes which can be embarrassing for most people if this happens in public.

The Causes

Common causes of hiccups are eating too quickly, having alcohol or carbonated drinks, sudden excitement, emotional stress, smoking, and chewing gum to mention but a few. So basically any action that irritates the diaphragm can result in hiccups. In most cases, they finish within two or three minutes. And they rarely have any side effects.

However prolonged hiccups are a cause for concern. If someone has them continuously for over three hours it is advised that they see a doctor. People are advised to seek medical attention when the hiccups interfere with sleeping, eating when a person starts hiccupping blood, and if they occur with severe stomach pain.

Other causes include steroids, kidney diseases, anaesthesia, electrolyte imbalance, and barbiturates among others.

Medical Illness Associated with this problem

Prolonged hours of hiccups are associated with a series of illnesses. A few of those are stroke, meningitis, encephalitis, and brain tumours. So as mentioned earlier, should they last for more than 3 hours, do seek medical attention.