What's going on with the hiccups lately?

Hiccups are a normal physiological phenomenon. Once many people start hiccups, they can't stop, which makes people feel embarrassed and helpless. Temporary hiccups may occur especially after being exposed to cold stimulation, eating a full meal or eating hard food. Hiccups are not a disease and they are not unstoppable. Generally, hiccups will stop automatically. So why do we hiccup? Let me give you the answer.

What causes hiccups?

Hiccups are often caused by overeating. There are many causes of hiccups, including functional or organic changes in the stomach or esophagus. It is also caused by external substances, biochemical and physical stimulation. For example: too much air entering the stomach and overflowing from the mouth, psychoneurological factors, eating habits, excessive swallowing movements, etc. can all cause hiccups.

Hiccups are actually a protective reaction of the body. Between the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity, there is a thick muscle membrane like a hat, called the diaphragm, which separates the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity. Like other organs in the body, the diaphragm has a nerve supply and blood supply. Once the diaphragm is stimulated, the nerves will transmit the stimulation to the brain, and the brain will issue instructions to cause the diaphragm to have paroxysmal and spasmodic contractions, resulting in hiccups.

This stimulation mostly comes from the pressure of the enlarged stomach. Therefore, people often burp in their daily lives because they eat too quickly or swallow too much air when talking while eating. Temporary hiccups may also occur after being exposed to cold or eating dry, hard or spicy foods.

If the hiccups persist, it may be a disease called hiccups. Hiccups that occur frequently or last for more than 24 hours are called refractory hiccups. It is worth noting that excessive stress makes hiccups more likely.

After reading the above, I believe everyone has a certain understanding of hiccups. We all don’t like hiccups in our life. In fact, short hiccups are beneficial to the discharge of gas in our body. But if the hiccups are difficult to stop, if there is no special discomfort, you can just let it go, and it will usually stop after a while. However, if hiccups continue for a long time, you should consult a doctor.