Hiccup almost everything. People and animals, adults and children, fat and thin. Hiccups are an involuntary reflex caused by irritation of sympathetic or vagus nerves. The control nerves are located in the diaphragm and, when an irritating factor appears, this results in a diaphragm pulse from the brain and begins its convulsive contraction. The characteristic sound of "ik", appearing during hiccups, we hear during the passage of air through a covered or compressed voice gap.
The Purpose of Hiccups
There is an opinion that there is nothing superfluous in the human body, and everything carries a certain semantic load. With regard to hiccups, especially long, scientists can not come to unanimous opinion. Some of them suggest the presence of a certain "center", responsible for the appearance of hiccups. Others consider it a completely useless reflex.
Causes of episodic hiccoughs
The causes of hiccups, which occurs occasionally, can be several:
- rapid consumption of food or drinks, accompanied by ingestion of air;
- a large amount of food, causing stretching of the stomach;
- acute or too fatty food;
- uncomfortable posture while eating (lying, half-sitting, etc.), which can cause compression or displacement of the diaphragm;
- pregnancy;
- supercooling.
As you can see, the most common cause of hiccups is eating disorders, in which uncontrolled absorption of food occurs and irritation of the stomach and esophagus is caused.
The appearance of hiccups as a result of hypothermia is typical for infants and young children. As a rule, it passes if the child is warmed, or given something warm (tea, breast milk, mixture).
Causes of prolonged hiccoughs
If your hiccup appears only occasionally, then do not give it much attention and worry. But the appearance of a permanent, prolonged hiccup may become one of the symptoms of an unhappy organism.
The reasons for the appearance of a long hiccough may be absolutely different factors. For example, one of the reasons for a strong hiccup may be a psychological condition. These are strong stresses, experiences, worries, hysterical states. Hiccups in a state of excitement, usually accompanied by loss of voice and the presence of dyspnea .
The cause of hiccups after eating can be the presence of any disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Hiccups may be a symptom, for example, gastritis or hernia of the diaphragm, as well as problems with the liver with alcohol abuse.
A possible cause for long-term incessant hiccough may be surgical intervention in the epigastric region or spine.
Hiccups can cause some types of intravenous anesthesia, for example, Brietal.
The appearance of a malignant tumor can provoke a hiccup, especially if the tumor is in the chest.
There are a number of other diseases that can cause involuntary contractions of the diaphragm and hiccups. It:
- laryngoblocitis;
- reflux esophagitis ;
- myocardial infarction;
- encephalitis;
- intracranial hypertension, etc.
To what doctor to address?
If the hiccup is regular and appears again and again, bothers and worries, you should consult a doctor for research and determine the cause. As a rule, this is a doctor-therapist. After listening to your complaints, he can refer you to the right specialist. It can be a therapist or gastroenterologist.
Laboratory tests can be prescribed for suspected gastrointestinal diseases. Also, to confirm the diagnosis associated with organ failure, ultrasound results may be required.