What to do with long hiccups. What to do with episodic and persistent hiccups. Hiccups in newborns and infants

Hiccups come on suddenly and bring some discomfort to the everyday life. Most often it is short-lived and disappears spontaneously. In some cases, the attack drags on for many hours and days, which makes a person alert about the state of his body, consult a doctor. This may be the only manifestation serious illnesses requiring urgent medical intervention. Such cases are quite rare, but possible.

Origin mechanism

Hiccups in adults are a condition that occurs due to a contraction of the diaphragm that separates the abdominal and chest cavity, characterized by the occurrence of an extraordinary breath, interrupted by the lowering of the epiglottis. Accompanied by a specific, abrupt sound arising from the overlap of the glottis. This process is absolutely physiological, occurs in absolutely healthy people, does no harm. The vagus nerve passes through the diaphragm, which begins in the brain and is responsible for the regulation of a number of important functions organism. Often hiccups can be caused by a malfunction of the nervous system.

Why does a person hiccup?

Usually hiccups appear suddenly, provoked by various factors:

• At individual people stress causes excitation and a sharp contraction of the diaphragmatic muscles.
• Alcohol intake impairs neuromuscular conduction.
• After eating, especially overeating, a person's stomach stretches and presses on the diaphragm, stimulating the vagus nerve. The provoking factor may be cold or hot food, carbonated drinks.
• Hypothermia causes reflex muscle contractions, including the diaphragm.
• Taking certain medications.
• Swallowing air during laughter, loud shouting, animated conversation, smoking.
• Pregnancy.

The listed factors irritate the branches vagus nerve and cause hiccups. After the cessation of stimulation, the seizure subsides. Such a reaction is not pathological; it occurs in any adult or child.

Possible Causes of Prolonged Hiccups

Constant hiccups worsen the quality of human life, require treatment, elimination of the cause that caused it. A prolonged bout of hiccups can indicate health problems such as:

• Diseases of the heart and blood vessels: ischemic disease heart (heart attack, angina pectoris), aneurysm of one of the aorta.
• Pathologies of the nervous system: stroke, hernia intervertebral discs, tumors of the spinal cord and brain, meningoencephalitis, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis.
• Diseases of the digestive system: gastritis, peptic ulcer stomach, reflux esophagitis, hernia of the esophagus, tumor of the stomach.
• Diseases respiratory system: pneumonia, bronchitis, neoplasms lung tissue and bronchi, pleurisy.

Frequent or prolonged, persistent hiccups require comprehensive survey and identifying the cause of the occurrence, as there is a risk of a serious illness.

Effective Termination Methods

According to the mechanism of action, several groups of hiccup control are distinguished:

• Interruption of vagus nerve stimulation.
• Distracting activities, soothing nervous system.
• Taking medication.
• Relaxation of the respiratory muscle - the diaphragm.

Simple methods that allow you to quickly stop hiccups:

• Drink poured into a glass cool water holding your breath first. Throats jerky, fast or large, with pauses. This allows you to calm the endings of the vagus nerve located in the oropharynx.
• Take a sweet candy or a spoonful of honey, jam, or another product containing sugar into your mouth. A similar method affects taste receptors, is distracting for the nervous system, so sour or salty foods are also suitable.
• An effective option is a deep breath with further holding of the breath, strong straining of the abdomen. Subsequently, a smooth and calm exhalation is made. Due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide, stimulation occurs respiratory center, which controls the diaphragm, which eliminates hiccups. The simple cessation of breathing for a short time works in a similar way.
• sports, physical exercise allow you to quickly stop the attack due to the tension of the muscles of the press, make the nervous system more resistant to various stress loads.
• TO medicines include Metoclopromide or Motilium, various antipsychotics, simple sedatives such as Corvalol or Valocordin, muscle relaxants. Medical treatment required to combat prolonged hiccups, carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

Faced with hiccups, each person feels some irritation, because this phenomenon is at least unpleasant. However, at the same time, everyone assumes that the attack will not last long, but will pass in 5-15 minutes. But what to do if the hiccups do not go away within a few days?

First of all, it is necessary to understand why the manifestations discussed have dragged on so much, and for this you need to have a clear idea of ​​​​what hiccups are. In addition, everyone wants to quickly get rid of the disease, so you should know a few effective ways fight with her.

What is a hiccup?

By the word hiccups, each person means involuntary tremors in the area chest with a characteristic sound. In this case, a sharp interruption of breathing is often felt, which complicates not only the respiratory process, but also confuses speech and brings some discomfort.

The medical definition of this phenomenon is very similar. From a physiological point of view, hiccups occur due to spontaneous contraction or spasm of the diaphragm, which provokes the same push in the chest. Interruption of breathing is explained by the fact that hiccups occur precisely on inhalation, which is a kind of short-term violation respiratory process. Regarding the characteristic sound, it arises due to the fact that during the contraction of the diaphragmatic muscle, the glottis in the epiglottis region simultaneously overlaps, the air flow is blocked and the very “hic” breaks out.

As for why a person hiccups, scientists and doctors adhere to a single hypothesis - hiccups occur as a result of filling the stomach with some amount of air. Such involuntary seizures are nothing more than attempts by the body to get rid of air in digestive organ by muscle contraction (diaphragmatic and intercostal). Man is unable to control this process.

Why does hiccups appear?

Knowing the physiology of the occurrence of the manifestations under discussion, it can be said with confidence that in the vast majority of cases, such convulsive contractions of the diaphragm do not harm the body. However, hiccups cause significant discomfort, mass discomfort and very annoying. Of course, these manifestations pass quickly, but when we are talking about a few days of hiccups, I want to get rid of the annoying problem by any means. To do this, you need to know at least, the most common causes of its occurrence:

1. Improper nutrition- the most popular and common factor that provokes hiccup attacks. First of all, we are talking about overeating, because at the same time the stomach increases in size and irritates the phrenic nerve, provoking contractions of the diaphragm. However, spasms of this muscle can be caused by hastily swallowed food, fasting, awkward position body or physical activity immediately after eating.
2. Food- no less often discussed manifestations make themselves felt due to certain products or food eaten by humans. First of all, we are talking about spicy, fried, smoked foods, as well as those that include an excessive amount of spices or specific chemical additives. At risk of systematic manifestations of hiccups are those people who consume carbonated drinks, coffee in excess or alcohol.
3. hypothermia- since childhood, everyone has heard more than once how adults, having heard hiccups, ask - “are you not cold?” Indeed, hypothermia can cause spasm of some muscles in human body, this is explained by instinctive attempts to generate heat.
4. Psychology- due to psychological shocks, the likelihood of hiccups increases significantly. This is especially true for sharp and strong emotional changes, for example, fright, stressful situations. However, even ordinary excitement in connection with the upcoming exam, a meeting at work, or anxiety for loved one, can cause an attack of hiccups.

The list can still be continued, however, with each of the factors described above, which are domestic and non-dangerous, hiccups should pass for short span time and last no more than an hour. In case of hypothermia or psychological factors, spasms of the diaphragm dissipate as soon as the person warms up or calms down, respectively.

Pathological manifestations of hiccups

Otherwise, when involuntary contractions of the diaphragmatic muscle bother a person for several days, the causes of such attacks can be much more dangerous. In most cases, we are talking about systematic irritation, damage or pinching of the phrenic nerve, pathological hiccups are diagnosed, and it occurs in such cases:

• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, gastritis in acute or chronic form, gastric ulcer or duodenum, gastroesophageal reflux disease, etc.
• Neurological problems and lesions of the central nervous system, among which the most dangerous are considered different kinds stroke, meningitis, myelitis, encephalitis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, etc.
• Oncology - neoplasms in the brain, lungs, liver and organs of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Diseases related to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver.
• Strong medications - hiccups often occur under the influence of strong drugs, for example, antibiotics, tranquilizers, steroids, becomes a consequence general anesthesia. This is explained by a certain degree of toxic poisoning.
• Obesity - the deposition of fat masses in the body contributes to the disruption of the work of various organs in this case, spasms of the diaphragm may also occur.

Classification of spasms of the diaphragm

In addition to the causes of hiccups described above, doctors also distinguish several main types of its origin, which greatly helps in making a diagnosis. Three of these types are:

If hiccups do not go away for several days, you can almost always talk about more severe consequences than the usual household factors of its development, in such cases it is important to consult a doctor and undergo a series of diagnostic measures.

In addition, prolonged periods of hiccups are accompanied by the manifestation additional symptoms, among which are often found:

• Dizziness;
• Headache;
• Nausea;
• Vomit;
• General deterioration in well-being, etc.

Such sensations must be described to a specialist, because this can help in making the correct diagnosis and affect the success of subsequent treatment.

Methods for dealing with hiccups

It is difficult to treat hiccups directly, because to a greater extent it is a symptom, the fight against which will not give proper results. If you want to permanently get rid of the systematic long-term manifestations of diaphragmatic contraction, treatment should be directed to the underlying disease that causes such manifestations.

However, the fight against a general disease can take quite a long time and no one wants to suffer from hiccups all this time, so we will describe several effective ways to stop these unpleasant attacks:

1. Wherever hiccups catch, you can always use the old-fashioned way - holding your breath. It is necessary to take a breath as deeply as possible, hold your breath for 10-15 seconds and exhale with force. Do the exercise several times and the spasm that engulfed the diaphragmatic muscle should dissipate.
2. Another folk method consists in drinking 300–400 ml of water in one gulp. As soon as the liquid reaches the stomach, it will force out the air that filled it and you will immediately feel better.
3. But with prolonged attacks, from which there is no escape for 1-2 days or more, these simple methods may not be saved. IN similar situations it is recommended to induce vomiting, and although this method is very unpleasant, it helps really well and quickly.
4. In the most extreme cases when nothing really helps, you can drink an antispasmodic. Removing the spasm of the mentioned muscle will eliminate its involuntary contractions.

Summing up all of the above, it is worth noting that the systematic manifestations of involuntary contractions of the diaphragm and the discomfort associated with it cannot be ignored. If a person hiccups for a long time or constantly, it is important to see a doctor as soon as possible, because bouts of hiccups can signal the development serious problems with health.

Pathological prolonged hiccups is a condition in which convulsive contractions of the diaphragm provoke a violation respiratory function. It shows up in short bursts. external respiration, perceived by a person as a short-term lack of air. Causing a feeling of discomfort prolonged hiccups at the same time, it can signal the presence of a number of diseases in the body.

Pathological means hiccups that occur quite often (at least twice a day) for several days, or do not stop at all for two to three days, and sometimes longer. IN medical practice there are cases when hiccups lasted for months and even years. Such a condition should definitely alert and become a reason for a visit to the local doctor, who, based on the results of the initial survey, will refer the patient to a more narrowly focused specialist.

Prolonged pathological hiccups can sometimes be caused by irritation of the vagus nerve due to a sharp fright, severe hypothermia, bad eating habits (overeating, hasty absorption of food).

How to get rid of prolonged hiccups?

Unlike a short bout of hiccups, which usually ends on its own after a few minutes, the pathological variety this disease often needs help. Depending on the severity of the condition, diagnosis, as well as the doctor's recommendations, both medications and folk remedies can be used for this purpose.

Folk remedies and methods

Folk methods of getting rid of protracted debilitating hiccups are not able to cope with the disease that caused it, but significantly alleviate the patient's condition. Time-honored recipes include:

• mustard plaster applied to the skin in the area of ​​the solar plexus;
• water room temperature(drink slowly in small sips);
• cold water with vinegar (1 teaspoon of 9% vinegar or apple cider vinegar per glass of water)
• lump sugar - it should be slowly absorbed until complete cessation hiccups, you can drop a few drops of corvalol or valocordin on sugar;
• alcohol tincture of birch buds (infuse 15-20 g of buds in 0.5 l of alcohol or vodka, take 15 drops per 0.5 glass of water);
• oil tincture of oregano (a handful of dried herbs for 0.5 liters of olive or sunflower oil, insist 8-10 hours, strain, take 2-3 drops three times a day);
• a mixture of mustard and vinegar (mix a small amount of ingredients in a teaspoon, lubricate the tip of the tongue; when the hiccups stop, wash off);
• dill water (1 teaspoon per cup of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, take 3-4 tablespoons three times a day);
• resorption of lemon slices, sour caramel, candy;
• chewing and swallowing a piece of stale black bread;
• a spoonful of honey, washed down with warm water;
• a warm drink from chamomile, prepared according to the recipe indicated on the package;
• cold compress on the throat;
• a glass of soothing decoction (motherwort, mint, lemon balm, peony, valerian);
• periodic finger pressure on the supraclavicular fossa.

Important! Some of the listed folk remedies is not an allergen, but can cause individual intolerance of the body in the form of a rash, respiratory failure, etc.

In case of occurrence of undesirable symptoms, the drug should be stopped immediately and consult a doctor.

Treatment of hiccups with drugs

Since pathological hiccups are only a manifestation of some kind of ailment, then its treatment is aimed primarily at eliminating the underlying disease. At the same time, to relieve an unpleasant symptom, the doctor may prescribe special drugs that will help relieve spasm and contractions of the diaphragm. This is done if the patient has not been helped by more gentle folk methods.

Table. Medicinal methods getting rid of pathological hiccups

For the treatment of pathological hiccups, the doctor can use either one of the listed drugs, or a combination of several of them. So, for hiccups caused by diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, a duet of cisapride and omeprazole is often used - together these drugs effectively promote the digestion of food in the stomach and its further movement into the intestines, normalize acidity, neutralize nerve impulses.

If the pathology cannot be eliminated, the patient is recommended such radical methods of influence as blockade or excision of the phrenic nerve.

Breathing exercises as a means of getting rid of hiccups

Since hiccups are primarily a respiratory disorder, it can be neutralized by using breathing exercises. Their action is aimed at relaxing the diaphragm and relieving spasm.

To get rid of an unpleasant and exhausting symptom, it is recommended to perform the following exercises:

1. Alternating deep breath and breath holding: in the interval between spasm: you should inhale as deeply as possible, then close your eyes and slowly count to ten.
2. Exercise with a paper bag: you need to put it on your face so that it completely covers your nose, mouth and chin, and take intense breaths and exhalations.
3. Helps with an attack to breathe deeply, leaning forward. At the same time, the hands should be clasped in a “lock” behind the back.
4. Uniform breathing, accompanied by gentle pressure with both hands on the diaphragm.
5. Sipping up and down sitting position. When moving your arms up, you should inhale, when tilting down, exhale.
6. Deep breathing with head hanging off the couch. To do this, you will have to lie on your stomach so that your head is over the edge of the sofa or bed. Lowering your head down, make uniform breathing movements.
7. Exhalation, accompanied by squeezing the middle phalanx of both little fingers. The exhalation should be slow (at least 5 seconds).
8. Swinging the press with exhalation on the rise of the body.

Attention! Breathing exercises hiccups should not cause dizziness, darkening of the eyes, redness of the skin in the face and neck, a feeling of lack of oxygen.

If any discomfort appears, it should be stopped and breathing should be restored with calm, deep breaths and exhalations.

Causes of prolonged hiccups in a child

The immaturity of the nervous system is the main reason that hiccups in children, on average, occur more often than adults and last longer. In the case of babies, this symptom is far from always a sign of pathology. Most likely, the causes of prolonged hiccups in a child are easily fixable problems.

Possible reasons:

• hypothermia;
• prolonged laughter;
• fright;
• overexcitation of the nervous system due to active games, watching cartoons, films;
• binge eating;
• mild dehydration (thirst);
• dry food;
• uncomfortable posture.

If prolonged hiccups in a child occur too often and are difficult to eliminate, this is a reason to suspect the presence of more serious ailments. First of all - helminthic intoxication. In this case, the general anxiety of the baby, grinding of teeth in a dream, frequent scratching of the area may join the symptoms. anus, digestive disorders.

Do too active child hiccups may indicate an injury - perhaps the baby hit the chest and damaged the phrenic nerve. Also, this symptom is characteristic of sluggish pneumonia.

IN rare cases hiccups in a child may indicate the presence of nervous diseases.

What to do if the child hiccups all day?

The first thing parents should do when they notice a hiccup in a child is to check if he is overcooled. If the baby has cold hands and / or feet, he should be dressed warmly, give warm drink, cover with a blanket. It is important to ensure that the child is not overexcited, limit the viewing of emotional cartoons, TV shows, at the first sign of excitement, gently divert his attention to other activities.

Important! If the listed first aid methods do not help or help for a short time, the child must be shown to the pediatrician for examination and treatment.

It is necessary to observe the water-drinking regimen, during the meal it is necessary to ensure that the child is not in a hurry, carefully chewing each piece. From time to time, the baby needs to be offered drinks - water, compote, herbal teas. They not only saturate the body with moisture and vitamins, but also calm the nervous system.

Why does the baby hiccup and how to help him?

Hiccups often occur in children under one year old. If the baby has gone through scheduled checkups Since he did not have a neuropathologist and pathologies of the central nervous system, malnutrition may be the cause. With natural feeding, this is improper attachment to the breast or weak nipples in the mother, which causes milk to flow out too quickly. In this case, it is recommended to invite a consultant for breastfeeding, which will help a woman learn how to properly attach a baby to her breast, as well as master feeding on her back, which will reduce the amount of milk flowing out.

At artificial feeding the cause is often too large a hole in the nipple of the bottle - the child does not have time to swallow the mixture and chokes on it, as a result of which he has hiccups. Eliminating the cause is easy - you just need to buy a high-quality anatomical feeding bottle.

The baby should be dressed in accordance with the air temperature indoors and outdoors - the baby should neither overheat nor overcool. Also, prolonged crying should not be allowed - this negatively affects the child's nervous system and can also cause hiccups.

As a first aid, the baby will help light massage warm hands - for this you need to undress and lay your chest on your hand, slightly tilting your head forward. After that, gently massage the back in a clockwise direction.

Examination and possible consequences

If hiccups do not go away for a long time or occur too often, it is recommended to contact a therapist who will write a referral for tests to exclude or confirm infection of the patient with worm eggs. After listening to the accompanying complaints, he will also give a recommendation to visit a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist or neurologist.

It is impossible to ignore pathological hiccups - often it can be the first outward sign serious diseases such as brain tumor, cancer of the esophagus, precancerous condition of the stomach, diabetes, various neurological disorders. Their timely detection save not only the health, but also the life of the patient.

Prevention

Preventive methods for the appearance of pathological hiccups are reduced to regular examinations by specialized specialists - gastroenterological and neurological examination an adult should undergo at least once every two years, a child - once a year. To exclude the possibility of diabetes once a year, it is necessary to donate blood for glucose levels.

Prevention of prolonged hiccups also lies in the rejection of frequent and immoderate drinking, overeating.

Hiccups is a non-specific disturbance of the function of external respiration, which occurs as a result of a series of convulsive jerky contractions of the diaphragm and is subjectively manifested by unpleasant short and intense respiratory movements. It occurs sometimes in healthy people without apparent reason and, as a rule, is a harmless, quickly ending phenomenon.

Under what circumstances does hiccups occur?

Hiccups can occur under the following circumstances:

General cooling (especially in children early age), especially when drunk.

With overstretching of the stomach (overfilling it with food). According to experts, such involuntary muscle contractions may come from the esophagus. Swallowing problems and food getting stuck in the esophagus cause spasms where the esophagus meets the stomach.

With irritation of the phrenic nerve. The so-called "normal" hiccups are manifestations nervous tick. This occurs under the influence of the phrenic nerve, which, for unknown reasons, transmits excitation to the muscles of the diaphragm. The result is uncontrollable spasms.

Can hiccups be a symptom of disease?

Hiccups can also be a symptom of certain diseases, for example, in case of irritation of the diaphragm during inflammatory process V abdominal cavity. Sometimes it becomes long and painful. Hiccups occur with certain diseases of the brain and spinal cord, and can also be observed in myocardial infarction, infectious diseases and mental arousal.

What to do with prolonged hiccups?

In cases of prolonged, persistent hiccups, you should consult a doctor who will determine its cause and prescribe treatment. With the development kidney failure there may also be a constant or periodic hiccups. It is the result of the development of an abscess or tumor in the chest, diaphragm or esophagus. Some people get hiccups for a reason. psychological nature, it resembles reactions with transient paralysis in soldiers who are afraid of combat. In such cases, hiccups are unconscious and reflect a desire to avoid very unpleasant events. Some individuals suffer from hiccups in postoperative period which may be a reaction to pain medication.

What is the reason for this phenomenon?

Despite the significant advances in medicine over the years of its existence, there is still no reliable treatment for these minor spasms that cause a person to emit obscene sounds, like a street bully.

Don't worry, there are several ways to fix this problem.

How to get rid of hiccups?

To get rid of hiccups, you need to stop spasms of the diaphragm and esophagus. This can be done either by distraction, or by using breathing techniques. Usually this is sufficient.

What if the hiccups still won't go away?

When your hiccups persist, you go to great lengths to make them go away. You focus on your chest and consciously tighten your diaphragm. But by straining and trying to suppress the next bout of hiccups you expect, you only complicate the situation. Below we recommend you more correct tricks.

• Swallow a small amount of something bitter or sour. When something unusual comes into digestive system spasms usually go away: try sucking on a piece of lemon.
• Try to suppress the hiccups in a reflex way. Place your finger on the wall of the throat as if you were about to induce vomiting. However, in fact, you do not need to bring your actions to such an extent. In this way, you can interrupt the established hiccup rhythm.
• Try to drown out the hiccups with water. If you drink a large glass of water in small sips at a measured pace, you can stop hiccups. In this way, food residues are washed off the lower part of the pharynx and, possibly, eliminated. irritant effect on the nerve passing in this area.
• Drink water in an inclined position of the torso. The “upside down” position implies completely new approach to the treatment of hiccups. Bend your torso over the sink and begin to drink water from a glass moved as far away from you as possible.
• Use the sudden startle method, for example, scare the victim of hiccups with a sudden pop of an inflated bag or a loud shout. This can instantly stop the spasm.
• Try the folk method with thread. South Texas residents of Hispanic descent use a popular technique to interrupt hiccups with a red thread or strip of cloth. They are tied around the child's head in the forehead at the level of the bridge of the nose. Perhaps the child directs his eyes to the thread and thus switches his attention. And this is just what you need to stop hiccups.
• "Sweeten the pill." Sprinkle some granulated sugar on the back of the tongue and swallow it, you can stir a spoonful of granulated sugar into a small amount beer and drink this mixture.
• Hold on to your tongue. IN Once again, when hiccups torment you, open your mouth wider, take your tongue, pull it slightly and hold it for a few seconds. This method of treating hiccups was preferred personal doctor President Kennedy.
• Bet money- This favorite remedy some doctors, which they say has never failed in cases of normal hiccups. When someone hiccups, take out the money, put it on the table, and make a bet with that person that he or she won't be able to hiccup the next minute. This person can't really hiccup another time without losing the bet.

Once you stop trying to stop the hiccups, the whole complex other muscles, and spasms disappear.

When is it worth getting tested?

An examination is required in the following cases:

• if the hiccups last more than an hour;
• if hiccups occur several times a day or several days a week;
• if, in addition to hiccups, you have chest pain, heartburn, or trouble swallowing.

How does the elimination of hiccups proceed in this case?

If your hiccups are very frequent or persist for a long time, your doctor may order an x-ray after you take barium to look for any obstruction in your esophagus. To eliminate hiccups that are permanent and not associated with any mechanical obstruction in the esophagus, the doctor may prescribe certain medications, depending on what your disorders are related to.

An interesting fact is that Charles Osborne of Anton, Iowa, USA, began to hiccup in 1922. He led a normal life, was married twice and had 8 children, and stopped hiccuping in 1990 (Guinness Book of Records).

Marina Apryatkina

Everyone has hiccups, and everyone knows what it is and how annoying it is. A rather rare case at the reception of a family medicine doctor is continuous hiccups. She may be a sign serious illness.

Family medicine doctors, on rare occasions, have to deal with an attack of hiccups during an appointment, which can continue. for a long time- more than 48 hours. Such attacks are difficult for patients to tolerate and lead to insomnia, weight loss, and even cardiac arrhythmias. A prolonged bout of hiccups may stop on its own, but it usually requires pharmacological treatment.

Persistent hiccups are a sign of a serious illness, and such a patient needs a thorough examination. Mechanisms for the occurrence of prolonged bouts of hiccups are poorly understood by family medicine. continuous hiccups. The causes of this disorder can be very different, but they are usually associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or the central nervous system. In almost half of the cases incessant hiccups occurs as a result of gastroesophageal reflux.

Other causes may include pathology of the gastrointestinal tract (tumors of the liver, pancreas, hernia, tumor or infection of the esophagus - fungal or herpetic, distension of the stomach, operations on the abdominal organs), pathology of the chest organs, metabolic disorders, neurological disorders and intoxication (alcoholism and tobaccoism).

Among neurological reasons there may be a stroke, infections, trauma and brain tumors, hydrocephalus. Pneumonia, pneumothorax, diaphragmatic hernia, tuberculosis, goiter, chest tumors, pericarditis and myocardial infarction, as well as diabetes and kidney disease can cause an attack of continuous hiccups. Often, prolonged bouts of hiccups are associated with psychological experiences and infections - influenza or AIDS.

Medications that can cause this disorder include corticosteroids, tranquilizers, antibiotics, methyldopa, and nicotine preparations.

Diagnosis of the disease may require the participation of medical specialists from various branches of medicine.

Therapy of this disorder should certainly be aimed at treating the underlying disease. But first, family medicine doctors have to help the patient almost blindly, and its goal is to immediately alleviate the patient's condition.

To remove this unpleasant symptom, a patient with this disorder may be asked to breathe into a plastic bag. Thus, the concentration in the inhaled air increases carbon dioxide and it stops the hiccups.

Swallowing finely crushed pieces of ice, sugar or crackers can be effective, which stimulates the nerves of the pharynx. Throat stimulation has a similar effect and soft palate or pressure on the eyeballs.

Choice among pharmacological agents is chlorpromazine ( psychotropic drug). Another effective medicine- Baclofen (muscle relaxant). Taking these drugs gives good results. They soothe the hiccup center, which is supposed to be at the very top of the spinal cord.

At the same level, methaclopramide and haloperidol, which are also used to treat this disorder, act. Some studies recommend taking methylcellulose for the treatment of hiccups.

From the very beginning of therapy, it is usually prescribed combined treatment baclofen (acting on the nervous system) and a drug acting on gastrointestinal tract omeprazole or famotidine.

In case of inefficiency conservative treatment held surgery ablation or nerve stimulation, as well as epidural blockade.