Patient's question:
Main symptoms: Belching after eatingOnset time: September 5th to present
Laboratory test results: No tests performed
Herbal medicine taken
Doctor's answer:
Hello, I just looked up some literature about hiccups, hoping it helps you! In medicine, hiccups are called "hiccups." If you are exposed to cold stimuli, overeating, eating too quickly, or consuming dry and hard foods, temporary hiccups may occur. This is not considered a disease, so there is no need to see a doctor.Why do we hiccup? Between the thoracic and abdominal cavities, there is a thick muscular membrane shaped like a hat, called the diaphragm, which separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Like other organs in the body, the diaphragm also has a nervous supply and blood supply. When the trigger for hiccups stimulates the brain, the brain sends a command, causing the diaphragm to contract spasmodically and intermittently, resulting in hiccups.
Continuous or persistent hiccups are often caused by emergencies such as brain disease, uremia, or diabetic ketoacidosis. Many serious diseases can also cause persistent hiccups. It is particularly worth mentioning that if a critically ill person develops persistent hiccups, it often indicates a poor prognosis.
To treat hiccups, the primary step is to treat the underlying disease that causes them, followed by symptomatic treatment. Below are some simple and practical methods that can block the neural reflex and stop hiccups.
1. Distract attention and eliminate tension and negative stimuli.
2. Take a deep breath, hold it for as long as possible, and then exhale. Repeat several times.
3. Drink hot water, especially slightly warm water, taking large sips and swallowing it gradually.
4. Wash your hands and insert your index finger into your mouth to gently stimulate the pharynx.
5. Inhale a mixture of gas from a plastic bag, which contains 90% oxygen and 10% carbon dioxide.
6. Chew raw ginger slices.
7. Wash fresh chives, squeeze out the juice, and drink it.
8. Persimmon stalks (the stem of fresh persimmons or persimmon cakes) are boiled into 100 mL of water, divided into two doses of 50 mL each, and taken twice. You may also add chive seeds to the decoction as needed.
Other methods involving swallowing vinegar: Take a sip of vinegar and swallow it gradually, repeating 2-3 times.
Chew and swallow spicy foods: Chew 1-3 cloves of garlic, 1 white onion, or 1-3 chili peppers, and swallow them slowly. Hiccups should stop within 1-3 minutes.
Eat sugar: Place a spoonful of sugar in your mouth and swallow it without rinsing with water.
Drink water rapidly: Swallow several mouthfuls of water quickly in one breath.
Touch the pharynx: Gently touch the back of the throat 2-3 times with a sterile cotton swab or a clean chopstick, causing a gag reflex, then have the person close their mouth and swallow some water. Repeat touching the back of the throat to induce nausea, and hiccups will stop.
Plastic bag over the mouth and nose: Place a medium-sized plastic food bag over the mouth and nose, securing it tightly to prevent air leakage. Hiccups should stop within 1-2 minutes.
Acupressure: The patient can sit or stand, but the body should be relaxed, and breathing should be regulated. The practitioner uses both thumbs to press firmly on the two (Zanzhu points) of the patient, holding for 1-2 minutes to stop hiccups. Alternatively, the thumbs can press on the bone (Yifeng points) behind the earlobes, applying forward and inward pressure to produce a strong sense of soreness and fullness, and pressing for a moment to stop hiccups.
For persistent hiccups, decoct 6 grams of clove, 10 grams of persimmon stalk, 10 grams of bamboo shoot, and 10 grams of reed root. Take the decoction in two warm doses, once daily. Generally, 3-6 doses are sufficient to control the hiccups.