Patient's question:
These days, my child belches every time they eat something, even after drinking a little water. When eating, they start belching after just a few bites, but they can still finish a bowl of rice if they eat slowly.Doctor's answer:
Medical Analysis: Hello: Hiccups, medically known as "hiccups," are a common phenomenon caused by sudden contractions of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. They are commonly referred to as "hiccups." Hiccups are divided into two major categories: benign self-limiting and persistent refractory. The former is caused by consuming excessively cold or hot food or excessive tension and excitement, with no prolonged duration and self-healing ability, requiring no special treatment. The latter is often due to irregular diet, damage to stomach qi, depression, upward reversal of stomach qi, or post-illness weakness, excessive fatigue, ulcers, epilepsy, brain tumors, or drug allergies. Thank you for your inquiry.Advice: Hello: First, it is recommended to determine whether the hiccups are caused by physiological or organic diseases. If a newborn suddenly hiccups without other diseases, and the hiccups are loud and continuous, it is usually due to cold exposure. In this case, you can give the baby some warm water, cover their chest and abdomen with a blanket or clothing, and place a hot water bag outside the clothing for insulation in winter. Under normal circumstances, the baby should stop hiccuping shortly. However, if the baby hiccups frequently and for a long time, you can also soak a small amount of orange peel in boiling water (orange peel helps to regulate qi, dispel stomach turbidity, and regulate stomach qi). Once the water is at a suitable temperature, the baby can drink it. If the hiccups are due to undigested milk or a lack of appetite, a sour and rotten odor can be detected during hiccuping. In this case, methods such as gentle massage on the chest and abdomen to guide qi downward or drinking hawthorn water to regulate qi and promote bowel movements (hawthorn is sour, aids digestion, and increases the secretion of digestive enzymes) can be used. Once the food is digested and qi flows smoothly, the hiccups will stop. Thank you for your inquiry.