Medical Questions » Mouth and Throat Questions » Question No. 695
| Question: | I find that i am always hiccupping when I am nervous or anxious. What causes hiccups and how can they be cured? |
| Answer: | The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle that sttetches across the body to separate the chest from the abdomen. It has holes in it to allow the major blood vessels and the gullet (oesophagus) to pass through.
Hiccoughs are due to spasms of the diaphragm. When it contracts, a small amount of air is suddenly forced out of the lungs, causing the characterisric sound. The diaphragm goes into spasm because it, or the nerve that controls it, becomes irritated.
If you swallow large chunks of food, swallow quickly, or overfill rhe stomach (by overeating, or swallowing air when nervous), it causes pressure on the diaphragm, and therefore irritation. The cure for the condition is to cause a counter-irritation or relieve the pressure.
Drinking water may remove a piece of food lodged in the oesophagus. Holding a deep breath causes counter pressure on the diaphragm. A fright can cause a sudden generalised muscular spasm. Burping can relieve pressure too. Most of the well-known remedies work this way.
In the rare cases where the hiccoughs are prolonged, medications can be given to relax the diaphragm muscle.
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