17 Weird Body Quirks Slideshow
Check out these 17 weird body quirks and their causes.
- Black hairy tongue
- Eye twitching
- Brain freeze
- Black hairy tongue
- Hiccups
There are numerous home cures for hiccups. You can try these methods at home to get rid of hiccups. Techniques that stimulate the nasopharynx and the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain to the stomach, and can decrease hiccuping:
Methods that cause the body to retain carbon dioxide, which is thought to relax and stop the spasms of the diaphragm, which cause the hiccups
Check out these 17 weird body quirks and their causes.
Most of the time, there is no obvious cause for hiccups. However, there are some common known causes of hiccups.
Some causes of hiccups include:
Some medications may also have hiccups as a side effect, for example:
As in adults, hiccups in newborns, infants, and babies are common and generally of no concern. If hiccups occur during feeding, stop feeding until the hiccups go away. Usually, the hiccups will "go away" in an infant or baby. You may try changing the position of the infant or baby; try to get your baby to burp, or calm him/her down to cure the hiccups. Sometimes resuming feeding will stop the hiccups. If your baby frequently hiccups during feedings, feed your baby when he or she is already relaxed and is not overly hungry yet.
If your child's hiccups worsen or they seem to upset him, contact your pediatrician.
Sudden, forceful movement of the diaphragm, that causes the hiccup sound, is the only symptom of hiccups.
Most cases of hiccups resolve themselves in a short time and rarely are a medical emergency. See your doctor if hiccups last more than 3 hours, or if they disturb your eating or sleeping habits.
Seek medical attention if hiccups are associated with: abdominal pain, fever, shortness of breath, vomiting, coughing up blood, or feeling as if your throat is going to close up.
Most of us know what a hiccup feels like and how to recognize it. In a medical setting, the diagnosis of hiccups is based on the physical evaluation. Blood tests or X-rays are usually not necessary unless your hiccups are a symptom of an associated medical condition.
Hiccups generally go away on their own and do not require medical treatment, however, if hiccups last more than three hours or disturb eating or sleeping, you may see your primary care providers (PCP) such as a family practitioner, internist, or a child’s pediatrician.
There may be many different specialists who treat hiccups depending on the underlying cause, for example:
Most hiccups will stop on their own. Home remedies are generally sufficient to resolve hiccuping.
For persistent hiccups (lasting more than three hours), treatment varies, and you may need to contact your doctor.
A healthcare professional may prescribe medications for severe, chronic hiccups. Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) is usually the first-line medication prescribed for hiccups. Other medications used to treat hiccups include haloperidol (Haldol) and metoclopramide (Reglan).
Some muscle relaxants, sedatives, analgesics, and even stimulants have also been reported to help alleviate hiccup symptoms.
Phrenic nerve surgery (the nerve that controls the diaphragm) is a treatment of last resort. This treatment rarely is performed, and phrenic nerve surgery is used only in individuals with long-term hiccups that do not respond to other treatments.
Because most cases of hiccups resolve themselves either spontaneously or with self-administered treatment, complications are extremely rare.
Hiccups cannot always be prevented. Avoiding overeating, eating too quickly, or drinking too much can help prevent hiccups.
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