By: Claudia Tampa
Hiccups are caused by the spasm movement of the diaphragm, that muscle that separates the lungs from the stomach. The uncontrolled movement of the diaphragm when irritated causes the lungs to expel air abruptly. And this in turn is accompanied by that characteristic sound: ‘hip’. It affects both children and adults. But why does it occur? Does it have any use?
There are many possible causes that trigger an episode of hiccups. Among them, the most common are these:
– When the child eats anxiously, too quickly and without chewing the food well. In the case of babies and newborns, it is also one of the main causes of hiccups. In nursing babies, the cause may be a poor nipple latch or a bottle nipple with too large a hole.
– After a copious meal. When the child eats too much, it can also cause sudden irritation of the diaphragm.
– Due to stress or anxiety. Yes, states of anguish, stress or anxiety can be the reason why the diaphragm moves in spasms at any given time.
– Due to sudden changes in temperature. In this case, it affects babies and newborns more than children, but a change in temperature can also cause a hiccup attack.
How to treat hiccups in childhood There are many tricks to calm hiccups in children. Among them is drinking from the opposite side of the glass, since by leaning towards the glass, the child helps the epiglottis to open, which tends to close during a hiccup attack. Using the scare trick on small children is not recommended, but you can have them lie down on the floor and tell them to pull their legs up to their chests. This can help them get rid of the hiccups. And if not, ask him to drink some water from a glass while you cover his ears. This trick, they say, is miraculous.
Curiosities that you did not know about hiccups
– From what age do you have hiccups? Hiccups have been with us since before we were even born. It has been shown that the fetus also hiccups while still in the womb. And it is very common in newborns and babies.
– How long does the hiccup last? Hiccups usually last about 2 minutes. But there have been cases of hiccups lasting more than a day. The extreme case is a person who spent 68 years with constant hiccups. This is Charles Osborne, who had hiccups from 1922 to 1990.
– How to remove the hiccups in the case of babies? You have to be patient with babies. We can’t do anything against hiccups but we can prevent it from occurring. To do this, we must ensure that the baby does not eat anxiously or swallow air when eating, that the diaper is dry and that it is well wrapped.
