One hiccup, Two hiccup, Three hiccup..."Please No More"

Living with Hiccups

I have grown up since I was boy suffering from severe bouts of hiccups for the past 20 or so years. I usually get episodes of hiccups two or three times a year, each episode always lasting for at least 6-12 hours a day and usually for three or four days in-a-row, sometimes longer. The hiccups usually start off being very rapid, strong (on the verge of painful), and annoyingly loud for anyone who is unfortunate enough to be close to me at that time.
I have very recently had hiccups that have kept me awake all night... I guess it was a nice warm-up for the sleepless nights I am expecting when my little one arrives in a couple of months :)

The severe hiccup episodes can be very frustrating when it happens, not only do you have to put up with the annoyance of the hiccups but it also hinders and prevents taking part in activities like: formal phone calls (work), going to the cinema, romantic evenings, eating at a restaurant, a night out drinking with friends, just to name a few.

My brother also suffers from similar severe hiccup episodes which suggests to me that there is some genetic / hereditary element in there somewhere. I am not aware of any other family members who experience similar hiccups, although writing this lens has inspired me to investigate further.

It had never really occurred to me that my hiccup episodes were possibly abnormal until I started researching and writing this lens, I think this is partly due to my brother having similar episodes. From what I have read, it is suggested that you should see a doctor if you have severe cases of hiccups.

What are Hiccups? Why do we get Hiccups?

Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle used to help with breathing. This muscle separates your chest from your stomach.

The actual hiccup sensation is felt when the body is trying to get food or gas out of the stomach but air can't get through though, resulting in the diaphragm becoming irritated or more specifically: the Phrenic nerve becomes irritated (the nerve that runs through the diaphram).

Some reasons hiccups commonly occur:
   - Minor stomach upsets
   - GERD / Acid Reflux (what is GERD?)
   - Stress
   - Drinking or eating too much or too quickly
   - Drinking or eating substances with lots of air
   - Eating spicy food
   - Occasionally psychogenic causes

If you would like a more in-depth explanation then you may find this article offers a slightly better explanation: what are hiccups? why do we get hiccups? how to stop hiccups?

Hiccup Cures I've Tried...

Over the years people have told me about all sorts of techniques to help cure hiccups but as yet I haven't found one that has been able to cure mine.

Cures I have tried:

   - Holding breath
   - Breathing out, then holding breath
   - Hold breath and swallow (swallow water)
   - Drinking lots of water quickly
   - Swallowing quickly
   - Drinking upside down :)
   - Drinking out of a glass back-to-front
   - Standing upside down and holding your breath
   - Breathing into a brown paper bag
   - Someone making you jump
   - Pulling your tongue
   - Put sugar behind your tongue
   - Get someone to tickle you (it makes you laugh and hiccup a lot but no cure :(

Maybe some of the above techniques might work for you.

The only times I have found they have gone away so far is when...
- Swimming under water (highly not recommended - only worked for me once, the second time really didn't go so well :)
- Sometimes if you are intensely concentrating on something for a lengthy period.
- From what I remember, if you experience an adrenaline rush, this usually stops them. I used to compete in competitive swimming and other sports; when it was time to step up to the mark they were always gone (from what I remember). Maybe that is where the 'curing hiccups by making a person jump' comes from.

What Triggers My Hiccups...

The things over the years that have most often triggered my hiccups are...

   1. bread (this is the cause most years) - from what I recall it is usually a crusty loaf
   2. cold sausage (this was quite often a cause - stopped eating them now)
   3. fizzy drink
   4. coughing (around the time i have the hiccup episodes; everytime I try to cough a hiccup comes out instead)

What Causes Hiccups? The Experts Say...

The hiccups causes given by the experts include...

   - Eating too quickly
   - Eating too much
   - Eating spicy food
   - Drinking too much
   - Drinking carbonated/fizzy/alcoholic drinks
   - Swallowing food / drink quickly along with too much air
   - Irritation in the stomach
   - Irritation in the throat
   - GERD / Acid Reflux (what is GERD?)
   - Sudden temperature changes
   - Tobacco use
   - Stress

There are also over 100 types of medical conditions that can result in chronic hiccup episodes, these types of condition include...

   - Nerve damage or irritation
   - Metabolic disorders
   - Mental or emotional triggers
   - Surgery
   - Central nervous system disorders.

My Family History - Genetics - Hereditary

In an effort to find out more about where and why me and my brother have suffered with extreme hiccups all these years, I decided it was time to interrogate my family...

After quizzing my family I was a little surprised to find out that they did/do not suffer from bouts of hiccups at all, and that they knew of no other family member that suffered from lengthy bouts of hiccups (I have seven aunts, one uncle, an army of cousins, and enough cousins kids to make a small country).
I found myself asking 'was I actually the glint in the milkman's eye' all them years ago.

My Little Girl
I have recently had a baby girl, she is currently experiencing many cute little hiccup episodes, about 2-4 times per day usually lasting about 1-15 minutes.
I am told by the midwife and other parents that this is perfectly normal for young babies and that they will gradually get less and less.

I find myself watching her hiccups very closely, wondering if she is going to follow in dad's footsteps or mum's, very much hoping that it will be mum's.

Hiccup Diary

I am going to jot down here my hiccup experiences as they happen...

5th April 08

The Trigger: a cold chicken and pickle sandwich
Length of Time: 6.30pm - to some time in the early hours of the morning.

- Whilst eating a cold chicken and pickle sandwich, the first loud hiccup emerged, me and my partner looked at each other and in unison groaned 'oh no'.
- My hiccups persisted all evening. The hiccups were pretty bad on this occasion, being very loud and at some points being painful.
- I was up to 3am before deciding to try to get some sleep.
- My partner informed me that I was actually hiccuping while asleep, and very loudly. I didn't even realize this was possible. This was the first time this had happened that I was aware of.
- She tried waking me up to see if it would stop, it didn't.
- She got so annoyed that she went and slept on the couch. I told her that if it happened again, to wake me up and that I would sleep on the sofa.