The causes of bloating and hiccups Hiccups convey 7 disease signals

Hiccups are a common symptom that we encounter from time to time. Hiccups are a normal physiological phenomenon of the body. Many healthy people experience hiccups due to diet, and the symptoms will disappear after a short rest. However, frequent occurrence of stomach acid, bloating, burping and gas in the stomach should be taken seriously. This could very well be a sign of some disease!

Hiccups can be divided into two types: belching and hiccups. The burp caused by belching has a longer ending sound, and usually only one burp occurs at a time, while the burp caused by hiccups is short and rapid, and often several burps occur in a row.

Whether it is belching or hiccups, they can be divided into physiological and pathological types. We need to be vigilant about the pathological ones. If belching is accompanied by heartburn, acid reflux, bloating, black stools, etc., it may be pathological and you need to go to the gastroenterology department as soon as possible. Hiccups often occur suddenly and are mostly caused by spasms of visceral smooth muscles, which are mostly functional abnormalities.

In addition, hiccups may also indicate problems with the central nervous system. The human body has a hiccup center, which controls whether or not you hiccup. If hiccups are accompanied by neurological symptoms such as unsteady movement, speech disorders, nausea, vomiting, etc., you should be alert to the occurrence of cerebrovascular disease and seek medical attention immediately.

What should you do if you have hiccups? Liu Min said that you should first distinguish whether it is belching or hiccups.

If it is belching, massaging the base of the thumb, or the Zusanli point and Zhongwan point (located in the middle of the line between the navel and the chest) is effective.

If it is hiccups, you can pinch your nose, open your mouth and drink warm foods such as ginger water and pepper water, or gently poke your nostrils with small objects such as small pieces of paper. As long as you can sneeze, it will be relieved. You can also hold your breath as much as possible, and when the next burp comes, swallow it, and repeat this several times.

To avoid hiccups, try not to talk while eating, don't eat too fast or too cold, eat less gas-producing foods such as beans, and drink less carbonated drinks.

2. Disease Signals Transmitted by Hiccups

If hiccups last for more than 12 hours, you should see a doctor. If accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever, pain, and shortness of breath, hiccups may actually be a sign of illness.

1. Acid Reflux

Brown says flatulence and heartburn can irritate the diaphragm, a major cause of persistent hiccups. The good news is that by curing these gastrointestinal issues, the hiccups will go away too. Therefore, if hiccups don't stop on their own and are accompanied by a characteristic burning sensation in the stomach, chest, or throat, you should see a doctor.

2. Nerve damage

Diaphragmatic spasm is most likely associated with damage to the vagus nerve, either temporary or permanent, such as from a tumor or trauma. Any factor that causes the vagus nerve in the neck, throat, chest, and abdomen to not function properly can lead to annoying, persistent hiccups.

3. Stroke

Hiccups may even be your body's warning sign of a stroke. Experts haven't fully figured out the exact connection, but one specific type of stroke has been strongly linked to hiccups. Strokes that occur in the back of the head are more likely to cause persistent hiccups and are more common in women.

If hiccups are often accompanied by symptoms such as numbness, chest pain, blurred vision, and the patient himself does not even notice other symptoms except hiccups, you should suspect a stroke and go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time.

4. Poor renal function

If a person's kidney function gradually deteriorates, the kidneys will not be able to excrete harmful waste from the body in a timely manner, which will cause harmful substances to accumulate in the body. But Brown says the body usually doesn't feel anything when kidney problems first start. As harmful waste accumulates in the body, it will cause discomfort to the diaphragm and vagus nerve, leading to frequent hiccups, which is also a sign of poor kidney function.

The condition is worse if accompanied by muscle twitching, extreme thirst, and increasing paleness of the skin. This can explain why some patients with renal failure hiccup frequently before starting dialysis, but this phenomenon gradually disappears after starting dialysis.

5. Early pregnancy

Brown said that although no studies have confirmed the relationship between hiccups and pregnancy, clinically, some women say that the first sign they know they are pregnant is that hiccups become more frequent. The possible reasons are that, on the one hand, after a woman becomes pregnant, changes in hormone levels and stress levels in the body can cause anxiety-related hiccups; on the other hand, many people's early pregnancy symptoms often include increased acid reflux, which can also lead to hiccups.

6. Cardiac cancer

The cardia is located at the junction of the esophagus and stomach. It opens when you eat and closes after you finish eating to ensure that food in the stomach does not flow back into the esophagus. Hiccups caused by cardiac cancer have the following two major characteristics.

① The hiccups will not occur due to overeating or being too full, and will occur repeatedly and frequently, and will not be easy to stop;

② Since most cardiac cancers originate from the lower esophagus, the already narrow cardia becomes even narrower. When food passes through, there will be a feeling of dryness, tightness, pain, and obstruction, as if there is something that can never be swallowed completely. When swallowing harder food, it feels as if it falls directly into the stomach with a "bang". This is especially true when drinking hot water or cold drinks.

In addition, hiccups caused by cardiac cancer are also accompanied by unpleasant eating habits and pain under the xiphoid process.

7. Brain tumor

This situation is relatively rare. In a documentary broadcast by the BBC in 2010, a patient spent four years trying various means to cure hiccups, but his body became weaker and weaker. Eventually, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in his brain stem, which is the "base camp" of the starting point of the vagus nerve. Four months after doctors removed two-thirds of his brain tumor, the patient's hiccups decreased significantly.