STUDY - Technical - New Dacian's Medicine
Hiccups
(Classical / Allopathic Medicine)
Hiccups
(singultus) occur as a two-stage process: an involuntary,
spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm followed by the sudden
closure of the glottis. Their characteristic sound reflects
the vibration of closed vocal cords as the air suddenly rushes
into the lungs.
Usually benign and
transient, hiccups are common and usually subside
spontaneously or with simple treatment. However, in a patient
with a neurologic disorder, they may indicate increasing
intracranial pressure or extension of a brain stem lesion.
They may also occur after ingestion of a hot or cold liquid or
other irritants, after exposure to cold, or with irritation
from a drainage tube. Persistent hiccups cause considerable
distress and may lead to vomiting. Increased serum levels of
carbon dioxide may inhibit hiccups; decreased levels may
accentuate them. (See Treating and preventing hiccups.)
HISTORY:
Ask the patient when the hiccups began and if they're tiring him.
Ask the patient if he has had the hiccups before. If so, ask him what caused them and what made them stop.
Review the patient's medical history for abdominal or thoracic disorders and recent abdominal surgery. (Occasionally, mild and transient attacks of hiccups may follow abdominal surgery.)
Ask the patient when the hiccups began and if they're tiring him.
Ask the patient if he has had the hiccups before. If so, ask him what caused them and what made them stop.
Review the patient's medical history for abdominal or thoracic disorders and recent abdominal surgery. (Occasionally, mild and transient attacks of hiccups may follow abdominal surgery.)
PHYSICAL
ASSESSMENT:
Base the physical assessment on the patient history and associated symptoms.
Base the physical assessment on the patient history and associated symptoms.
SPECIAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
If a patient with hiccups is also vomiting and unconscious, turn him on his side to prevent aspiration.
If a patient with hiccups is also vomiting and unconscious, turn him on his side to prevent aspiration.
Treating and
preventing hiccups
Hiccups commonly occur without an underlying medical cause. Some home remedies to treat hiccups include:
- holding one's breath as long as possible
- breathing into a paper bag
- ingesting a spoonful of sugar drinking cold water from the wrong side of the glass while bending forward.
The following actions may help to prevent hiccups:
- avoiding extremely hot or cold foods
- avoiding spicy foods
- avoiding the use of straws
- burping frequently (for infants).
Hiccups commonly occur without an underlying medical cause. Some home remedies to treat hiccups include:
- holding one's breath as long as possible
- breathing into a paper bag
- ingesting a spoonful of sugar drinking cold water from the wrong side of the glass while bending forward.
The following actions may help to prevent hiccups:
- avoiding extremely hot or cold foods
- avoiding spicy foods
- avoiding the use of straws
- burping frequently (for infants).
PEDIATRIC
POINTERS:
In an infant, hiccups usually result from rapid ingestion of liquids without adequate burping.
In an infant, hiccups usually result from rapid ingestion of liquids without adequate burping.
PATIENT
COUNSELING:
Teach the patient simple methods of relieving hiccups, such as holding his breath repeatedly or breathing into a paper bag. Other treatments for hiccups include gastric lavage and the application of finger pressure on the eyeballs (through closed lids).
Teach the patient simple methods of relieving hiccups, such as holding his breath repeatedly or breathing into a paper bag. Other treatments for hiccups include gastric lavage and the application of finger pressure on the eyeballs (through closed lids).
Bibliography:
1. Rapid Assessment, A
Flowchart Guide to Evaluating Signs & Symptoms, Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins, 2004.
2. Professional Guide to
Signs and symptoms, Edition V, Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins, 2007.
3. Guide to common
symptoms, Edition V, McGraw - Hill, 2002.
Dorin,
Merticaru (2010)