Hiccups and Laryngospasm

So one day I was having some bad hiccups... you know, the obnoxious kind complete with strangled noise and chest jerks. However, this experience unlike the numerous prior episodes of hiccups triggered an intellectual brainstorm about breathing and stridor in general. FACT: Hiccups (aka singultus) are due to brief, intermittent, and involuntary diaphragm contractions against a closed glottis. For the layperson, this means during a hiccup: Your body takes a quick breath inwards (inhalati…

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Treatment for Hiccups Based on Science

So... I came across a few references addressing treatment of hiccups (otherwise known as singultus) based on science rather than heresay. Here are a few methods than can be done at home without the need for medications or procedures. It is felt that hiccups may be secondary to irritation of the phrenic nerve (which innervates the diaphragm). As such, scientific treatment of hiccups have relied on increasing PaCO2 (breath holding, breathing into a paper bag), therapy using diaphragm relaxati…

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