User:Mr. Ibrahem/Hiccup

Hiccup, also known as singultus, is a sudden and involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. They generally occur as bouts that last a few minutes with 4 to 60 episodes a minute. Each hiccup is uncomfortable but brief. Prolonged episodes may affect quality of life and sleep.

The cause is often unclear; though some cases may occur due to gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatus hernia, alcohol, esophageal cancer, Parkinson's, and certain medications. Triggers may include psychological stress and eating. The underlying mechanism is believed to involve a reflex arc. Following a contraction of the diaphragm followed there is closure of the vocal cords, which results in the "hic" sound. Episodes that last less than 48 hours are known as "acute"; whiles those that last less than a month are "persistent"; and those lasting more than a month are "intractable".

People try many things, such as drinking ice cold water or biting on a lemon, to end hiccups; however evidence is lacking regarding effectiveness. Treatment of prolonged cases may involve address the underlying cause. This may involve stopping certain medication or treating reflux with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Medication that may help include chlorpromazine, haloperidol, baclofen, and gabapentin. If the above are not effective a number of procedures may be tried.

Most people are affected at some point in time. All ages may be affected. Intractable hiccups occur more commonly in older males. The longest known episode of hiccups was 60 years. The term "singultus" if from the Latin "singult" meaning "to catch one’s breath while sobbing".