What is Hiccup and How it Can be Managed

A hiccup is a sudden, involuntary contraction or spasm of the diaphragm muscle that makes the vocal cords to snap shut producing a hiccup sound. The diaphragm is the main breathing muscle below the lungs, that helps us to breathe. During hiccup the diaphragm contracts and sucks in air suddenly into the lungs forcefully which pushes the epiglottis or vocal cords to shut suddenly by a snapping sound. Most hiccups will resolve on its own in a short period of time if the cause is a minor one. Continuous hiccups that lasts for many hours may indicate a cause of an underlying disease origin.

Common causes of hiccups:
Eating too quickly and swallowing air along with foods.
Stretching of the stomach after heavy eating or drinking can irritate the diaphragm that cause hiccups.
Sudden emotional excitement.
Sudden change of air temperature.
Very hot/cold foods or drinks.
Alcohol or excess smoking.
Heartburn or acid reflux.

Causes due to the underlying condition:
Disease or disorder that irritates the nerves that control the diaphragm such as liver disease, pneumonia,  lung disorders etc.
Abdominal surgery can irritate the nerves that control the diaphragm and thus causing hiccups.
Strokes or brain tumors involving the brain stem, and some chronic medical disorders such as renal failure etc. causes hiccups.
Medications also causes hiccups such as those for acid reflux, benzodiazepines including diazepam, alprazolam, and lorazepam, levodopa, nicotine, and ondansetron.
Noxious fumes can also trigger hiccups.

Hiccups are rarely a medical emergency but if lasts for more than three hours or days and if it disturbs eating or sleeping it is advisable to consult a physician. If it is associated with abdominal pain, fever, shortness of breath, vomiting, coughing up blood, or feeling as if your throat is going to close up, you should seek immediate emergency medical attention.

Home remedies for hiccups:
1. Methods that cause the body to retain carbon dioxide, which is thought to relax the diaphragm and stop the spasms:
Hold your breath for a little while.

2. Techniques that stimulate the nasopharynx and the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain to the stomach, and can decrease hiccuping:
Drink a glass of water quickly.
or
Take 1 tablespoonful of sugar and swallow it slowly.
or
Take half a bowl of curd with some salt added to it.
or
Eat a small piece of ginger.

Medical management of hiccups:
A registered physician may prescribe medications for severe, chronic hiccups which include chlorpromazine, haloperidol, metoclopramide etc.
Some muscle relaxants, sedatives, analgesics, and even stimulants have also been reported to help alleviate hiccup symptoms.
Treatment of the underlying condition relives severe and chronic hiccups.

Avoid overeating, eating too quickly, or drinking too much to help prevent hiccups.

Gooseberry and Its Health Importance

Gooseberry, Ribes uva-crispa is a fruit from a plant species in the genus Ribes that is native to Europe, northwestern Africa,  western and southeast Asia. It grows naturally in alpine thickets and rocky woods from France eastward, well into the Himalayas and peninsular India. It is a straggling bush growing to 1–3 meters (3–10 feet) tall, the branches being thickly set with sharp spines, standing out singly or in diverging tufts of two or three from the bases of the short spurs or lateral leaf shoots. The fruit of wild gooseberries is smaller than in the cultivated varieties, but is often of good flavor; it is generally hairy. The berry's color is usually green and there are red variants and occasionally deep purple berries also occur.

Nutritional Importance of gooseberry
The fruits are reputed to contain high amounts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), 445 mg/100g.
About 81.2% of gooseberry fruit is water. It contains nicotonic acid, vitamin B-1, iron, and calcium. The overall antioxidant strength may derive instead from its high density of tannins. The fruit also contains other polyphenols, flavonoids, kaempferol, ellagic acid, and gallic acid. It has also got adequate amounts of fibers.

Uses of gooseberry as food
Gooseberries are often used as an ingredient in desserts such as pies and crumbles. They are also used to flavour beverages such as sodas, flavoured waters, or milk. Gooseberries can be preserved in the form of jams, dryed fruit, as the primary or secondary ingredient in pickling, or stored in sugar syrup. Gooseberry juice remains a popular tonic consumed across the globe.

Medicinal use of gooseberry
In traditional Indian medicine, dried and fresh fruits of the plant are used. All parts of the plant are used in various Ayurvedic/Unani medicine herbal preparations, including the fruit, seed, leaves, root, bark and flowers. Gooseberry extracts induce apoptosis and modify gene expression in osteoclasts involved in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.
It also promoted the spontaneous repair and regeneration process of the pancreas occurring after an acute attack.
Experimental preparations of leaves, bark or fruit have shown potential efficacy against laboratory models of disease, such as for inflammation, cancer, age-related renal disease, and diabetes.
The extract has shown significant decrease of the blood glucose, as well as triglyceridemic levels and an improvement of the liver function caused by a normalization of the liver-specific enzyme alanine transaminase activity.

Gooseberry Juice
The juice is fondly addressed as the “Nurse”, the “Great Rejuvenator”, and the “Juice of Immortality” for centuries, due to its numerous healing properties and its ability to nourish the body on all levels. Gooseberry juice is made from crushing the fruit with some water after removing the seed. It can be added with some salt to cover the sour taste. Gooseberry juice is a natural, efficacious, and an anti-oxidant with the richest natural source of Vitamin C. It also contains cytokine like substances identified as zeatin, z. riboside, z. nucleotide. Gooseberry juice is extremely beneficial for treating ailments and availing several health benefits.

• The antibacterial and astringent properties of gooseberry juice prevent infection and help in the healing of ulcers.
  It is used as a laxative to relieve constipation in piles.
  It is used in the treatment of leukorrhea and atherosclerosis.
• The juice is referred to in ancient text as the best medicine to prevent aging.
  It is a very strong rejuvenative which is believed to be the richest natural source of anti-oxidant vitamin C (with up to 900 mg/100g of pressed juice). Vitamin C acts as an anti-oxidant and can help to rid the body of dangerous molecules called free radicals. This important vitamin is also necessary for the synthesis of collagen. Blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bones all require collagen. Another benefit of Vitamin C is the part it plays in helping to synthesize norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter which helps maintain brain function and mood. Vitamin C can also help to lower blood pressure, maintain healthy immune functions, promote good dental health, and aid in the healing of wounds.
• Another anti-oxidant found in gooseberry juice is superoxide dismutase. SOD (superoxide dismutase) is an important enzyme important in ridding the body of free radicals. Health issues such as arthritis, prostate problems, corneal ulcers, and inflammatory bowel disease have been known to be helped by SOD. It also protects against oxidative stress.
• It is also effective for respiratory complaints.
• The juice is used in Ayurveda as a cardiotonic, aphrodisiac, antipyretic, antidiabetic, cerebral and gastrointestinal tonic.
• The juice also contains polyphenols which have anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergenic properties. They can help to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, diminish risks of cancer, and aid in immune system health.

I have been using gooseberry juice personally and it has been giving good results. Hope you too try this magic tonic that has been around with the traditional medicine community for a while.