Dr. Simmy Chopra

It is a universally known fact that milk is good for your health, unless you are lactose intolerant of course. But have you ever taken a close look at what milk really accomplishes for your body? Knowing about the medical advantages of consuming milk can also inspire you to include this nutritious item in your diet on a regular basis.

1. Astonishing Complexion: A glowing complexion is everyone's dream. And milk keeps your skin to stay supple, delicate and sparkling. This is because of the numerous vitamins and nutritional supplements it contains. Drinking about two glasses of milk every day can offer you this benefit in a wonderful way.
2. Solid Teeth: Milk is a powerhouse of calcium, and that is precisely what your teeth need. Milk also helps in avoiding depressions and tooth rot. Along with calcium, vitamin D is also extremely important for your body, so ensure that the milk you drink is laced with vitamin D.
3. Solid Bones: You already know that children need to drink milk regularly to build healthy bones and it's also good for their overall development. But grown-ups can also benefit by drinking milk to keep their bones solid, which will lessen the danger of osteoporosis. Once more, this advantage originates from the calcium found in milk, and also vitamin D which retains the calcium in the body.
4. Muscle Growth: Milk can enhance muscle development in a very effective way. This is because of the protein found in milk. Numerous athletes and health freaks drink milk after a workout, as it gives their body the vital supplements needed for recuperation. Milk also forestalls muscles soreness and recharges the liquids that are lost through physical exertion.
5. Weight reduction: Studies have demonstrated that ladies who drink milk daily will probably get in shape faster than ladies who don't drink milk. In case you're looking for a solid nibble or satisfying snack, drink a glass of milk. It's additionally prescribed that you take it with supper or while eating an organic product.

Researchers have also found that milk keeps various maladies at bay. It has the ability to lower hypertension and decrease the danger of strokes. Likewise, milk can diminish the creation of cholesterol by your liver and enhances visual perception. There are a few scientists who also believe that milk can reduce the danger of building up of certain types of malignancy. 

Involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle, located at the base of the lungs, causes hiccups. Such spasms cause the sudden, quick closure of the vocal cords, during air inhalation, causing you to gasp with the characteristic ‘hic’ sound. Hiccupping is an uncontrolled reflex action, often triggered for no apparent reason. 

They occur frequently and are more common in newborns and infants.  A hiccupping bout generally continues for a few minutes and subsides on its own.  These spasms generally occur in a constant rhythmic pattern. They are often set off by anything that creates a pressure on or around the diaphragm. These include:

1. Eating too fast or because of the speedy swallowing of food 
2. Consumption of exceptionally hot and spicy foods
3. Indigestion
4. Consumption of aerated fizzy beverages
5. Lack of sleep, stress and exhaustion
6. Pregnancy
7. Smoking
8. Excess consumption of Alcohol
9. Intake of certain medications

How problematic can they be?
In most cases, hiccups stop within a short period of time. Persistent hiccups however, keep occurring for over 48 hours and some continue for over a month, which are also medically termed as Intractable Hiccups. Medical attention is required when hiccups start interfering with sleeping or eating patterns, cause intense breathing difficulty and vomiting. Relentless hiccupping can be painful and extremely tiring. It creates discomfort in the upper abdominal region, and hinders normal routine.

Home remedies for it
Hiccups are generally not serious and most often resolved by simple home remedies. Some of these home remedies include quickly drinking a glass of water, holding your breath for a while or evenly breathing into a paper bag.

Persistent hiccups, that occur at frequent intervals and continue for weeks and months could, however, be indicative of an underlying serious health condition. Therefore, you must visit a doctor if your hiccups do not subside easily.

Incessant hiccups could be symptoms of any type of liver or abdominal disease or lung disease such as pneumonia. Strokes, brain tumours and certain nervous disorders may also cause hiccups; as such disorders create a disturbance in the functioning of the diaphragm. 

Medications
In case of painful, frequent hiccups, the physician may prescribe you some medications. These may include certain types of muscle relaxants, sedatives, analgesics or any other kind of stimulant that can help in providing a remedy.

How can you ‘prevent’ it?
The onset of a bout of hiccups, is mostly self induced, involuntary spasms, thus cannot often be predicted or prevented. However, certain precautions may be taken to avoid recurrence. Abstinence from smoking, controlled drinking, not gulping down food too fast are only a few ways that control the frequency of hiccups. However, it is always advisable to get yourself examined by a medical practitioner in case of a prolonged spell of hiccups.