Why do we hiccup?
Thanks for asking.
Of all the involuntary spasms the human body has, hiccuping is one of the most peculiar.
Sure it's funny at first and in particular if it's happening to someone else rather
than you, but it quickly gets annoying if it doesn't go away.
There are two things to note when you have the hiccups.
First your respiratory muscles and the diaphragm in particular contract suddenly and push
out air from within the lungs.
Secondly the epiglottis has a role to play.
It can be found in the throat and when we hiccup it contracts, stopping air from entering.
That's what causes the vocal cords to vibrate, creating the distinctive hiccuping sound.
It's not entirely clear why we get hiccups, but theories include a low level of carbon
dioxide in the body and irritated nerves.
There's actually a medical term for hiccuping too, which is singultus, and humans are far
from being the only species to do it.
It can happen to many animals with a similar breathing system, and that includes all mammals.
What's the best way to avoid getting hiccups?
The most obvious thing you can do is to not eat or drink too quickly.
When your stomach is very full, your diaphragm tends to contract, making hiccups more likely.
Other known triggers for short term hiccoping include drinking soda or a lot of alcohol,
or eating too much.
Consumption habits aside, other causes can be excitement, emotional stress, or a sudden
temperature change.
That advice goes for short term hiccoping, but long term cases might have an underlying
cause which is beyond your control.
How long can about a hiccuping last?
It usually only lasts a few minutes at most, ending as suddenly as it started for no
apparent reason, but in some rare cases, hiccups can last for over 48 hours.
If that happens, you'll definitely want to see a doctor as the cause could be more
than a simple nerve irritation.
According to Smithsonian Mag, each year 5,000 people are actually hospitalised for hiccoping
in the United States.
One prominent example happened in Brazil in July 2021, then President Jair Bolsonaro was
hospitalised after hiccoping for 10 days straight.
These hiccups could be clearly heard while giving public addresses, like this example
shared on his official Facebook page.
But the record for the longest hiccuping episode unquestionably goes to American man Charles
Osborne.
He started hiccoping in 1922 after a work related accident.
Only in 1990, 68 years later did Osborne's hiccups subside.
Doctors have speculated that his accident had damaged the part of the brain that inhibits
the hiccup reflex, or that a damaged diaphragm was responsible.
What about all the home remedies you hear about for hiccoping?
That's true, there are a lot of old wives' tales out there, but there's never been any
scientific studies to back them up.
As I mentioned, hiccups usually just go away on their own, so it pays to be patient.
But if they're really bothering you, you could try one of these techniques, which actually
become recommended by the NHS, breathing into a paper bag, pulling your knees up to your
chest and leaning forward, sipping ice cold water, or swallowing a small amount of
granulated sugar.
There you have it!
Now you know where hiccups come from.
In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind
the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines.
Listen along and you will really know for sure.
