Why Do We Get Hiccups

Almost everyone gets hiccups. They can be annoying, but they are usually harmless. Hiccups happen when a large muscle under your lungs called the diaphragm suddenly contracts. This makes you suck in air very quickly. The air hits your voice box, and that creates the hic sound.

What Causes Hiccups

Many things can trigger hiccups. Eating too fast, drinking fizzy drinks, or swallowing air can irritate the diaphragm. Excitement and sudden temperature changes can cause hiccups too. Sometimes hiccups start for no clear reason at all. Most hiccups go away on their own in a few minutes.

Getting Rid of Hiccups

People have tried many tricks to stop hiccups. Holding your breath, sipping cold water, or breathing into a paper bag are common remedies. These tricks may work because they change the levels of carbon dioxide in your blood. Scientists are not sure why some remedies work for some people but not others.

Fun Facts

• A man named Charles Osborne had hiccups for 68 years straight, from 1922 to 1990.
• Babies hiccup even before they are born, while still inside their mother.
• An average hiccup lasts less than half a second.

Did You Know?

Some scientists think hiccups may be left over from an ancient reflex. Tadpoles use a similar muscle movement to push water over their gills. Since humans evolved from animals that once lived in water, hiccups might be an old leftover!