Nobody knows why hiccups exist. The medical term for hiccups is “Singultus” – a latin word for the act of catching one’s breath while crying. It is a two step process. Step one is a muscle spasm that causes a lot of air to be sucked in. Step two is a nearly immediate closure of the airways that block that air, causing a hiccuping noise. The muscles that spasm are mostly found in the diaphragm. The flap of skin that blocks the airway to the lungs is called a glottis. It closes around 35 milliseconds after the air is sucked in.
Known causes of hiccups:
1. Too much gas in stomach
2. Rapid eating
3. Carbonated beverages
4. Stress
How to cure Hiccups:
1. Rapidly swallowing water or ice chips
2. Holding Breath
3. Rebreathing from a paper bag
Facts about Hiccups:
1. Ultrasounds have shown that even fetuses have hiccups
2. Some think it may be a holdover from our deep evolutionary past
3. Hiccups help babies to self burp
4. Hiccups are actually a way to prepare the fetus for breathing, once it is born, by exercising it’s muscle.
5. Infants hiccup more than humans.
