We have all had hiccups, but do you know what causes them? Hiccups are the strange little sounds that might come out of our mouths without warning.
Hiccups, on the other hand, begin considerably lower in your body, in the diaphragm, the dome-shaped muscle between your lungs and stomach. When you inhale, the diaphragm pulls down to let air into your lungs, and when you exhale, it relaxes to allow air to flow back out of your lungs and out your nose and mouth.
If your diaphragm is irritated, it can spasm, forcing you to suck air into your throat, where it hits your voice box. This suddenly causes your vocal cords to close, producing the distinct “hic!” sound.
Why do hiccups happen?
It can occur for a variety of reasons, a few of them are physical, and some are emotional. This is because the irritation occurs in the nerve that connects the brain to the diaphragm. Some of the most common causes are:
- take too much spicy food
- consuming alcoholic beverages
- consuming carbonated beverages such as sodas
- consuming extremely hot or extremely cold foods
- swallow air when chewing gum
- ecstasy or emotional tension
- Overeating
- Feeling nervous or excited?
- Stress
- A quick temperature change
Did You Know?
- The medical term for hiccups is singultus, derived from the Latin “singult” meaning to catch a breath while sobbing.
- Hiccups can happen to everyone at any age. They can even occur while the baby is still in the womb.
- Hiccups are also common in babies, are rarely uncomfortable, and do not require home cures or treatment.