Why do we get hiccups?

Most of us have experienced uncomfortable hiccups, sometimes embarrassing, but usually short-lived. But sometimes hiccups persist for a longer period of time and can be a sign of serious underlying diseases. The medical term for hiccups is ‘singultus’.

But have you ever wondered that from where these funny noises are coming from? Actually, the part to blame is your diaphragm-‘a dome-shaped muscles at the bottom of your chest’. The diaphragm almost always works properly like when we inhale, it contracts so as to allow the air to pass into the lungs freely. Similarly, during exhalation, it relaxes so that the air moves out freely.

But sometimes the diaphragm gets irritated, especially when we eat too fast or feeling nervous or excited. Then it contracts in a jerky way which makes us suck air into throat suddenly. Imagine you are traveling in a bus, how will you feel if you experience a lot of jerk. Similarly, diaphragm also gets irritated and hence it allows air to enter in a jerky way and when this air hits the voice box in an irregular interval, our vocal cords close suddenly and hence gives a big hiccup. So in this way, the diaphragm takes the revenge of disturbing his usual functioning by giving us a hiccup.

      

You have probably heard a lot of suggestion to get rid of those strange sounds like holding your breath and counting to ten is one way some people can get rid of their hiccups while some others drink too much water which helps them to wave goodbye to their hiccups.