A hiccup is a muscle under your lungs twitching all by itself. That one tiny twitch sets off the whole hic.
What happens in a hiccup?
The muscle is called the diaphragm, and it pulls air into your lungs. When it suddenly jerks, you gulp in air very fast. A split second later, your vocal cords slam shut and you hear "hic".
What sets it off?
A full stomach, fizzy drinks, or sudden excitement can set off the nerves that control the diaphragm. Then it twitches again and again, but often there is no clear reason at all.
Why do we have them?
Babies even hiccup in the womb before they are born. Scientists found that in newborn babies, each hiccup sends a wave of signals to the brain. That may help them learn to control their breathing.
Sources
- Mayo Clinic: Hiccups
- Cleveland Clinic: Hiccups: Causes and Ways To Get Rid of Them
- Healthline: What Causes Hiccups
- Wikipedia: Hiccup
- UCL: Newborn baby hiccups could be key to brain development
- StatPearls (NCBI): Singultus
- BJGP: Hiccups: a common problem with some unusual causes and cures
- Merck Manual Professional: Hiccups
- Medscape: Hiccups: Practice Essentials
- NHS: Hiccups
- Cleveland Clinic: Hiccups
- Medical News Today: Why do we hiccup?
