Reason for Hiccups

Everyone's had the hiccups, and everyone's heard a dozen different ways to get rid of them. It's harder to find people who know what hiccups really are and what causes them.

Identification

• Hiccups are caused by the involuntary contraction of the diaphragm, a muscle in your chest that helps you breathe. When the diaphragm contracts, your vocal chords suddenly close. That produces the audible "hic" and the jerking sensation in your body.

Causes

• The diaphragm contraction can be the result of eating too much, drinking too much alcohol, an irritation in your breathing patterns, noxious fumes or, very rarely, a more serious medical condition.

Time Frame

• For most people, a case of the hiccups lasts a few minutes at most. For one in every 100,000 cases, however, hiccups last longer, sometimes for months.

Fun Fact

• The record for longest case of continual hiccups is held by Charles Osborne of Iowa, who hiccuped continuously for 68 years. Scientists estimate that Charles hiccuped 40 times an hour, though that slowed to about half that rate later in his life.

Prevention/Solution

• There are a number of home remedies to take care of the hiccups. The most popular are breathing into a paper bag, or holding your breath, or drinking a glass of cold water slowly, or eating a spoonful of sugar. Since hiccups are caused by an agitation to the respiratory system, the best solution is to relax and breathe as slowly and regularly as you can.