“Sometimes noisy, sometimes quite;
Getting hiccups could be annoying sometimes.”
Every people experience hiccups many times in their lifetime. But have you ever thought why do you get hiccups?
Hiccups can be irritating and annoying and sometimes embarrassing as well, but they are mostly an issue for a short time.
Some people, however, experience recurrent episodes of persistent hiccups which are also termed chronic hiccups.
Furthermore, they are defined as episodes that last longer than 48 hours.
Hiccups are when sudden contractions of your diaphragm make the muscles that separate the chest and abdomen breathe.
Each contraction is succeeded by a sudden closure of your vocal cords, which produces the characteristic “hic” sound.
This is, however, just an overview.
Let’s know more about it in detail.
What Are Hiccups?
Hiccups are sudden actions, reflex actions that the body can’t control.
“Singultus” is the Latin name for hiccups.
Singultus comes from the word “singult” which means to catch one’s breath while sniveling.
When hiccups happen, the muscle under your lungs that helps you to breathe contracts.
To elaborate, during the process of breathing in, the person uses intercostal muscles and the diaphragm.
When a person breathes in, the diaphragm pulls down to draw air into the lungs.
And as they breathe out, the diaphragm pushes up to expel the air.
So, basically, the diaphragm contracts and pulls down when hiccups happen.
Immediately after this, the esophagus or windpipe closes for a moment to stop more air from entering the lungs.
Due to this, the “hic” sound occurs.
But the question is why it happens frequently sometimes?
Why Do You Get Hiccups More Than Once In A Day?
Since there are many reasons that hiccups happen suddenly, some of the prominent reasons are enumerated below:
#1. After Drinking Or Eating Food
There is a chance of hiccups occurring while you are eating or drinking too much or too quickly.
But why does it happen?
So, what happens is, at this time, the stomach which is directly below the diaphragm becomes bloat.
This causes irritation in the diaphragm and causes it to contract as it does when we breathe in.
Adding to it, smoking a lot or consuming alcohol, or eating hot food more than cold food always causes hiccups.
#2. Emotional Triggers
Sometimes due to the disturbance in nerve cells that lead directly from the brain to the muscles between, it causes hiccups. However, this can be short-lived.
The reasons are mentioned below:
#1. Over-excitement
#2. Abrupt change in temperature, like taking a cold shower
#3. Emotional shock or stress
#3. Other Reasons That Cause Hiccups
It can also happen when a person:
• Overstretches their neck while shaving
• Taking certain kinds of medications
This was about why do you get hiccups.
Moreover, while it appear harmless most of the time, it does have certain complications and detrimental effects.
Complications Of Hiccups
The short bouts of hiccups do not cause any problems to your health.
But continuous OR persistent hiccups may cause some complications.
It may give rise to issues like tiredness, exhaustion, or poor sleep.
Moreover, sometimes, it may lead to choking and breathing issues as well.
Therefore, if in any case, hiccups are causing you irritation, it’s better to consult your doctor immediately.
The Bottom Line
Anything that causes irritation to your esophagus or food pipe or causes abdominal distention can cause hiccups.
Generally, this issue is short-lived and usually stops on its own, but there is the thing that can help you to make them stop quicker.
You should stop eating certain food or beverage that cause hiccups.
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