Health encyclopaedia

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Hiccup

Hiccups (or hiccoughs) are a sudden, involuntary squeezing of the diaphragm, the main breathing muscle under the lungs. This squeezing action sucks air quickly into the lungs, snapping shut a valve (glottis) above the voice-box (larynx). This snapping makes the sound of a hiccup.

Hiccups start suddenly, and usually last for only a few minutes. You might hiccup anywhere between 4 to 60 times a minute. Hiccups will usually stop on their own.

Hiccups are a reflex action; this means you do not have any control over them. They do not seem to have a useful purpose and are more common in the evening. Babies can hiccup while in the womb but women seem to have fewer episodes of hiccupping while they are pregnant.

Persistent hiccups (lasting for more than 48 hours) is rare, but may be caused by an underlying disease. This can be very tiring and upsetting, and can make eating and drinking difficult.

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