what is the reason for hick-up and yarning?

Answer 1

Hiccup or Hiccough, characteristic sound that occurs when a sudden rush of air into the nasal and oral passages is abruptly cut off. Hiccups are caused by a spasm, or sudden, involuntary contraction, of the diaphragm (the muscular partition separating the chest and abdominal cavities). Normally during breathing the diaphragm contracts and flattens, drawing air into the lungs and then forcing air out as it relaxes. A spasm of the diaphragm causes air to be inhaled suddenly. As the air rushes through the airway on its way to the lungs, the opening into the windpipe, called the glottis, closes abruptly. As a result, the flow of air is halted and the vocal cords close rapidly, producing the characteristic hic sound.

Generally several hiccups occur in rapid succession. They usually stop spontaneously after a few minutes. When they fail to subside, holding the breath or breathing in and out of a paper bag may stop them. In rare cases, however, hiccups may persist for days, weeks, or even months. Prolonged cases of hiccups will sometimes occur as a result of irritation of the diaphragm or related nerves during the course of a disease such as pneumonia, gastrointestinal disorders, alcoholism, or kidney failure. Such persistent hiccups are exhausting and treatment is necessary. Some drugs are helpful in stopping hiccups, but in severe cases where drugs are not successful, an operation to cut or paralyze the nerve that supplies the diaphragm is required.



Yawn, a deep, usually involuntary, intake of air that breaks the shallow breathing that often accompanies drowsiness or boredom. During a yawn there is a sudden increase in the heart rate and watering of the eyes, possibly due to pressure on the tear glands as the air is sucked in. There is no known reason for yawning, but researchers theorize that it may be a mechanism to increase alertness as monotony or boredom builds. As breathing slows, the oxygen level in the lungs drops and carbon dioxide builds up in the bloodstream. Carbon dioxide-sensitive cells in the brain may trigger a yawn as a means of restoring normal breathing and ventilating the lungs, thereby forcing oxygen through blood vessels in the brain. Studies have shown, however, that even people with high oxygen levels in their bloodstreams will yawn. A yawn will often cause a person nearby to yawn, perhaps, doctors say, as a result of pure suggestion.

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Answer 2

Hiccups are known to develop often in specific situations, such as eating too quickly, taking a cold drink while eating a hot meal, eating very hot or spicy food, laughing vigorously or coughing, drinking an excess of an alcoholic beverage, or electrolyte imbalance. Hiccups may be caused by pressure to the phrenic nerve by other anatomical structures, or rarely by tumors and certain kidney disease. One possible beneficial effect of hiccups is to dislodge large chunks of food, which have become stuck in the esophagus, or which are traveling too slowly.

A yawn is a reflex of deep inhalation and exhalation associated with being tired, with a need to sleep, or from lack of stimulation. Pandiculation is the term for the act of stretching and yawning.A previous long-standing hypothesis is that yawning is caused by an excess of carbon dioxide and lack of oxygen in the blood. The brain stem detects this and triggers the yawn reflex. The mouth stretches wide and the lungs inhale deeply, bringing oxygen into the lungs and hence to the bloodstream. The exact causes of yawning are still unknown.

Answer 3

A hiccup is a reflex spasm of the diapragm and is the effect of an underlying cause, such as indigestion or the excessive chewing of nicotine gum -- not a really functional process itself.

A yawn is what happens when the brain needs a shot of oxygen to stave off sleepiness.