What are hiccups?

Answer 1

A hiccup or hiccough (normally pronounced "HICK-up" regardless of spelling) is an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm; typically this repeats several times a minute. The sudden rush of air into the lungs causes the epiglottis to close, creating the "hic" listen (help·info) noise.

Did you know that some american dude called Charles Osbourne was hicupping for 68 years...

Answer 2

from THE STRAIGHT DOPE...

Here's what we know. When you hiccup, your diaphragm and nearby muscles convulse, causing you to briefly gulp air. Within 35 milliseconds the glottis (the opening at the top of the air passage) slams shut, producing the characteristic "hic."

If you're able to stifle the hiccup right away, great. But if you hiccup more than seven times you'd better settle in for the long haul. Once in hiccup mode you typically will hiccup 63 times or more. Maybe a lot more. The hiccup record, last time I checked, was 57 years.

Hiccups are commonly caused by distention of the stomach, which you get if you eat too much, drink carbonated beverages, or swallow too much air. This suggests hiccup as a sequela to boozing may be more the result of fizzy mixers than alcohol itself. Or else you just slurp.

Lots of other things can cause hiccups too, some of them pretty scary. Skimming through a long list, I see skull fracture, epilepsy, diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, tuberculosis, meningitis, bowel obstruction, and ulcerative colitis.


Hiccups are paroxysmal, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm that occur along with contractions of the larynx and closure of the glottis, arresting the inflow of air. Hiccups are commonly induced by minor stomach upsets. Occasionally, hiccups may be ascribed to psychogenic causes originating in the mind. Mild cases of hiccups usually disappear without treatment. {Microsoft Encarta}

Hiccups are the result of an action the body takes to protect itself. Hiccups can start because hot food has irritated the phrenic nerve near the esophagus, or when gas in the stomach presses upward against the diaphragm. The diaphragm separates the chest from the stomach. The diaphragm tightens and pulls air into the lungs.

But air can't get through and we feel a "bump" at the moment the air is stopped. So hiccups are a reflex action of the body trying to get food or gas out of the stomach, thereby irritating the diaphragm. This in turn, affects the passage of air in and out of the lungs. We feel this as a "bump" and say we have the hiccups.
{The Big Book Of Tell Me Why, by Arkady Leokum}

Answer 3

Hiccups are spasmodic, involuntary movements of the diaphragm. When they occur, we breathe in a small bit of air, and since it's often unexpected, we often make a noise because we aren't consciously controlling the shape of our mouth and throat.

Answer 4

When the two phrenic nerves that innervate the diaphragm (one on each side) get out of sync. It can be triggered by irritation in the esophagus, such as very spicy food, or swallowing too much air at once. There can be other causes.

Answer 5

Annoying.

Answer 6

hiccups are a simple twitch in your diaphram... as for getting rid of them... i have my way im sure you have yours

Answer 7

contractions of the diaphram muscles.

Answer 8

a spasmodic reflex

Answer 9

JUST CHECK IN DICTIONARY.

Answer 10

when u hic up ;]