Why do we hiccup ?

Whenever somebody hiccups, it is often remarked that he is being remembered by some one. Some people even go to the extent of saying that the person who is hiccuping has secretly eaten something. It is just a reflex action of the body by which the body protects itself.

Why do we hiccup ?

There is a diaphragm located between the chest and the stomach. While inhaling air this diaphragm goes down and presses the stomach due to which the lungs are filled with air, while exhaling air, the diaphragm goes up and the air comes out from the lungs. Thus the diaphragm goes up and down and the process of respiration continues incessantly without making any sound.

The diaphragm functions like a piston. But sometimes, due to the formation of gas or increase of acidity in the stomach , the diaphragm gets irritated and as a result contracts suddenly. In such a situation , the air passing into the lungs experiences obstruction and makes a peculiar sound. This is nothing but the hiccup.

Therefore it is a process by which the body tries to expel gas or undesirable food material out of the stomach so that the respiration remain unobstructed. Shrinking of the diaphragm due to drinking or the growth of a tumour near it also causes hiccup.

The best way to stop hiccup is to drink a glass of cold water because the cold water stops the irritation produced in the diaphragm and it resumes it normal movement. Hiccup can also be stopped by holding breath for a while. Sometimes the hiccup stops when one sees something frightening.

If the hiccup does not stop even after a long time, it is advisable to consult a physician. Generally under such situation, doctors prescribe the inhaling of oxygen mixed with 5 to 10 per cent of carbon-dioxide.