Hiccups happen when your diaphragm – a sheetlike muscle at the bottom of your chest that helps you suck air into your lungs – goes a little haywire, usually after eating too much or too quickly or when you get nervous. The diaphragm spasms, jerking air into your throat to make the familiar hic-up sound.
Some things that irritate the diaphragm are eating too quickly or too much, an irritation in the stomach or the throat, or feeling nervous or excited. Almost all cases of the hiccups last only a few minutes. Some cases of the hiccups can last for days or even months, but this is very unusual and it’s usually a sign of another medical problem.
You’ve probably heard lots of suggestions for how to get rid of hiccups, and maybe you’ve even tried a few. Holding your breath and counting to 10 is one way some people can get rid of their hiccups. Other people say that drinking from the “wrong” side of a glass of water is the way to become hiccup-free.
Putting sugar under your tongue might work, too. And maybe the most famous treatment — having someone jump out and scare you when you’re not expecting it — helps some people wave goodbye to their hiccups.
Picture Credit : Google