Hiccups are funny if it happens once or twice, but if they persist, it could be bothersome. Most of us experience hiccups, but do you really know from where they occur? Hiccups are sudden and peculiar sounds that can come from your mouth without any indication.

Hiccups start from dome-shaped muscle diaphragm situated between lungs and stomach. Normally the diaphragm pulls down when you inhale air, to let air into the lungs, and relaxes when you exhale, so air flows out of the lungs through your nose and mouth.

But in certain instances, if something irritates diaphragm, it contracts and forces to pull in air into your throat, that hits your voice box and closes your vocal cord suddenly, causing a definite hic sound.

Hiccups can happen due to physical or emotional reasons as the irritation happens in the nerves connecting the brain to the diaphragm. Some other causes are eating fast or too much, nervousness, drinking soft drinks or alcohol, and swallowing air while eating candy or chewing gum.

Sometimes hiccups can be for a long term, mostly due to other conditions affecting the central nervous system like meningitis, metabolic disorder like diabetes and kidney failure. Certain medications like steroids or tranquillizers can trigger long-term hiccups.

If hiccups prolong for more than 2 days and interfere with your normal eating, breathing, and sleeping pattern and giving you trouble, then consult your physician.

Remedies For Hiccups:

Hold your breath for few seconds.

Drink a glass of water immediately.

Place a teaspoon of sugar beneath tongue.

Gargling water, biting lemon or smelling salt are some of the remedies.

In very rare cases your doctor may prescribe medications such as chlorpromazine, haloperidol, and metoclopramide for severe long-lasting hiccups.