Originally published on Live Science. Ashley P. Taylor is a writer based in Brooklyn, New York. As a science writer, she focuses on molecular biology and health, though she enjoys learning about experiments of all kinds. In addition to science, Ashley loves music, dance and language in all its wide possibilities. Live Science. See all comments 0. No comments yet Comment from the forums.
In the womb, hiccups may be a programmed exercise of the lungs to help with breathing. Other causes of hiccups may include acid reflux and drinking carbonated beverages. The good news is that hiccups are usually short lived. If you have persistent hiccups that last for several days or more, see a doctor.
This may indicate the presence of a medical issue that needs attention. Sometimes, certain diseases or even a medical procedure , especially those involving anesthesia, can cause prolonged bouts of hiccups. However, some anecdotal evidence suggests that an increase in carbon dioxide may help. Holding your breath or breathing into a paper bag increases carbon dioxide levels in the lungs and may relax the diaphragm, stopping the spasms and, thus, the hiccups.
Why Sneezing Is So Weird. Today, this CPG functions in a similar way in humans. Hiccups arise out of a complicated motor act, during which the diaphragm and accompanying chest and neck muscles contract suddenly. When the diaphragm is irritated for example, from heartburn, ulcers, too much food or alcohol, it can suddenly contract, pulling downwards and sucking in air. The subsequent burp occurs as a result of the roof of the mouth, and the back of the tongue, moving up, allowing for a huge gasp of trapped air to escape out again.
This has led scientists to surmise a CPG must exist in human brains that sends this recurring, periodic signal to control movement of the glottis, much like how actions like coughing and breathing are controlled.
The CPG, however, has evolved to be conditional. Humans are not hiccuping all the time, which led scientists to explore what triggers the CPG. This, however, proved not to be an easy feat. Most research surrounding hiccups can only be conducted among people who have a pathological hiccuping problem, which scientists have traced to an infection in the diaphragm, brain lesions, or issues with any of the nerves — phrenic, vagus — that carry messages to and fro between the involved neural and muscular systems.
In addition to gastric problems, research shows physical trauma to the head, for example and tumors can also cause hiccups — all of which affect the operations involved in hiccups, from the stomach to the brain and central nervous system.
Another theory for why hiccups happen involve babies in utero. Hiccups, or hiccoughs, are involuntary sounds made by spasms of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a large sheet of muscle slung beneath the lungs that, together with the intercostal muscles, causes us to breathe.
The muscular spasm of these muscles sucks air into the lungs, and the quick inhalation makes a structure inside the throat called the epiglottis slam shut. The epiglottis is a flap of tissue that closes over the windpipe during swallowing to prevent the inhalation of food, fluids or saliva. Generally, hiccups resolve by themselves after a few minutes, but prolonged hiccups that last for days or weeks may be symptomatic of underlying disorders. Certain drugs, including epilepsy medications, can make a person more prone to hiccups.
Symptoms of hiccups The symptoms of hiccups include: A sharp contraction or spasm of the diaphragm that is felt just below the breastbone. Air is involuntarily sucked into the throat. Hiccups usually stop after a few minutes. Cause of hiccups The muscular activity of the diaphragm is controlled by nerves. Hiccups occur when particular stimuli trigger the nerves to send the diaphragm into spasms.
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