The most common causes of hiccups are eating and drinking too fast, but there are other factors, such as swallowing air, or intense emotions, such as; crying, laughing, stress, and excitement. But what happens during hiccups?

The main organ involved in the process of hiccups is the diaphragm, a dome shaped muscle at the bottom of the chest that we use to inhale and exhale air. Sometimes, the diaphragm reacts and spasms causing us to take a quick breath of air. The sudden rush of air causes the glottis, a flap inside the vocal cords to shut abruptly, stopping the air from entering the windpipe and reaching the lungs, thus creating that weird noise (Hic).

Most of the times, the hiccup goes on its own, but sometimes, it becomes very difficult to get rid of it. Causing the affected person to try various placebo treatments like; drinking a glass of salty water, holding our breath, pulling our tongue, breathing into a paper bag, or getting suddenly scared.

But despite all these efforts for curing hiccup, there is no guarantee that any of these temporary solutions work better than the other, or will help to stop the hiccup. However, it is advisable to see your doctor if your hiccup lasts longer than 24 hours or is causing issues with your sleep, breathing or eating.