Everyone gets the hiccups. The unmistakable, sudden muscle movements and distinct "hic" sound are an all too common occurrence, especially while eating or drinking. While hiccups are usually brief and go away on their own, they can be incredibly annoying.
That's why humans have come up with so many ways to get rid of them over the years. Hold your breath; drink water; eat a spoonful of sugar. There are plenty of hiccup remedies out there, but which ones actually work to get rid of hiccups? Doctors explain what causes hiccups, how to get rid of them, and when to see a doctor.
"Hiccups are recurrent, uncontrollable contractions or spasms of the diaphragm that cause the larynx and vocal cords to close suddenly, which forces air into the lungs and creates the 'hic' sound," , clinical director of the Mount Sinai National Jewish Respiratory Institute, tells TODAY.com. The diaphragm is a thin, dome-shaped muscle beneath the lungs, which helps us inhale and exhale, .
"When the diaphragm pulls down suddenly between breaths, that causes the sucking in of air and the glottis, the space between the vocal cords, suddenly closes to prevent more air from coming in, which produces a sound," Dr. Ekta Gupta, gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, tells TODAY.com.
Hiccups are often acute, or short-lasting. These are also called transient hiccups, says Chun. Acute hiccups typically last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, but for some people.