A sudden attack of the noisy spasms can be embarrassing, but there are ways to control it
Hiccups can be embarrassing. Imagine you are in a quiet room. You suddenly have a series of loud hiccups and there's nothing you can do about it.
Hiccups or hiccoughs are sounds made by spasms or contractions of your diaphragm. The diaphragm is the muscle that separates your chest from your stomach and plays an important role in breathing.
As the muscle contracts repeatedly, you involuntarily suck air into your throat. This shuts the opening of your vocal cords. This sudden closure of the vocal cords causes the unmistakable 'hic' sound of hiccups. Hiccups can last for a few seconds or minutes.
The causes of hiccups
We don't really know why hiccups occur. Sometimes they just happen for no apparent reason.
But there are triggers that can cause pressure on the diaphragm or stomach.
