Hiccup ..!

Ever wonder how hiccups come about?



Is it true that hiccups are caused by the lack of oxygen?
Scaring/surprising someone can cure one's hiccup?
Drinking in an upside down manner can bring hiccup to an end?

I'm here to unveil general informations on hiccups.

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[MYTH?]

Is it true that hiccups are caused by the lack of oxygen?

MYTH.

Scaring/surprising someone can cure one's hiccup?

TRUE.

Drinking in an upside down manner can bring hiccup to an end?

TRUE

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What? Hiccup? What the heck is that?

Hiccup is an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm ; typically this repeats several times a minute. The sudden rush of air into the lungs causes the epiglottis to close, creating the "hic" noise.


When usually hiccup occur?

• Eating too quickly
• Taking a cold drink while eating a hot meal
• Eating very hot or spicy food
• Laughing vigorously/ coughing
• Drinking alcoholic / carbonated beverage to excess
  
• Crying out loud
• Some smoking situations where abnormal inhalation occur
  

Actually, hiccup is not that bad after all..

Hiccups actually aids peristalsis of food.It also dislodge foreign pieces of food, which have become stuck in the oesophagus, or which are traveling too slowly. When a piece of food is swallowed that is too large for the natural peristalsis of the oesophagus to move the food quickly into the stomach, the hiccup reflex takes place to apply external pressure on the food.

OMG! BUT BUT HOW DO I OVERCOME HICCUPS?!

• Concentration on one's hiccups - using sheer will to stop them
• Swallowing a spoonful of sugar (not recommended for diabetic people)
  
• Swallowing three times while holding one's breath
• Swallowing a teaspoon of vinegar in one gulp
  
• Eating an ice cube (PICK ON A REASONABLE CUBE SIZE)
  
• Attempting to drink a glass of water 'upside down'
• Drinking a glass of water with a spoon touching one's temple
• Put a cold ice pack on your head and drink a glass of water
• Swallowing a tablespoon full of peanut butter
• Swallowing a scoop of ice cream slowly (the yummiest remedy)
• Breathing slowly and deeply in while thinking 'breathing out' and breathing slowly and fully out while thinking 'breathing in'
• Holding one's breath while optionally squeezing one's stomach
• Breathing deeply through the nose, then exhaling slowly through the mouth
• Exhaling all the air from one's lungs and holding one's breath while swallowing water or saliva
• Smoking a cigarette (WHAT THE?)
  
• Blowing up a balloon
• Inducing sneezing
• In babies, hiccups are usually immediately stopped by breastfeeding(why doesn't this apply for grown ups?!) or simply by insertion of a finger into the baby's mouth.
• Take your right hand, and push it on your left arm.
• Pinch your ear lobe and breath normally.
• Giving the person suffering from hiccups a sudden and unexpected fright (for example, by shouting at them)

information extracted from
wikipedia

Sorry for such a brief post as I came up with the idea of posting this when I got hiccup moments ago.

Hope your next hiccup would be a more forgiving experience for you =).