What Causes Hiccups?

Just about everyone has had them and no one really likes them, but hiccups are a part of life. There are many different reasons individuals can get hiccups, including physical and emotional causes. What most don’t realize, however, is the actual irritation that produces hiccups starts in the nerve connecting the diaphragm to the brain. Usually, hiccups are temporary. In some cases, though, they can stick around for weeks, months, or even years as a result of more serious nerve damage or another medical condition. Keep reading to learn more about hiccups, including the most common causes.

Eating Too Much

Eating too much is a leading cause of hiccups, and goes hand in hand with eating too quickly. If an individual's body is over-inundated with food at one time, it could cause the stomach to expand quickly and irritate the diaphragm. This could result in a spasm, which then allows air to be drawn into the lungs and creates the 'hiccup' sound everyone knows. Overeating is bad for health in a lot of ways, but many individuals who eat too much or too quickly suffer from hiccups on a regular basis. This is because the constant distention of the stomach interferes with or irritates the diaphragm, resulting in blocked air or excess air getting into the lungs.

Read about the next common cause of hiccups now.

Drinking Too Quickly

Again, this cause of hiccups is related to airflow and over-indulgence. Drinking too quickly, or drinking a lot of carbonated beverages, can displace the air in the lungs. It can also create a lot of excess air and gas in the stomach that needs to be released. Individuals who drink too quickly probably deal with a lot of burping and indigestion as well, because all of these things are connected. The gas buildup in the stomach, combined with the displacement of air in the lungs, creates a reaction we know as a hiccup. Generally, if an individual slows their breathing and drinks more purposefully, they can alleviate hiccups or avoid them entirely.

Get the details on more things that can cause hiccups now.