• Question: why do i hiccup

    Asked by chaza433 to Angela, Claire, Ian, Robert, Sarah on 11 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Angela Stokes

      Angela Stokes answered on 11 Nov 2014:

      Hi chaza433

      A hiccup is an involuntary contraction of the diaphragm and can be caused by a variety of things including coughing, rapid eating, carbonated drinks, laughing, intense emotions and spicy food. When the muscle goes into spasm, the vocal chords snap shut, producing the hiccup sound.

      It is thought that mammals developed the ability to hiccup to enable them to suckle and breathe at the same time – they can get rid of an air bubble in the stomach and replace it with milk without stopping suckling.

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