Hiccup, hiccup, do you know about hiccups? 🤭

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Speaker 1: I'd like to say thank you to Ian for this week's questions all about hiccups, and thank you to everyone else who has sent in questions for sleep Tight Science. Next week we're going to be looking at the eye you're listening to sleep Tight Science. Did you know the word hiccup is actually an example of an onomatopeia. What that sounds crazy? Yep? How does hycops occur? Great question? Ian. Hiccups started at your diaphragm, which is the curved or dome shaped muscle at the bottom of your chest. The diaphragm helps us when we breathe. When we inhale or breathe in, the diaphragm pulls down to help pull the air into our lungs. When we exhale or breathe out, the diaphragm relaxes and the air comes out of our lungs through our nose and mouth. But sometimes the diaphragm gets irritated, and when this happens, it pulls down in a way that makes you take air into your throat. Suddenly, when that air rushes in and reaches your voice box, your vocal chords suddenly close and you are left with a hiccup. Now, there are lots of different things that can irritate the diaphragm. Some things are like eating too quickly, or eating too much when you feel nervous or excited, sometimes when you have too much air in your stomach, spicy foods, or laughing. Almost all cases of the hiccups last for only a few minutes. Some cases of hiccup can last for days or even months, but this is very unusual and it usually means there is another problem and you should see your doctor. It seems that hiccups have no real purpose. They seem to come out of nowhere, and even though they happen often, scientists are not quite sure why they happen or how to get rid of them. Approximately, how almost the interval between hiccups. People normally hiccup anywhere from four to sixty hiccups per minute. This means some people will hiccup every second when they are hiccupping. Experts say that every person has a different hiccup pattern, but that pattern will stay the same every time. Hiccups are often rhythmic, meaning that the time or space between each hiccup is usually the same. Most people have hiccups only one to three times a year, while some people get them quite often for a short while, then they go away and they don't come back for a long time. Where does water stop hickups? Well, Ian that is a good question, but it might not actually be true. There is no proven way to stop pickups. There are many home remedies that people use to try and stop their hiccups, and these may work from time to time. Maybe you've tried one of these yourselves. Some people believe the best way to stop hiccups is to drink a glass of cold water, because cold water is supposed to stop the irritation to the diaphragm and then it will go back to its normal movement. Holding your breath and counting to ten is another way some people try to get rid of their hiccups. Other people say that drinking water from the wrong side of a glass is the way to become hiccup free. Some experts think holding your breath or breathing into a paper bag might do the trick. And of course, maybe the most famous treatment to stop hiccups having someone try to scare you when you are not expecting it. Fun facts about hiccups. Men are more likely than women to get hiccups, and babies and young children are much more likely to get them than adults. Babies hiccup even before they are born, which feels very odd to their mother. Some people believe that when you hiccup, someone in your family is thinking about you, or someone might be talking about you. Almost all mammals have hiccups, They just sound different depending on the animal. The medical term for hiccups is singultis and the longest recorded attack of hiccups was sixty eight years long and it is listed in the Guinness World Book of Records. Thank you for listening to this episode of Sleep Type Science, where we investigate the questions you have about anything science related. Our podcast starts with a question like did you know, and throughout that episode we will try to answer the questions. If you have a question or there is something you would like to know more about, send us your questions or comments at hello at sleep tightscience dot com. I look forward to hearing from you soon.