![]() There have been cases reported of people who have hiccups for years. But sometimes, continual nerve issues can create a kind of “hiccup loop.” That can lead to persistent hiccups, which last for more than 48 hours, or even intractable hiccups, which last for more than one month. The result? A series of hiccups.īy themselves, hiccups are very normal and everyone gets them occasionally, he adds. ![]() Anything that irritates the nerve can lead to spasms that disrupt the normal contraction-and-relaxation mechanism of the diaphragm muscle, Dr. The nerve controlling all this action is called the phrenic nerve, which runs from your brain, down your neck, and alongside your heart and esophagus on its way to your diaphragm. When the muscle relaxes, the elastic properties of your lung cause it to squeeze air out through your nose and mouth. When it contracts, the muscle presses down, leading to negative pressure (or, below regular atmosphere pressure) in your chest cavity. That muscle is a large sheet that separates your chest from your abdominal cavities. This theory isn’t far off from the truth - hiccups pretty much are just a physiological quirk.Ī hiccup is caused by a spasm of the diaphragm muscle, explains Eugene Chio, M.D., assistant professor of otolaryngology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Ever get hit with a bout of the hiccups only to feel embarrassed, like they should be a thing adults are over? After all, they don’t serve any purpose at all, other than seemingly to make social situations awkward.
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