Most people have bouts of hiccups from time to time, but why is this? In most cases they start for no apparent reason, last a short while, then stop. To understand why, it is necessary to establish exactly what a hiccup is. They are basically a diaphragmatic spasm and occur when a spur triggers the nerves which lower the diaphragm, i.e. makes the diaphragm contract involuntary, causing the person to take in a quick breath of air into their lungs, leading to the hiccups. The diaphragm is a large dome-shaped sheet of muscle slung beneath the lungs that, together with the intercostal muscles, causes us to breathe. The muscular spasm of these muscles sucks air into the lungs, and the quick inhalation makes a structure inside the throat (called the epiglottis) shut off, so when this irregular breath hits your voice box, it produces the characteristic "hic" sound. The epiglottis is a flap of tissue between the vocal cords, that closes over the windpipe during swallowing to prevent the inhalation of food, fluids or saliva. It is a reflex that nobody can stop, however, unlike other reflexes such as coughing and sneezing, hiccups do not seem to have any useful purpose.

The longest attack of hiccups ever recorded, lasted an astonishing 60 years and it is highly unlikely that it will ever be beaten. Common every day activities such as eating hot & spicy food; drinking carbonated drinks; sudden prolonged bouts of laughter; intense emotions, i.e. shock, fear, excitement; fumes of all kinds; excess smoking; cold air; or cold water can all act as triggers. There isn't much you can to avoid them, as they come on without notice; but folklore has passed down many cures, the vast majority of which have a physiological basis to explain their apparent success. Some examples of this relate to drinking, such as: taking a drink from the wrong side of a glass or drinking ice cold water or something fizzy through a straw. Holding one's breath seems to have a good success rate, but probably the most common of all attempts at a quick fix, is to have someone jump out and scare you when you're not expecting it. Cures the hiccups, but weakens your heart!