The last time I had hiccups was about three months ago when I saw “The Martian.” I loved the book and couldn’t wait to sit back and enjoy the movie.
Unfortunately, I started to hiccup right after the previews ended. I was munching on popcorn when the first one hit — HICCUP! Three seconds later, the second one hit — HICCUP! By the time the third happened, I knew things were dicey. I took a swig of water, held my breath for 30 seconds and waited. Fortunately, they stopped.
Hiccups occur because your diaphragm rapidly contracts unrelated to taking a breath. This muscular action draws a quick burst of air into your body. About the same time, something tightens in your larynx, or voice box, quickly, stopping the inrush of air. This is what causes the chirping sound that’s heard at the end of a hiccup.
Except for some rare diseases that cause hiccups, it’s unclear what triggers them. The most common theory is that one of the nerves that controls the diaphragm is irritated, which causes a spasm in the muscle.
Hiccups usually resolve themselves in a few minutes. Lots of treatments have been suggested over the years, including holding your breath, as I did while Matt Damon was getting stranded on Mars. Though none of them has been proved to work in scientific studies, here are a few:
• Breathe in and out of a paper bag for 60 seconds.
• Swallow a teaspoon of sugar.
• Drink a glass of water while you’re bending forward.
• Stand on your head.
• Have someone scare you.
Here are some other facts about hiccups.
• Fetuses, or unborn babies, often get them near the end of a mom’s pregnancy. So in addition to waking your mom by kicking her, your hiccups sometimes caused trouble. (Sorry, Mom.)
• Newborns get them all the time. Fortunately, babies don’t know any better, so hiccups don’t seem to bother them.
• According to the Guinness World Records folks, Charles Osborne holds the record for the longest case of hiccups. They began in 1922 and continued until 1990 for a total of 68 years.
If your hiccups last more than a day or two, call the doctor. Just check to make sure he or she is at the office.
Howard Bennett is a Washington pediatrician. The second edition of his book “Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwetting” was published in May.
