General Questions about What Causes Hiccups

Because Cure Hiccups .com is a site about understanding and curing the hiccups it is important that we realize what hiccups are and why people get them.

Hiccup is pronounced “HICK-up”. Hiccups are the spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm that repeats several times per minute. Wikipedia offers some good information on the hiccups which I have outlined in the following excerpt from their site:

In humans, the abrupt rush of air into the lungs causes the epiglottis to close, creating the “hic” sound. In medicine, it is known as synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF), or singultus, from the Latin, singult, “the act of catching one’s breath while sobbing.” The hiccup is an involuntary action involving a reflex arc.

The term “hiccup” is also used to describe a small and unrepeated aberration in an otherwise consistent pattern.

A bout of hiccups, in general, resolves itself without intervention, although many home remedies claim to shorten the duration, and medical treatment is occasionally necessary in cases of chronic hiccups.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiccups

What is the Reflex Arc and What Effect Does it have on Hiccups?

A reflex arc is the neural pathway that mediates a reflex action. In higher animals, most sensory neurons do not pass directly into the brain, but synapse in the spinal cord. This characteristic allows reflex actions to occur relatively quickly by activating spinal motor neurons without the delay of routing signals through the brain, although the brain will receive sensory input while the reflex action occurs. The main source of the reflex action is through the bottom muscles.

There are two types of reflex arc – autonomic reflex arc (affecting inner organs) and somatic reflex arc (affecting muscles).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflex_arc

What is the Epiglottis and how is it Related to the Hiccups?

The epiglottis is a flap of elastic cartilage tissue covered with a mucus membrane, attached to the root of the tongue. It projects obliquely upwards behind the tongue and the hyoid bone. The term is, like tonsils, often incorrectly used to refer to the uvula.

The epiglottis guards the entrance of the glottis, the opening between the vocal folds.

It is normally pointed upward during breathing with its underside functioning as part of the pharynx, but during swallowing, elevation of the hyoid bone draws the larynx upward; as a result, the epiglottis folds down to a more horizontal position, with its upper side functioning as part of the pharynx. In this manner it prevents food from going into the trachea and instead directs it to the esophagus, which is more posterior.

The epiglottis is one of nine cartilaginous structures that make up the larynx (voice box). While breathing, it lies completely within the pharynx. When swallowing it serves as part of the anterior of the larynx.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiglottis

General Hiccup Information Summary

So from looking at the information above we can get a general idea of the actions involved when a hiccup occurs.

First there is a sudden contraction of the diaphragm caused by a somatic reflex arc in the body which causes a rush or air into the lungs.

This sudden rush of air causes the epiglottis to close and creates the “HICK” sound we hear when someone has the hiccups.

So far I have not come across a reason as to why this happens, or what causes the reflex arc to activate, but we now have a better general understanding of what the hiccups are, and what is happening inside the body when they occur.