hiccups
Sign in to saveA hiccup (scientific name singultus, from Latin for "sob, hiccup"; also spelled hiccough) is an involuntary contraction (myoclonic jerk) of the diaphragm that may repeat several times per minute. The hiccup is an involuntary action involving a reflex arc. Once triggered, the reflex causes a contraction of the diaphragm followed by the closure of the glottis, the space between the vocal cords, in about 35 milliseconds, which results in the "hic" sound.
AI overview
A hiccup is an involuntary contraction of your diaphragm—the muscle that controls breathing—that produces the distinctive "hic" sound when your vocal cords suddenly close. While hiccups are a normal reflex that most people experience occasionally, they're generally harmless and resolve on their own, though why your body produces them remains somewhat unclear.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Medical condition (new).synonyms
- Singultus, hiccough, synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF)
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
19 sectionsContents
- Incidence
- Signs and symptoms
- Causes
- Pathophysiological causes
- Pre-phrenic nucleus irritation of medulla
- CNS disorders
- Nerve damage
- Other known associations
- Evolutionary theories
- The burping reflex hypothesis
- Phylogenetic hypothesis
- Duration
- Treatment
- Folk remedies
- Society and culture
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
A hiccup (scientific name singultus, from Latin for "sob, hiccup"; also spelled hiccough) is an involuntary contraction (myoclonic jerk) of the diaphragm that may repeat several times per minute. The hiccup is an involuntary action involving a reflex arc. Once triggered, the reflex causes a contraction of the diaphragm followed by the closure of the glottis, the space between the vocal cords, in about 35 milliseconds, which results in the "hic" sound.
Hiccups may occur individually or in bouts. The rhythm of the hiccup, or the time between hiccups, tends to be relatively constant. A bout of hiccups generally resolves itself without intervention, although many home remedies are often used to attempt to shorten the duration. Medical treatment is occasionally necessary in cases of chronic hiccups.