What Causes Hiccups?

A hiccup can be defined as an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm, causing a sudden shift of air through the lungs, which causes the glottis to close abruptly and make the unique coughing sound, now known as the sound of a hiccup. What causes a Hiccup? There are multiple physiological reasons for a hiccup to occur, but at a basic level, the aetiology of every hiccup is based on an irritation to the diaphragm (the large muscles above (proximal) to the abdominal wall, which are used during the process of respiration). This irritation towards the diaphragm causes the diaphragm to spasm, resulting in a sudden influx of air into the lungs (inspiration) which causes a closing of the glottis and the subsequent sound known as a hiccup.

Causes of Hiccups

The pathophysiology of hiccups includes acute and chronic causes of diaphragmatic irriation, such as spicy food ingestion, allergies, excess laughter (yes, too much laughter may be a bad thing), beer ingestion and some soda drinks.

These all contribute to irriate the diaphragm and cause hiccups.

Spicy foods causes hiccups because it irritates the stomach and oesophagus which spasms and therefore causes a change in respiration and an irriation to the diaphragm resulting in hiccups.

Beer and soda drinks all include carbonated soda which causes excess bubbles in the stomach and lead to burping – when you burp excess air is expelled up through the oesophagus. If this occurs during inspiration, the diaphragm will interrupted, causing a muscular spasm in the diaphragm leading to hiccups.

Allergies, such as certain pollens cause a person to sneeze. If you sneeze you expell large amounts of air suddenly. If this occurs during a inspiratory phase, the diaphragm will have to change what it is trying to do and this can result in diaphragmatic irriation and the cause of hiccups.

Excess laugher is also likely to cause air to go in when it should go out and vice versa, which results in diaphragmatic irriation and one of the many causes of hiccups.