Bhg
  • Shop
  • News
  • Food
  • DIY
  • Garden
  • Renovating
  • Decorating
  • Health
  • TV
Bhg
  • Shop
  • News
  • Food
  • DIY
  • Garden
  • Renovating
  • Decorating
  • Health
  • TV
Subscribe
YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

How to get rid of hiccups

How to get rid of hiccups

10 different ways to fall asleep quicker

10 different ways to fall asleep quicker

What you need to know about your thyroid

What you need to know about your thyroid

Tired all the time? 5 common causes of fatigue and how to fix them

Tired all the time? 5 common causes of fatigue and how to fix them

{headline}

{headline}

10 things to avoid so you stick to your diet

10 things to avoid so you stick to your diet

Sam Wood goes bushwalking

Sam Wood goes bushwalking

10 tips for sticking to your diet

10 tips for sticking to your diet

{headline}

{headline}

35 best face masks in Australia

35 best face masks in Australia

8 healthy chip snacks worth trying

8 healthy chip snacks worth trying

Indoor plants: 10 of the best house plants

Indoor plants: 10 of the best house plants

How to keep fit at any age

How to keep fit at any age

How long does caffeine last in your system?

How long does caffeine last in your system?

How to tone your body with Sam Wood

How to tone your body with Sam Wood

So you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, what now?

So you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, what now?

  1. Home
  2. Better Life

5 things you never knew about hiccups

This will shock and delight you. - by Laura Barry
  • 13 Mar 2019
5 things you never knew about hiccups

No one likes getting the hiccups. Aside from being a little embarrassing and uncontrollable, hiccups can be an uncomfortable thing to experience. However, there are a few things about hiccups that most people don’ know, and of these five things, number four shocked us the most., while number two was positively adorable.

What causes hiccups?

According to Better Health Victoria:

“Hiccups, or hiccoughs, are involuntary sounds made by spasms of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a large 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) slam shut. (The epiglottis is a flap of tissue that closes over the windpipe during swallowing to prevent the inhalation of food, fluids or saliva.) This sharp closure of the epiglottis causes the characteristic ‘hic’ sound of hiccups.”

1. There are medications to treat hiccups

If you have a bad case of the hiccups that goes on for longer than two days, you may need to see a doctor. If the case is deemed severe enough, Health Direct says that medications such as anaesthetics, corticosteroids and some anxiety, blood pressure and seizure medications have been prescribed for hiccups in Australia.

2. Animals can get hiccups, too

Science Focus magazine reports that animals get hiccups when something irritates the diaphragm, making it contract suddenly, which pushes air into the lungs so quickly that the epiglottis in the throat shuts. The magazine reported that any animal with this breathing mechanism can experience hiccups.

woman laughing holding hand in front of mouth
Getty

3. Unborn babies can hiccup

The pregnancy guide on Kidspot reports that during pregnancy a baby in the womb can start to experience hiccups, thought to be caused by irregular contractions of the baby’s immature diaphragm.

4. There was a man who had hiccups for 68 years

Between the years 1922 and 1990 US man Charles Osborne had the hiccups, he currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest case of hiccups, according to BBC.

5. Hiccups can be caused by strong emotions or temperature changes

A Harvard Health blog written by the Harvard health faculty editor explained that a sudden change in temperature (either inside or outside your body), smoking cigarettes or strong emotions such as excitement or stress can cause hiccups.

You can also get hiccups from swallowing too much air, eating too much food or drinking too much alcohol, as all these things can irritate the diaphragm.  

You might also like:

How to get rid of hiccups 

How much water should you drink per day?

5 things you didn't know about sweet potato

  • Health
  • Better Life
Laura Barry
Laura Barry
Laura Barry is a writer, bookworm and interior design enthusiast with a love for reporting on all things homes, travel and lifestyle. When not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura can be found making endless cups of tea or perusing the shelves of Sydney’s many bookstores.

Get your mag delivered!-Save 29% off the cover price!

Subscribe for $4.95 per issue

Subscribe Now
Get your mag delivered!

Get your mag delivered!-Save 29% off the cover price!

Subscribe for $4.95 per issue

Subscribe Now
Get your mag delivered!

Recommended to you

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

How to get rid of hiccups

How to get rid of hiccups

10 different ways to fall asleep quicker

10 different ways to fall asleep quicker

What you need to know about your thyroid

What you need to know about your thyroid

Tired all the time? 5 common causes of fatigue and how to fix them

Tired all the time? 5 common causes of fatigue and how to fix them

{headline}

{headline}

10 things to avoid so you stick to your diet

10 things to avoid so you stick to your diet

Sam Wood goes bushwalking

Sam Wood goes bushwalking

10 tips for sticking to your diet

10 tips for sticking to your diet

{headline}

{headline}

35 best face masks in Australia

35 best face masks in Australia

8 healthy chip snacks worth trying

8 healthy chip snacks worth trying

Indoor plants: 10 of the best house plants

Indoor plants: 10 of the best house plants

How to keep fit at any age

How to keep fit at any age

How long does caffeine last in your system?

How long does caffeine last in your system?

How to tone your body with Sam Wood

How to tone your body with Sam Wood

So you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, what now?

So you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, what now?

Bhg
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Bhg Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • All Recipes
  • BHG Shop
  • Girlfriend
  • Home Beautiful
  • New Idea
  • New Idea Food
  • Practical Parenting

Our Network

  • marie claire
  • Beauty Crew
  • Who
  • Women's Weekly Food
  • Bounty Parents
  • That’s Life
  • Perth Now
  • The West Australian
  • 7Plus
  • Airtasker
  • 7NEWS
  • SocietyOne
  • Health Engine
  • Starts at 60
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from Better Homes and Gardens

Magazine Subscription Offer

Get your mag delivered!-Save 29% off the cover price!

Shop This Offer
Get your mag delivered!