Hiccups, or synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF), come about when your diaphragm (the layer of muscle between your chest and abdomen, underneath the rib cage) contracts. This action leads you to suck air into your lungs suddenly, causing the epiglottis (the opening between the vocal cords) to close, creating that “hic” sound, says Dr Anton Emmanuel, a gastroenterologist at University College Hospital, London. The diaphragm is often irritated by the stomach filling with air and pushing up against the phrenic nerves of the diaphragm. This happens when you eat or drink too quickly, as you take in excess air in the process. Eating or drinking too much can have the same effect. Hiccups may occur individually or in bouts. The rhythm or time between hiccups tends to be relatively constant.
The fix: Holding your breath does work – if you do it for 10 seconds it overinflates the lungs and compresses the stomach, forcing out excess air.
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